Eye Issues with Flecainide

[CrestieGirl]

2 weeks or so after starting on Flecainide, I got up one night after being in a dark room and walked into the kitchen where a light was on. I saw weird light movements. The best way to describe them is when you look at the ceiling above a ceiling fan when the fan is turning and you see the flickering shadows created by the moving fan. Well anyway, this phenomenon lasted quite a while as long as I was in a lit room and happens with both eyes and clear around the room...but going back into the dark room it was gone. I even went to an eye doctor. I never thought at the time it had anything to do with flecainide. He thought it was a migraine aura. He thoroughly checked my eyes and found everything normal. I realize now that he probably wasn't listening to my description very well or I could not explain what I was seeing. Now after months, I finally found that flecainide can cause visual disturbances and other people experience what I have been experiencing. I continue seeing these flickering light and shadow movements. I don't have to worry about it either, now that I know what it is, and my eye exam turned out fine. BTW, flecainide has done wonders for my uncontrolled afib. I am on 100mg twice a day and pretty much never have felt like my heart is palpitating since I got on the 100mg dose of flecainide. I am so relieved to have my heart beating normally at last and to know my eyes are ok. I hope my post can help other people who are experiencing this side effect.

[meadfoot]

Pleased you found the cause of your flashing lights. Wouldn't it help if medics told us this as its an alarming experience until you know the cause. Mine was the opposite to yours. I was ok in a lit room but the minute I went into a darkened room it was like a light show. It started after my first dose of flecainide and when I asked my attending medic in hospital he said it was not a side effect. Well he was wrong perhaps because he was a very young inexperienced junior doctor.

It lasted about three or four weeks then settled down. Pleased the drug is helping your arrhythmia.

[CrestieGirl in reply to meadfoot]

thank you for responding! Your story is most interesting. It looks like someone needs to get better info out about flecainide! I searched and searched for a reason I was having these visual disturbances but what was most disturbing was the eye doctor gave me an unreasonable diagnosis, and I had to go through months of worrying because he didn't know. Now I see here that people have all kinds of visual disturbances from this drug.

[dedeottie]

I had the same when I went from dark to light suddenly. Also saw muliples of things in my peripheral vision so if going through a doorway I would see multiple door frames. Had my eyes cheched and all ok . My optician thought it was to do with the nerves taking messages to the brain. So the flecanide must have made these extra sensitive. I am used to it now.x

[Hidden in reply to dedeottie]

I still have they effects it seems to be when I get up in the night and walk ou darkened bedroom and put light on. It's a very weird experience it's like my hands are creating shadows in slow motion! Learning to live with it because flecainide been my saviour.

[CrestieGirl in reply to Hidden]

Yours is much like mine. Flecainide has been a saving grace for me also after living years with afib and finally getting it to stop. I would live with flickering shadows easily to have the afib gone.

[CrestieGirl in reply to dedeottie]

Yours are like the opposite of mine with added stuff. Just knowing what the heck is going on surely helps me to live with it. Thank you for responding!

[dedeottie]

Mine too!

[Hidden]

I had the very odd sensation of being in a stationary car, but feeling it was me that was moving when other cars drove past. Also when, walking on our pebble sea front, it was as if the pebbles were moving and not me! These odd effects disappeared after I had been on the Flecainide for a couple of weeks, but were most disconcerting at the time.

[CrestieGirl in reply to Hidden]

I have creek gravel in my driveway and when I walk on it, the pebbles look hazy and wavy. I always attributed it to my astigmatism. I am glad for you your side effects are gone!

[Kimissocool]

I know this was from 2 years ago. Are you s having the same issues? Flecinaide works wonder but im having the same exact eye issues. Been on it almost a year and wondering if the eye issues ever go away

[believing4best in reply to Kimissocool]

did eye issues ever go away ? if so how long

[believing4best]

How are your eyes now?