I'm working abroad and here for longer than I thought I would be. I bought over a good few months worth of my UK prescribed Flecaincide. However I ran out yesterday so got some from Bulgaria.
The UK one is immediate release - 100 mg twice daily.
The Bulgarian one is a prolonged-release capsule - same strength. It's called Amarhyton and it seems to be the only one you can get here.
I took the first one yesterday afternoon and was back in a-fib a few hours later - gutted. It seems to be coming and going - I'm in NR as I type but it keeps changing back to a-fib for a few minutes.
Since my CV 3 or 4 months ago I've been a-fib free until now.
Anyone got any experience of prolonged release Flecaincide ??? I've booked a flight back to get my UK med's but not until next week. Paul
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Paulbounce
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Thanks Pete. It's really getting me down to be honest. I was doing so well after my last CV mixed with med's. I've had no trouble getting med's over here before with a prescription - it's just the normal Flecaincide - and that's the one keeping me in sinus. It's funny after a few hours after taking the Bulgarian one I'm back in a-fib ! I tried to book a flight back for this week to get my UK Flec - at least I know what I'm taking. Most were booked except for the stopovers (15 hours). The best I could do was at the end of next week. I was also booked for Instanbul tomorrow for a few days but decided to cancel because of this. To say I'm fed up is an understatement. I'm right down in the dumps.
I'm tempted to break open the capsules and swallow the contents for an immediate hit although your not meant to. I may travel to Varna tomorrow to see if I can get the normal ones there. Tried about 10 chemists so far and they all say these are the only ones licensed here. I really will be upset if my a-fib returns because of this.
You might just have to try to find a way of putting up with it as the mere task of trying to get the meds will be stressful in itself.
There have been times when I have not been able to return my AF to NSR and also AT to NSR. I think that once I accepted that there was nothing I could do about it for weeks I did relax a bit more and it became more bearable.
Not the advice you want to hear but maybe the best I can offer right now
I've tried John. The sender has to declare what is in the package. The post lady said they couldn't accept them unless the Bulgarian Embassy said it was OK ??? As far as I am aware it takes 3 - 5 working days to get here so it's to late now ? It was over a week ago when we tried so I went and got these prolonged things. Took the first one yesterday and a-fib came back.
Sorry to hear this Paul. Is your heart rate high, low or all over the place? It's so easy to forget how horrible this condition is when well. Then it's a shock when it hits us again - hate it!
Just got back online and read the thread. No afib today (at the moment) and heart rate between 62 - 79. Perfect.
I got an early bus to Varna this morning - Varna is a big city over here so thought I might find the right Flec there - if anywhere - other than Sofia. Sofia is a big trek from the Black Sea otherwise I would have gone there. I visited many chemists and they all said only the prolonged Flec is licensed in Bulgaria. I was strongly advised NOT to break open the capsule by them all - fair enough.
I am still self medicating in a slight way though. Just for now. A slight increase in dose which seems to be working. I won't post what I'm doing here as you should only do it after checking with your doctor. Needs must in my case though. I actually saw a doctor here about my current problem and explained that I have an irregular heart beat / afib etc. I asked if I could get Flecainide and showed her the UK prescription - she said 'what that's, I haven't heard of that one'. I even showed her the Bulgarian slow release pack - she still hadn't heard of it ????
Thank goodness you're back in normal rhythm again Paul, hope you stay that way now. Very odd how there's only time released Flecainide capsules in Bulgaria and I would love to know what the reasoning is behind that. Just wondering whether I've heard of that type of Flec in the U.S. Perhaps someone from there can tell us.
How odd that the Bulgarian doc hadn't heard of any type of Flecainide!! I wonder if AF isn't so common there?
I don't understand it either Jean. My limited research on Amarhyton shows it was only approved here last month ?? I hope it's the same stuff as the UK is very strict about what it approves. I have tried a good few dozen chemists and they all say prolonged is the only one you can get here.
Maybe the reason the doctor hadn't heard of the Bulgarian version is because it is new. It seems strange though she had not heard of Flecaincide - maybe things get lost in translation although she spoke good English.
I too would be interested to know why only one type is licensed here. I'm sure both have a role to play but the prolonged one here would be pretty useless as a PIP I would assume ? If you went in to afib and needed a quick hit to convert it wouldn't work ?
Just checked everything and I am in sinus (77 HR) - phew. I have upped my dose though today to the max 300 mg over 24 hours. It seems to be working although I'll be pleased to get to the UK and start my normal stuff and dose
If they are truly controlled release tipping out the capsule won't help as the little balls inside are coated to slow release down gradually. Hopefully when they have " caught up" so to speak after what was orobably a gap in real terms things will settle.
Bagrat. They are the coated ball things. I opened one to check - about 50ish in each one. There is a way to speed up the indigestion of them so they are in your blood system pretty quick (20 minutes max - I won't post here what it is) - however I'm not going to do it with a heart med - the risk is far to great. Over dose on this stuff and it could kill you. Better the devil you know (afib).
Well, I do not trust slow-release/time-released pills of ANY kind. I won't even take timed-release Vitamin C. There is NO way to know if it really works the way it says it will. All out stomach acids and microbiomes are different -- some people's stomachs empty a lot faster than other people's. what if mine acts differently on the pill and releases it all at one time, instead of slowly? What if some of the little timed-release balls just go through through too quickly and NEVER get absorbed at all? Nope, do not trust them! And would never trust them with any really important pill, like heart meds. I understand that is all you can get there, can you have somebody send you some regular kind from home or something?
Goldey. I agree. My flight back to the UK is next week. I'm just hoping all stays OK until then and I can go back on my normal med's. I will just relax and accept things if my afib comes back. It was certainly a shock when it did the other day though.
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