Hello everyone I'm now taking Flecainde 50mg twice daily. I also take Inderal for AFIB. I was in the hospital the past two weekends, terrified out of my wits. My doctors are hoping the Flecainide will help me. They are starting me out on low doses. So far so good. Has anybody else had good results with this medication.
Sincerely,
Chayah
Hi Chayah- I have been taking Flecainide (50mg x2) daily for about 9 months. So far all good but with AF you never know!! There are some things that will still trigger an AF episode - for me that includes alcohol, stress, virus or flu - in which case I pop an extra 100mg but now I know the triggers these are rare and don’t last long. Liz
I have been on this medication for a while & it keeps me stable . Last year it was stopped for a while - long story - became very unstable- once back on it stable again .
I took 100mg x 2 for about 18 months and it worked for a while but break through happened around 12 months or so. Everyone is different though and my AF was fairly well established by the time I started taking it.
Same dose as yours helped to keep me AF free during my 6 month wait for an ablation
Flecainide can work really well and keep your heart ticking over nicely.
However it won't help you to overcome your fears. I hope you will soak up the wealth of experience here which will help you to understand that AF is more an electrical quirk than something dreadfully wrong with your heart.
Knowledge can embolden and those of us who have had AF for a long time find it much less scary. If you find AF is just an unwelcome nuisance, it won't stand in your way quite as much and you can get your life back.
I have been taking 2x100mg of Flecainide for nearly four years and have had no AF in that time. For me, Flecainide was a godsend - stopping very frequent episodes of AF which were very debilitating.
At the beginning, I was terrified and worried every day if AF would start and how I would cope. Gradually, I pushed the negative thoughts away, took my Flecainide and got on with what I wanted to do.
Flecainide helped me to ‘get on top’ of AF and realise that it could be made less important and could be managed. I was told that I might get ‘breakthough AF’ but that hasn’t happened, although I get ectopics from time to time.
Best wishes with it - it has given me my life back.
Hi Chaya, relax from somebody who realised a lot of the earlier anxiety was not necessary or helpful. Flecainide is one of the older tried and tested drugs, which I would only advocate if you need to be stabilised. I have been taking it 200mgs/day (and nothing else) for 4 years without another episode.
Just a tip if you find you are still having the odd episode discuss with your cardiologist asap a possible increase in daily dose rather than taking some more just as a PIP. Oh do look seriously at your lifestyle, diet and supplement intake as well, all discussed here in excellent detail.
Just curious. I have been taking 50 mg Flec 2x per day for a couple of years. However, I was told that you shouldn’t take Flec without Metropolol (a beta blocker) which I do. Does your EP indicate that it is ok to take Flec without a beta blocker or calcium channel blocker?
Thx
My cardiologist prescribed Flecainide on its own. I have checked with him twice (thanks to postings here) and he says because I have lowish BP & Pulse 117:70, 55 that BBs or CCBs would make me unwell. Thank you for raising this again though; as I am seeing him in a couple of weeks for a check-up and I will push him on what the level of risk is for me.....its easy to get complacent after 4 years without any issues! Also most here are not on just Flec.
Thanks much. I typically have a relatively normal resting rate of 65 to 70 but recently I have had bouts where my rate goes down 40 for several minutes at a time which is concerning and makes me wonder whether I should be off My beta blocker if Flec can indeed be taken alone. At any rate I’ll check with my EP too as well especially the low rate
Hi Chayah, I initially took it for 7 months and did fantastic until My EP took me off of it after a stress test showed Vtach. He said it caused it. I was so disappointed because it worked great for my afib. This year after my ablation with a different EP, he put me back on it since Jan 06 at 50 mg every 12 hours, same dose as I was on before. So far, no afib at all according to my pacemaker report. I hope I am able to stay on it because it worked before.
Ive been on 50mg x 2 for over 18 months and had no recurrence of AFIB.
Perhaps unwisely I even tried one of my triggers and it made no effect.
I did query my Cardiologist about stopping the daily dose and just use it as a pip
but he thought its a risk I dont need to take as its working so well.
I have been taking flecainide since 2011. Sept 16 my dose was reduced to 50mg twice a day. In all that time only 1 episode at the end of a nasty viral infection when on the higher dose.
Do you take any supplements? My magnesium and potassium levels are okay but wonder whether it is worth trying.
I take just one magnesium taurate capsule a day. I think they are 120mg. 2 reasons I take low dose, I eat magnesium rich foods and don't know ïf my magnesium is low or not. Also take a multivitamin one month with probiotics, one month without. Have since covid19 added vit D3 and also take low dose omega 3 cap.
Sometimes I'm tempted to have a couple of months off all supplements and see how I feel but never done it!!
What brand of magnesium taurate do you take?
I take 125 mg capsule made by cardiovascular research. They are a bit dearer than some but I get a big bottle of 180 which as I only choose to take one last ages.. and I'm worth it!!!!
Thank you so much. I wonder why some EPs and cardiologists are anti trying supplements. I have always been told a well balanced diet is key as I’m not low on magnesium, I shouldn’t take them. But I want to try something as I’m still dipping in and out of AF with 150mg total flecainide per day. My AF kicks of when I’m sleeping so want to sort this out.
Mine too but not for7 years! Have you looked at Dr Sanjay Guptas YouTube channel. He is keen on magnesium.
Just to clarify - your AF used to kick off at night as well? I will take a look. What time of day you take the magnesium?
Yes usually as I was falling asleep. I do lots of the stuff advocated for increasing vagal tone, meditation, abdominal breathing, humming (an irritating habit I've always had).
I do have to spend time working on my anxiety issues but magnesium good for that too. Even my dog is on a canineversion lol.
I take it with evening pills at about 6pm
Hello, flecanide worked for me for 3 years with just the odd episode, I was taking 100g a day but it started to loose it's effect so ended up with an Ablation. My specialist said it's a great drug with no side effects. Good luck.
My partner took flecanide for 10 years, following af related stroke. It ceased to be effective and was stopped immediately. I can’t take it because a ‘silent’ myocardial infarction showed up on the MRI scan. It was prescribed by an EP who hadn’t bothered to read my notes and could have caused great harm had I not researched before taking.
For those taking Flecainide please be aware of the following:
Proarrhythmic Effects Of Antiarrhythmic Drugs: Case Study Of Flecainide Induced Ventricular Arrhythmias During Treatment Of Atrial Fibrillation.
I have been taking Flecainide for just over four years. It has reduced my AF episodes from one every couple of weeks to four per year. These are also very much milder than the ones I used to have.
Hi, yes I am on Flecainide, 50mg twice a day, due to atrial fibrillation. I had an ablation some years ago and it worked brilliantly for a year, then I had another strange attack when I kept blacking out, so was admitted, given flecainide once more and was fine until an episode of bleeding after dental implants. Then again i was admitted, told that my electrics were playing up and continue with the medication. Although I have had lots of tests since, nothing shows up so keep taking the tablets! Still get breathless walking up hills, but I'm 78 now so what can I expect? I also take Riveroxoban so shouldn't have a stroke. Hope your medication does the trick. Good luck!
I was on flecainide (same dose 50mb 2x day) for several months before and after my first ablation 18 months ago. Felt great while taking it. seemed to really help with my afib events.
Hi Chayah. I've been on flecainide for several months and it's been excellent, to the point where I have entirely forgotten I have a heart condition at times! Just make sure all the relevant tests are carried out before you start it.
Anne
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