flecanide.

[pacots]

Hello everyone I am new to the group. I have been on flecanide for 10 years for A-Fib. Went to see my doc today & he told me to quit the flecanide, I am scared to go off of it fast like that. Anyone else go off cold turkey?

[Hidden]

We are not medically trained pacots, but unlike betablockers, I have heard many EP’s and Cardiologists say there is no need to be weaned of Flecainide.....

[absolutepatsy]

I had a bad reaction coming off Flecainide while in A & E and immediately changing to Atenolol (I am not medically trained and do take tramadol for pain relief) so in future I would wean myself off. I would half the pill for a couple of days then quarter and so on but thats just me.

[secondtry]

I think the question for anyone giving cold turkey advice is what is the increased risk of weaning off very slowly, if non I for one will be choosing the latter approach.

[Pamijoy]

I am on flecainide for 1 yr 100 mg twice a day. I think I was put on it prematurely because it was only my second AFIB attack and I think I may have gotten the attack because I did some aerobic exercise and was not used to getting my heart rate up so high. At any rate I now have pins and needles / neuropathy in hands and feet and want my dr to take me off the flecainide. Most anti arrhythmia drugs can cause PN so I am thinking of having her take me off al together? I am on Eliquis and bystolic and lisinopril also. Any advice I am a wreck don’t want an AFIB attack but I do not want to blow up my nerves either

[Slim2018]

I was on it for two months after my catheter cardioversion and then just stopped it after two months as instructed by my consultant. Literally just stopped it. No problem. Unfortunately ten months later AF popped home to visit and so now been on Flecainide since September last year and is doing the job.

[Thomas45]

I wás on Flecainide for 12 years, for eleven of those at 300mg a day. It prevented AF episodes until I was found to be in persistent AF. My consultant told me to stop taking it as it had no effect. Fortunately one of the GPs in the medical practice I use is very knowledgeable about AF told me that nothing would happen if I just stopped taking it. So I did. I just stopped, no weaning off, and nothing happened.

[Slim2018 in reply to Thomas45]

I am being thick? What is persistent AF and why can’t they spot it in the normal way by way of an ECG?

[Thomas45]

Persistent is when your heart is in AF all the time. Officially I think it's defined as AF which will not revert to normal rhythm after a week. My heart has not reverted back in over 4 years. It is found by ECG. It differs from Paroxysmal AF in that it is not so rapid, and most of the time you can't feel it, but it's there every second of every hour of every day, week, and year. My resting heart rate is just above a normal rate, in the region of 70 to 110 beats per minute.

[PamH75]

My understanding is there are three types of AFib. Paroxysmal AF comes and goes on its own without intervention, Persistant AFib will last for more than a week and it requires intervention either cardioversion or meds to return to SNR and then Permanent AFib does not respond to any interventions and the AFib is chronic. When in Permanent AFib you are usually treated with rate control meds and blood thinners. I have what is considered by my doctors to be Persistant AFib. I use Flec to keep it in check but it occasionally breaks through a few times a year for 2-10 hours but a PIP of Flec added to my daily doses puts it back in check. Since I have had 2 ablations my heart rate is not as rapid but I am very symptomatic when in AFib, I can tell that I am out of rhythm within 3 beats. My resting heart rate is 58-60 beats.