Wean from Flecanide

[Aegean56]

My doc weaned me off by cutting in half my daily doses over a week . I had on an EKG monitoring system the Zipatch for that week and then 7 days after as the medication lingers in your system for a few days after stopping . You should NOT stop cold turkey and not without your doc's supervision!

[Andyt36]

Can I ask why you came of flex and what you what alternative you use?

[Aegean56 in reply to Andyt36]

Developed a ventricular arrythmias that is more dangerous on the Flecanide..... resolved once off. Now just on beta blocker for rate control

[Reena09 in reply to Aegean56]

Did u you experience any symptoms on the flec?

[Aegean56 in reply to Reena09]

Yes I had breakthrough PACs and PVCs

[secondtry]

Many thanks Aegean, cold turkey went against my common sense despite some medics saying you can. If I reach the decision to wean off Flec it will be very slowly unless quicker essential. Enjoy your day!

[karl1524]

I completely agree, I stupidly went cold turkey last December after having a great year with no issues, then 2 weeks later it hit me like a brick wall and I still haven’t fully recovered, I am now back on flec, I would be interested though to know what you are replacing flec with if anything, as I am always curious to here about less controversial alternatives?

[KMRobbo]

I weaned off flecanide over 3 days only - no problem . Just went on one pill a day instead of the morning and night. That plan was me not my EP.

My weaning off was because I had had an apparently succesful ablation a few months previously. I assume my EP wanted me to try not being on the drug for a few weeks as it was just prior to my 3 months post ablation review, and he wanted to confirm I was AF free

If you are just reducing the drug whilst being still affected by afib that may be different but there was no " cold turkey" from the flec itself.

[Aegean56 in reply to KMRobbo]

While on the Flecanide after 7 years I had developed something called Brugada....without a big discussion on all the science of this phenomena, it is associated with fatal ventricular rythms and sudden cardiac death . So I was under the supervision of a cardiologist and EP specialist. It's worth bearing in mind that many of these drugs while treat one thing can potentially trigger other more serious arrythmias.

[KMRobbo in reply to Aegean56]

Yes I know; I was on flecainide for afib, had an ablation for it, was succesful, 9 days later I developed flutter, and had to have another ablation for that. My EP advised the flecainide probably promoted the flutter. Very happy not to be on any drugs currently. That said the flecainide certainly kept me in NSR whilst awaiting the ablation. On one of the few times I missed a tablet in the evening I woke up and went into fast afib in the morning , another night in hospital!

I liked flec, as I never had any other side effects from it.

And I am afraid sometimes it's the devil or the deep blue sea.

[Thomas45]

As I was found to be in persistent AF after taking flecainide for about twelve years my very learned GP in matters relating to arrhythmias told me just to stop taking it which I did. No weaning, just stopped. No problem arose from suddenly stopping.