What is Amiodarone for?
Amiodarone is a kind of medicine that is usually used to treat irregular heart beat. This medicine is called an antiarrhythmic agent that has been discovered in the year 1961 but has never been approved until 1985. Amiodarone is widely used to treat heart conditions that are difficult to treat. Although this medicine is used by many people with different heart related diseases, it is also known to have some serious side-effects.

What is the recommended dosage?

Amiodarone can be taken orally or through an injection. When Amiodarone is taken orally, a typical dosage is a total of 10 grams which is distributed over seven to fourteen days or a maximum of 2 weeks. If an individual starts taking Amiodarone orally, it should be administered either in 100 or 200 mg once or twice a day. On the other hand, if Amiodarone is taken through an injection, the typical dosage is 150 mg at the most.

Since Amiodarone is fat-soluble, the medicine tends to concentrate in fat and muscle tissues. It also is absorbed by the liver, lungs, and skin. It usually takes a few days to a few weeks before it is finally expelled from the body. When taking Amiodarone either orally or through an injection, it is recommended to be taken with a meal

What are the side effects?

Taking Amiodarone can affect the lungs. It can cause interstitial lung disease. When Amiodarone is taken in dosages as high as 400 milligrams per day or more, the individual might develop pulmonary fibrosis.

Another organ that is affected is the thyroid. Taking Amiodarone in high dosage or in a long time can cause Hypothyroidism. The thyroid is greatly affected due to the iodine, which is highly contained in Amiodarone.

Aside from the lungs and the thyroid, the eyes are also greatly affected by the use of Amiodarone. It specifically affects the eye corneal micro-deposits. Individuals who have been taking the Amiodarone are found to have these deposits in their cornea. These deposits cause the individuals to see halo characterized by a bluish hue. The continued use of this medicine causes swelling of the bilateral optic disk. It can also cause a visual that is reversible and mild defects for some.

Amiodarone also affects the gastrointestinal system and also causes abnormalities in the liver. Some even suffer from jaundice, enlargement or liver inflammation.

Some individuals have also reported that they experience pseudo-alcoholic cirrhosis when taking small amounts of amiodarone.

Long-term use of this medicine can also cause skin discoloration. Patients using
Amiodarone for a long time have noticed that their skin have been gradually turning grey. This is usually common with patients who have a lighter skin complexion. In addition, people who have been taking amiodarone have been reported to become overly sensitive to sunlight and the damaging effects of UV-A light.

Lastly, individuals who take Amiodarone can also suffer epididymitis, which is usually correlated with bacterial infections. On the other hand, Amiodarone can also cause inflammatory condition to the skin, which is non-bacterial.