Hi, i am just diagnose with an arrythmia. please some one have experience taking this medicine? How you take care of your liver while you are in amiodarona?
I have funcional cure, but i am afraid for a reactivation, and dont know if this arrythmia have something to do whit hep b, i did new labs to know if it happened.
Hi @Tathy, sorry to hear about your diagnosis. It is probably something more that our @PharmacyExperts and @HealthExperts can answer better, but there does not appear to be any specific modification you need to do for liver health while on amiodarone nor is there any evidence of reactivation of HBV after functional cure due to this medication.
Indeed, there does seem to be potential for liver damage if taken long term, so it would be important to maintain monitoring to adjust doses if there does appear to be liver injury.
Thomas
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Hi @Tathy
I am very sorry to hear of your arrhythmia. I don’t know anything about amiodarona so I looked it up on some highly reputable medical websites (Cleveland Clinic, Mayo Clinic, and the British Heart Association). According to these experts, this is a very powerful drug with potential for many side effects, including liver damage. Hopefully you are being closely monitored as you start taking the drug.
If I’m interpreting this correctly, and I’m not a physician so I may not be, the potential liver effects of amiodarona would be direct hepatic toxicity (ie, poisoning liver cells). While this is not good (and it does not occur in everyone–watch for yellowing of the eyes and skin; if this happens call your doctor immediately), I have never heard of chemical toxicity to the liver causing reactivation of HBV in people who have cleared the virus like you have. The thing that usually causes reactivation of the very small trace of HBV you may (or may not!) still have in your liver is immunosuppression, particularly B-cell immunosuppression. Also, don’t eat grapefruits or drink grapefruit juice while on amiodarona. That can change the rate at which the drug is removed from your system and cause an overdose of amiodarona or possibly of another drug if you take other ones.
I wish you the best.
John.
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@ThomasTu @john.tavis thanks so much for your answer, and time. I am 33 years old, i really hope there is another option for me besides the amiodarona, Wish you the best on your work. iam so grateful.
Please share your concerns with your cardiologist. S/he may have other options for your treatment, or would be able to explain to you why s/he thinks that aminodarona is the best option for you.
John.
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Hi dr thoumas tu, i have some questions regarding my new labs results, i thought maybe i have miocarditis and thas why the arrythmia, i did a new hbsag, anti hbs, this ones always came negative an continued negative but anti hbc igg it turned negative in this last check, how this will affect me?? I am no longer hace immunity agains hep b? I need some prevention like vaccine?
Hi @Tathy,
Anti-HBc being negative does not adversely affect you in any way. Immunity against hep B is measured with an anti-HBs test. If this is negative, then the usual recommendation would be to be vaccinated to protect you against any future exposure.
Hope this helps,
Thomas
@ThomasTu thanks you so much fpr ypur answer i m going to take the vaccine.
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Great to hear @Tathy. Keep us updated!
Cheers,
Thomas