Flecanaine

[7164]

Dear all

Took my first 50mg dose of Flec last night. 1.30 am up for a wee and experienced tight chest dizzy and vision blurred in af. Back o bed and happened again at 3.30 & 6.30

Ambulance called now in A&E .

Any similar experiences? Don’t want to take the Flec again

[BobD Volunteer]

Did you have an echocardiogram or angiogram before staring Flecainide to ensure that your cardiac arteries were clear?

[7164 in reply to BobD]

Bob

I had an echo 18 months ago. None since then

Never felt so bad before

I am all nicely wired up but refusing to take the Flec again

I know you are not a medic and it is my decision

Rod

[BobD Volunteer in reply to 7164]

Probably why flecainide always used to be started in hospital. I felt the same way about diltiazem.

[7164 in reply to BobD]

Hard to say no as we want to help the medics and ourselves but I know it was far from normal af 😊

Have the discussion with them tomorrow

Difficult to know what to ask for.

Now the flec is out of my system I can stand and walk with no problem

A stress test?

[Gowers]

Did the hospital treat you with medication or intravenous meds? Or have thry replaced the Flec with anything else? I had af flutter after taking it along with tight chest. Sounds like you did the right thing to get checked out in A&E - hopefully you are feeling better? Frightening experience by the sound of it.

[7164 in reply to Gowers]

Gowers

Home now very scary truly thought I was having a heart attack

Interesting that in hospital last night they wanted me to take it again whilst I was ecg connected.

Much as I am compliant I said no chance. Had an Afib run for two hours but as always got through it (help from this forum)

Saw the cardiologist professor this morning who agreed with me. No flec for me but happy that it works for others

Thanks to all for the concern

Rod

Cryoab for me now

[jwsonoma]

Here in the US, Flecainide has a "Black Box" warning meaning it can kill you. You are suppose to be in a hospital for the first dose so you can be monitored for adverse side effects and so they can treat you if an emergency should arise. They also want you on a BP medication at the same time to prevent tachycardia or flutter.

Other than the fact that it can kill you, cause fast and irregular heart rates and a bunch of other nasty stuff it works great.

[jennydog in reply to jwsonoma]

Ye gods!!! I have just responded very positively to 2 posts about flecainide and then I read this!!!! I ought not to read posts backwards from the latest but to be fair, flecainide is brilliant for me.

[Bagrat in reply to jennydog]

At 75 I can think of worse ways to shove off this mortal coil than " sudden death" as advertised on one flecainide data sheet. I have been taking it regularly since 2011 and am a fan!!

[jennydog in reply to Bagrat]

1944 was obviously a good year! I have a friend ( 6 months older than me ), born 4/4/44.

[7164 in reply to Bagrat]

Bag rat

I am just a boy and was not ready to ‘shuffle off’.

Defo scary

Rod

[Bagrat in reply to 7164]

Scary when death feels like an option ( even if it isn't) whatever age.🤔

[7164 in reply to jennydog]

Jenny

We all know drugs as strong as these can have negative effects. Guess I was just unlucky

Rod

[7164 in reply to jwsonoma]

Jw

Thank you

It certainly did that for me scary

Ok now but won’t be doing it again.

Rod

[Patient007]

The usually start the Flecainide in Hopsital. I was moniored 48 hours on a tele machine to make sure I was okay with it. Very rare they start you off at home with it as it is a very powerful drug. I have been on 50mg three times a day now for 16 years. So far all okay. I was told though if they have to change the dose I wold have to go to hspital again fo 48 hr monitoring.

[7164 in reply to Patient007]

007😊

Glad it works for you and you are okay

Rod

[Patient007 in reply to 7164]

Thanks.

[lindat15]

Rod so sorry to hear you had such a reaction, must have been really scary glad you are ok. Disappointing for you too. Just goes to show how different we all are - one of the reasons I wanted to go down the ablation route to try and minimise having to take drugs,sadly this hasn't happened. Hopefully it will speed up the ablation for you though. Take care

[7164 in reply to lindat15]

Linda

Thank you

I was scary but Professor L was good. Can’t complain about Raigmore

Rod

[jwsonoma]

The last time I had afib I wanted to try Flec so I went to the emergency room and requested Flec with a previous OK from my doc. They hooked me up to an IV and EKG and gave me a 50mg pill. The afib went away pretty fast and hasen't come back going on 3 or 4 years.

The problem is they don't know how it is going to effect certain people. People with previous serious heart conditions can't take it. It did kill a small percentage of them. If you get too much in your system it slows the electrical signal down between the heart chambers where it just doesn't move blood. They say no more than 300mg per 24 hrs. It has side effects and some go away. For me it is lack of energy. The other side effect is on occasion if an afib is trying to break through the Flec can stop the afib but causes a-flutter. Bisprolol is suppose to stop that from happening. AsBis is a heart rate and blood pressure med it can also make you light headed and tired. So a pill for treatment and a pill for side effects which has its own side effects. Don't forget the anticoagulant.

Still better than progressing into permanent afib of having a dibilitating stroke. I would talk to a chemist and see if your side effects tend to go away.