I am still suffering severe nausea which started Monday when I had a very short episode of AF. I take Flecainide daily and have done for decades. For Monday’s short episode of AF I took extra Flecainide to stabilise my heart rhythm.
After seeking answers to why I keep getting this nausea I am wondering if there is an outside chance that the source of my problem might just be Flecainide.
I am seeing my GP on Monday and as my EP has already indicated that he would not oppose the gradual reduction of my daily dose.
Any thoughts?
Pete
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pottypete1
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Nausea and feeling sick are certainly listed as side effects of Flecainide on the two different makes I have. Though they've never affected me that way. Perhaps the Flec has built up too much in your body after you took the extra dose. I found out a short while ago, as you may remember, that Flec was causing my AF. Since stopping it I've been well, with no heart problems at all.
I looked it up this morning whilst clutching at straws. Nausea was in the first list of side effects along with numerous other things that I have such as Tinnitus.
I remember well that you have bucked the symptom and deduced that Flecainide was perpetuating your AF. The side effect of Arrythmia is also listed.
I have a letter from my EP that says I could try cutting down on Flecainide and if it all went pear shaped he would sanction a cardioversion.
I am going to see my GP Monday so hope I get some support there too.
Regarding my Ectopics I am in touch with a qualified Cognitive Hypnotherapist and she said that providing my GP approves she is happy to try and help me deal with the mental anguish that they cause me.
On a lighter note despite feeling wretched earlier today we went for a 5k walk this afternoon. It was so hard to motivate myself as for two pins I would have stayed in bed all day. The result of forcing myself to have a brisk walk has been that right now I feel better than I have since last weekend.
You did a 5K walk! Well done! I'm glad to hear it has made you feel better. I did about the same yesterday with a friend. We had coffee at a lovely hotel and then treated ourselves to lunch out in the town - well we thought we deserved it!
Whilst my blood pressure is under control I have been feeling wretched again today as the nausea and very regular Ectopics have continued.
I saw my doctor today who is at a loss to know what is at the bottom of it all.
As a starting point he wants me to stop the Magnesium supplement and to start taking Lanzoprozol again.
If I am still unwell in 2 weeks he will contact my EP with a view to him seeing me earlier than my next follow up appointment which is currently early December.
Trouble is we have booked a few days away next week in Devon and right now I think I am going to ruin everything.
May try and get some hypnotherapy but it has never worked for me before.
Can't you stop taking the Flec and just use it as a PIP. I'm not happy to hear you will be taking Lanzoprazol, another drug with lots of nasty side effects. Do you have digestion problems?
Yes I understand what you suggest but I think as I have asked for his advice I have to work with him for now despite how bad I feel.
Regarding Lanzoprazol, I have it in the house and have taken it before with no side effects.
My doctor is taking the view that it might still be a gastric related problem.
We are going to the South Hams area in South Devon near Salcombe. We have stayed in this hotel before. They cater well for customers of a certain age group well. It is where I took the sunset photo that is my image on the forum.
We shall see how things progress this week.
Pete
Cannot answer you question but I can tell you for the last 6 mo Ive blamed flecainide and metoprolol for intermittent nausea and feeling tired. Come to find out my gallbladder is really bad. It is coming out next week. Doc said it was the culprit.
I blame everything on my tablets and I did wonder whether recently my upset intestines were a bug.....it’s hard to tell when you are popping five tablets a day isn’t it.....
First when I had acute anxiety when AF became persistent. I lost a fair bit of weight (no bad thing but there are better ways of doing it!). A course of hypnotherapy really helped and gave me helpful ways of combatting the problem. The nausea went.
Shortly after that was when I started Flecainide. I blamed the flecainide, but I was suffering from gastritis after taking a daily aspirin (outdated treatment for AF) for 4 years. Omaprezole helped clear the gastritis and I started again with half doses of Flecainide and found I could tolerate it at 100 x 2 per day after that.
Another thing...when I upped the Flecainide to 300 daily to try and cardiovert I got very high blood pressure and felt awful till I reduced it again which is interesting in view of your problem.
The nausea could be through the extra flecainde and or anxiety, both or a total coincidence. My GP loves to tell me things are a coincidence where meds are concerned. I used to take flecainide twice daily and my EP said if stable I might prefer just to use it as a pill in the pocket when svt or af occurred, I found it worked well used that way. It may be worth discussing with your cardiac medic. Hope you feel better soon.
I was reading your other response and can only say I was referred to a clinical psychologist who specialises in health issues. I found it extremely valuable. Worth a consideration. Best wishes.
The only time I had nausea with Flec was when I took it just after I had eaten - it was horrible - on an empty stomach I had nothing but everyone reacts differently and I guess the only way to know is to reduce/stop and see.
Hope you feel better soon. Anxiety can also cause nausea and you do seem to have been quite anxious lately - just a thought. Best wishes
I weaned myself off Flecainide yesterday under EP instructions, four weeks after a PVI cryoablation. I'd been taking Flecainide as PIP for about 15 years but before ablation was taking 2x100mg/day as the frequency of my PAF episodes had increased to 2/3 a week.
On having an AF breakthrough, I supplemented the 2x100mg/day dose with one or two tablets, depending on when I last took one. Therefore on some days I slightly exceeded the recommended max dose of 300mg/day, but at no time was I ever aware of Flecainide causing nausea. Since you have tolerated Flecainide previously, it seems unlikely that an increased dose would cause nausea, provided that you are within 300mg/day. With a half-life of 12-27 hours, it is hard to see how Monday's extra dose could be responsible for nausea occurring over 7 days. Just my opinion, and we all respond to drugs differently!
When I first started on Flecainide, I had nausea. I've been on it for about 1 1/2 months now and that has gone away. I did one thing that I think has helped.
Many of these drugs they give us for afib seem to irritate the stomach lining. To bypass this, I put the Flecainide in a gelatin capsule. I take this on an empty stomach with at least 8 oz water. I then wait 20 minutes (the time it normally takes water to empty out of the stomach) and then I eat something. Doing this does not seem to affect the effectiveness of the drug and the doctor saw no reason why this would be a problem.
Hello there: Over the last few weeks, I have been having conversations with doctors, pharmacists and people involved in the pharmaceutical companies. Reason being generic meds. and the manufacture thereof. Do you take note of the manufacturer when getting your daily meds? I noticed, a couple of times, the name changed on the label. I questioned the pharmacist, asking for the same manufacturer I had been having for a long time. His answer, CVS, (here in U.S.) is 'they are now using a different supplier'. I asked if it had anything to do with cost, he said "most probably". My next thought, is there oversight as to the manufacturing, the formulae etc., etc. Even my own doctor told me that some of his patients are getting bad side effects from their generic meds. Even adding that the side effects are sometimes worse than what the meds have been prescribed for!!! I am referring to your nausea. Could this be caused because of a new manufacturer? Outsourcing DOES NOT have the oversight needed to control the formulae and the additives that are used to bind the the pills. The doctor did say that he feels the binding agents are causing changes in the contents of the pills. Bottom line, we will never know, unless conscience (on behalf of the pharmaceutical and/or manufacturing companies) overcomes cost. It seems these large corporations are only interested in bottom line, their profits.
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