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Diagnosis: Aortic Stenosis, Mitral Stenosis

Member Since: March 4, 2015

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Rita Savelis posted an update

9 months ago (July 14, 2025)

Hi. Anyone on, or been on, Amiodarone (cordarone)? What kind of side effects did you have, if any, and were you able to stay on that drug? I had 2 valves replaced 10 yrs ago and although I had to get a pacemaker afterwards because of damaged electric connections I... Read more.

🥰 😂 Adam Pick, Rita Savelis and reacted to this

Kimberly Eisenhut

Rita, I am so sorry you are having to deal with this. I do not know about Amiodarone, but hope you can find some answers from others here that do. Lots of love and hugs sent to you today! ❤️🙏

Fidel Martãnez Ruiz

Rita, I don't know anything about the questions you ask, but send you muy best wishes and sure somebody will have experience on those issues. Cheers.!!

Bonnie Stone-Hope

Hi Rita, I was on Amiodarone after my first OHS in December 2017.....and the side effects were that I had no energy at all.

Rita Savelis

Thank you Bonnie. That's how I feel. Did you replace amiodarone with a different dose or another med or with an ablation?

Bonnie Stone-Hope

Ended up having a second surgery , and Afib, had a cardioversion, and now on blood thinners and beta blocker but no amiodarone. **I know other friends who were on Amiodarone also and felt the same way....

Rose Madura

Rita, I was on high doses of Amiodarone after my surgery due to my going into Afib and Aflutter all the time. I was very symptomatic and hospitalized each time. I felt horrible on them to the point that I refused the drip at the hospital. Long term use can... Read more.

Rita Savelis

Thanks Bonny. Glad you got off the dreaded amiodarone. I have 2 mechanical valves and have been on anticoagulants and a betablocker replacement (I felt so depressed and slow on metropolol) for 10 yrs. Amiadarone is my first new drug in a long time. But atrial flutter made me exhausted... Read more.

Rita Savelis

Thanks Rose. I know that amiadarone side effects can build with time and believe you about lungs and eyesight. I am on 200mg. Did you have an ablation? I used to be so proud that I had never had arrythmia. (I had everything else). Hope you are doing well.

Bonnie Stone-Hope

Yes, beta blocker does make you slow down for sure, but my cardiologist decreased my dose and now I am OK, walk 10,000 steps every day, wear an Apple Watch to be alerted if I have Afib,

Robert Miller

I am on Amiodarone because I have pretty much constant afib even after cardioversion. They load you up with Amiodarone before cardioversion and then gradually drop the dosage. However, the medicine doesn't seem to help at all even after 1+ years. I am trying to have it replaced with a... Read more.

Adam Pick

Here's an educational video about Amiadorone that might be helpful for patients learning about that drug. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6QnylgUCT_E

Surgeon Q&A: Amiodarone and Atrial Fibrillation After Heart Valve Surgery with Dr. Douglas Johnston

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6QnylgUCT_E

https://www.Heart-Valve-Surgery.com - A common, post-operative complication for heart surgery patients is atrial fibrillation (AFib), an irregular heartbeat....

Rose Madura

Rita, I was fortunate in that I was a textbook case where my Afib/Aflutter lasted six weeks. I haven't had an incident since and for that I'm very thankful. Please keep us posted. I feel for you and will pray for a good outcome.

Susan Lynn

Rita - Sorry to hear you're having afib and side effects with amiodarone. Hopefully, there's another option for you. Don't suffer - call your doctor. Please keep us posted. 🙏

Ana Brusso

Dear Rita, Im so sorry you are having all these issues. You have been such a strong supporter of so many of us. Hoping you are able to find another option. Will pray for you. God bless you ðŸ™â¤ï¸

Rita Savelis

Thank you Adam and thank you everyone. The video does not apply in my case as my atrial flutter did not follow valve surgery (or come from inflammation bothering the heart after surgery). It happened 10 yrs later out of the blue, for the first time. So I have to... Read more.

Rose Madura

Rita, my husband has Afib out of the blue a couple years ago. He ended up getting an ablation and has not had an incident since. I think Afib really is just one of those things that comes with no warning.

Rita Savelis

Thank you Rose. I have a pacemaker removal scheduled for Monday. A few weeks later I'll pursue a left-side ablation.... Happy July!

Robert Miller

I am pretty much in the same boat and maybe even a bit more complicated. I will be meting with my cardiologist in a few weeks and afib will be the main topic. I think there are three options. 1) Change medicine 2) Do another cardioversion 3) do an ablation... Read more.

Jill Porter

I had an ablation in 2020 for Afib. It came back after the ablation but went away with medications that were Multaq and Cardizem. I didn't have another episode until September of 2023 right after I had OHS to repair my MVP. Then it lasted for 6 weeks during which... Read more.

Grace Mason

Sending prayers, Rita, that your doctor's figure out what's going on and get you on the mend and knock out any infection ðŸ™ðŸ»ðŸ¤— Hope the new pacemaker is an upgrade ðŸ˜ƒ

Margaret Fielden

Pray things go well Rita

Rita Savelis posted an update

1 year ago (April 10, 2025)

Pleural effusion 2015 + 2 mechanical valves + pacemaker

🥰 ❤️ Alina Wilson and Sue Connell reacted to this

Rita Savelis

Big O is the mitral. Rectangle above it is aortic valve seen straight on. Oval shape to the left of big O is tricuspid (reinforced with a ring). You can also see the sternal wires that look like bows. The white stuff in lung linings is liquid.

Fidel Martãnez Ruiz

👍 thanks Rita

Fidel Martãnez Ruiz

Good explanation. I can see now clearly😊

Robert Miller

I am not sure I would post all your vital information like name, DOB, date of x-ray, etc on a public forum. In any case, it seems you are female but the x-ray surprises me a little bit. It seems they made you stretch up your arms. And there is... Read more.

Rita Savelis posted an update

1 year ago (April 10, 2025)

10 years ago today, at age 53, I had heart valve surgery to replace my aortic and mitral valves with mechanical valves and to reinforce my tricuspid valve. Two weeks later a permanent pacemaker was implanted. I spent 3 weeks in hospital and 3 weeks in a live-in rehab hospital.... Read more.

🥰 😂 Kimberly Eisenhut, Alina Wilson and reacted to this