"Complex592" <
[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> I am afraid that there is some confusion here. Pacemakers are devices
that are
> implanted to keep the heart rate from going too low. If the heart rate
slows
> down then the pacemaker fires and the heart responds to the pacemaker. Pacemakers do not reduce
> heart rates. Amiodorone is an antiarrhythmic.
It
> helps prevent abnormal heart rhythms that come from the lower or upper
chambers
> of the heart. Often, pacemakers are required for back up to treat a patient that
requires
> medication for fast heart rates. Many of the medications in doing their
jobs
> can cause the heart rate to go down. This pacemaker will prevent the medications from causing your
> friends heart rate to go too low. I dont
know
> your friend or his situation or what rx's he is taking. Also there are
rhythm
> problems that cause a patient to have both fast and slow heart rhythms. Sometimes they are very
> rapid other times really slow. Again in this
instance
> the fast rates can be treated medically and the pacemaker will be there
for the
> slow rates. Talk to your friend. Ask him to take some time and speak with
the
> Dr that takes care of him. He should know what is being done so that he
can
> have the confidence he needs to have for peace of mind.
A follow up question. My friend is an engineer and has more faith in mechanical devices that in
medications. When he ran out of Amiodarone for a week he did not feel and different from when taking
it, so wondered if it was giving him any benefit. What would be the effect of stopping it in the
longer term? Derek.