Flecaidine and Bisoprolol

[Lucyjoujou]

I am taking Bisoprolol (10mg) and Flecaidine (10mg) has just been added to this to treat my paroxysmal AF. Is it usual to feel very tired as a result of these medications? Is this likely to wear off?

[Lucyjoujou]

I meant 2x100mg Flecaidine

[pirnough6 in reply to Lucyjoujou]

flecainide is a powerful drug and can make you feel very rough to begin with but it does get better and you overcome the tiredness. However keep an eye on your blood pressure as the bisoprolol can reduce it too much and this can make your tired and breathless and I did reduce mine with the advice from the doctor and split the dose between morning and night

[Hidden]

I started taking my Bisoprolol in the evening and feel less lethargic. I only take one dose a day of it

[Lucyjoujou in reply to Hidden]

I was told to divide Bisoprolol into two 5 mg doses. Would it be OK to take 10mg at night instead?

[Hidden in reply to Lucyjoujou]

I can not advise that . my dose is once a day and not 10 mg. Don't do it if been told to take 5 mg am and pm. It may make you unwell . Seek medical advice before doing anything

[icklebud99]

Bisoprolol left me lethargic, breathless walking and I had it changed a couple of times. I am now on Atenolol and Flecainide both 50mg twice daily which has changed my life for the better. I am almost normal except for horrendous overheating. Waiting for an ablation so hopefully can get off meds. Contact Cardiologist to change meds if they are problematic.

[terryw]

Hi Lucyjoujou. Bisoprolol is a beta blocker and can restrict effort and cause breathlessness. I think that 10mg may be the top dosage. My guess is that your symptoms are unlikely to disappear unless you reduce the dose. I suggest that you monitor your blood pressure and heart rate. I have been told as a rough guide that a reading above 150/90 is hypertension (it can depend on age), and that a normal resting heart rate is between 60 -100 per minute. Once you have some recordings you can use them as a basis for a discussion with your GP/Consultant about the 10mg dose. TerryW.

[Lucyjoujou]

Thank you for your replies. My consultant has been juggling the dose of Bisoprolol and has just recently added Flecainide. He has mentioned a pacemaker but says he is reluctant to proceed down that route. Could anyone explain why this might be? I would much rather have a pacemaker than these drugs which make me so lethargic. Is an ablation an alternative to a pacemaker and to drugs?

[Hidden in reply to Lucyjoujou]

I have pacemaker but still take Flecainide and Bisoprolol. The pacemaker does not cure AF nor stop it

[Zacky19]

Hi Lucy, I was taking the same meds as you mentioned only Flecanide 100mg twice a day and it made me feel very tired, sleepy, sometimes dizzy, my BP resting was 146 which is too low and causing the above so I've since had an Ablation for AF and I'm back to normal life. I was taking Flecanide for 3 years before adding the Bisoprolol and had no side effects. Good luck.

[Hidden]

10mg of bisoprolol is enough to wipe you out. In the early days of my AF journey I was on 12.5 mg a day and couldn't function. Thankfully down to 1.25 mg a day now following an ablation. It still makes me feel tired though, or maybe that's just modern life and getting old

[KMRobbo]

For a week I was on 2.5 mg of bisoprolol and was asleep 40 mins after taking it And woke up with aching arms and chest.

I cannot imagine even waking up if I had 10mg.

Some people do not get on with it .

There are other beta blockers such as atenonol which I tries for two weeks but made made me sleepy but less so. I moved then to veapamil a calcium channel blocker which was great, but as my AF got worse I am on 50m.g flecainide twice daily and 200mg diltiazem .The diltiazem reduced my exercise tolerancegreatly and gives me brain fog. It is still better than bisoprolol for me.

You need a beta blocker or alternative discussion with your GP if you have an ongoing issue.