Pacemakers and Amiodarone

I know we have several doctors here, so I wondered if I could get your help with an issue my mother is having.

My 77 yo mother had a heart attack last Easter. She developed afib. The doctor put her on a high dose of amiodarone. Her heart rate fluctuated between very low and very high. Her heart stopped a few times for up to 10 seconds so the doctor put in a pacemaker. He then reduced the amiodarone to a lower level (200).

Should she continue to take amiodarone now that the pacemaker has been implanted? I have heard it is a very toxic drug.

Thanks in advance for any help regarding this issue.

Hi Destrider,

First off; I’m not an MD. BUT…I developed AFib in 2016. At first, the episodes were about 6 months apart, but their frequency increased to about monthly. My cardiologist suggested Amiodarone. I did some reading about it. It was enough to curl my hair! A LOT of patients develop Serious Adverse Effects and many of them are permanent…they stay even if the drug is stopped. I told the Doc I’d rather take my chances without it.
My go-to was plain old Metoprolol and Propanorm (Propranolol?).
In 2023 I had an ablation and, Thank The Deity, the AFib stopped.
I hope your Mother recovers.

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