VERAPAMIL

[Bucerias]

Any body taking Verapamil? Your thoughts please. I have been prescribed 120mg a day for AFib/Aflutter with high heart rate but I always covert to NSR on my own. Cheers

[10gingercats]

I took this dose for years.It kept my heart rate at around 75bpm.Recently felt slightly faint occasionally so GP reduced the amount a litle.Rate still 75 but i feel better i have perm. Afib.

[Bucerias in reply to 10gingercats]

Thank you

[BobD Volunteer]

This is not a rhythm control drug, merely helps keep the rate down when you are in AF.

[Bucerias in reply to BobD]

Thank you, it’s my rate they seem more concerned about! I go into AFib/flutter almost continuously( every 30mins or so) but only stay in for a few minutes with a 98-180 heart rate. I don’t seem to have a resting heart rate? It’s all over the place anywhere from 59-140

[Bucerias in reply to Bucerias]

I should add; I have almost no side effects from the AFib/flutter other than feeling my heart pounding.

[Suemanchew]

I was on verapamil from Nov until 2 weeks ago 3 times a day no side affects I am aware of it keeps my heart rate under 100 most of the time but I am now on securon so only have to take 2 a day but that hit me like a train I was tired for a week and struggled to get up but it has settled now.

[WendyWu20]

I had Verapamil last year as my blood pressure was slightly high. The positive effect was that it felt like a 'chill pill' and I felt less stressed than usual. However, I had to stop taking it because my bowels actually stopped working (not just constipation) and it was quite frightening.

[heartmatters1 in reply to WendyWu20]

My husband has recently changed from bisoprolol to this drug & he is finding he is constipated (never is usually). He is also suffering from terrible burping all the time - did you have any thing like that also?

[Teresakelley in reply to heartmatters1]

Prunes and other fruit helps

[WendyWu20 in reply to Teresakelley]

Yes that's good for normal constipation, but verapamil can cause complete bowel paralysis in some people and I had to stop eating until the ilium started working again. It was really worrying.

[WendyWu20 in reply to heartmatters1]

I don't recall burping more than usual. But I think I burp a lot anyway cos I eat a lot of fruit and that makes me burp :o)

[Jfjfern]

I am 45 and have took verapamil 40 mg 3 times a day since I was 37 for paraoximal atrial fibrillation. I don’t get any side effects I don’t really find it loads my pulse too much . I can’t rake beta blockers as I have asthma and they make me wheeze . I still get episodes but avoid my triggers eg caffeine alcohol.

[Bmwpaul1971]

Hi take 60mg (1.5 tablets) 3 times a day. Couldnt hack bisoprolol. It is miles better and stopped my ectopics. My pulse is higher on it tho and not sure it controls my SVT as good but couldnt bare the ectopics and feeling crap all the time. You swop 1 side effect for another lol

[KMRobbo]

I took 120mg mod release for 20 months for PAF no side effects. Unfortunately the AF progressed and I had to go on to rhythm control with diltiazem as rate control which was a lot worse.

[Zabadak]

I was fatigued on bisoprolol and haven’t looked back since my cardiologist swopped it for verapamil. Made a big difference but yes, very constipated ifI don’t keep my fluids and fibre intake up.

[Gowers]

I started on Secron - took just one pill and it was obviously too high a dose for what was then SVT. I felt v ill, thought my heart would stop, had to open back door, sit on chair just to get air. Another Gp couldnt understand it as it was low dose and said you dont need it and said to stop with immediate effect. That w.end my heart rate was all over the place, so fast i couldn't count it! They then prescribed x1 Verapamil a day 120 slow release, I was on it for abt 10 years no problem - until 2years ago I felt like my chest was being pressed down when I was walking so they doubled the dose and then ended up on x3 a day which they said was a high dose. but, all of a sudden I then got my first AF episode which was v scary - cardiologist moved me to arrythmia specialist who put me on Bisoporol 2.5 once a day, that made me sooo tired etc so he said to take it as 1.25 in morning and evening which helped until... I got lot of ectopics + AF so they felt Bisop not working for me. He has now put me on Adizam 180 SR - v few ectopics so far but its early days, shall wait and see if it helps PAF - cardiologist says if I get on ok with it he will increase it to 240.