Digoxin

[10gingercats]

I have stopped this medication on advice of my GP as it is giving me fuzzines in the head,poor appetite,'depresssion' and other issues.So only on 2.5 Bisoprolol twice a day with an optiona Bisoprolol lPIP. Seeing cardiologist Tuesday.Maybe she will have another med. to repace Digoxin or decide Bisoprolol is enought to control palps...jumping frog type.Any ideas re. an alternative to the Digoxin?

[Apple88]

Hi,

I can’t help you with an alternative medication, but my own experience with digoxin was not good at all. I only managed it for 2 weeks and I had all the same symptoms as you, plus it reduced my HR to the low 40s.

Bisoprolol was better for me, and saw me almost through to my ablation.

Good luck on Tuesday & hope you get some answers.

[10gingercats in reply to Apple88]

Thank you for your input. Thought I was going nuts once or twice. I have only been on it 2 weeks but it has been near the worse 2 weeks of my life.

[jeanjeannie50]

Have you tried Flecainide, this was like a wonder drug for me in preventing AF?

I tried Digoxin and it made me feel just as you describe. Would never take that drug again, yet I have a friend who gets on well with it.

Jean

[10gingercats in reply to jeanjeannie50]

Thank you JeanJ. I am Also taking Bisropolol with the Digoxin(lowest dose of Digoxin ) so got the Bispropolol in place.Thanks for the tip about Flecainade. which i will mention to the cardiologist.She did not prescribe the Digoxin but had mentioned it in a tel. consultation as being her rec!But in the meantime AAU prescribed it and within hours it caused problems.That iswhen they added the Bispropolol.I am still 'spacy; and I took the last dose on Friday morning.

[jeanjeannie50 in reply to 10gingercats]

It made me feel as though I was losing my mind. Never again!!!

[10gingercats in reply to jeanjeannie50]

You have hit the nail on the head JeanJ.I called Samaritans one night as i could not cope and did not understand what was happening to me. I have no history of mental instabilty in my life so that demonsrates just how bad I was feeling.It is an awful drug.

[purpleswimmer in reply to jeanjeannie50]

Hi. I found it gave me side effects when first diagnosed but to be fair was on a lot of new meds due to my heart failure and permanent afib. I came off most then started again taking on one at a time and working through the side effects. I now take a high dose if Digoxin and Bisoprolol and they work for me. Xx

[Finvola]

Sorry to read this, gingercats but the symptoms sound unpleasant. My only experiences are Sotalol (which gave me awful symptoms) and Flecainide which I've taken for nearly 7 years with great success.

Best wishes with your cardiologist.

[10gingercats in reply to Finvola]

Thank you. I hope to get it 'sorted out' a bit better on Tuesday. I asked the cardio. if my son could join me for the consult. and she agreed so that will help enormously. Husband has borderline COPD and has had more than enough of the hospital recently.

[Buffafly]

I had Propafenone for the ‘jumping frogs’ but it’s not a nice drug at all.

[Hidden]

May I ask what dose of digoxin you were given? I believe side effects are not uncommon at therapeutic doses, but I wonder if they are worse when the dose is too high, leading to levels outside the therapeutic range. Renal function is a key determinant of digoxin toxicity.I’m just curious.

[10gingercats in reply to Hidden]

I am on, was on, the lowest dose as I do not react well to high doses to begin with....of anything.They gave me a dose in hospital and then when I went back to AAU they gave me a high starter dose followed by instructions to begin on the lowest dose.....62.5 mcgs of Digoxin because the intial sole low dose did not work. it was not thought wise to increase the Digoxin from 62.5 mcgsThen they added Bisoprolol 2.5mgs and continued to 'mess about' with the dosage for a bit because it was proving tricky to stop fierce palps.

[Hidden]

I’m surprised you reacted quickly to a low dose. Are you still using magnesium supplements? I think lack of this can make us more sensitive to digoxin.

[10gingercats in reply to Hidden]

Yes taking 400mg mag. citrate daily most of the time. slightly 'scatty' with taking them every single dayat the moment due to life upside down re. not feeling well.

[Spinners]

I had such a lot of digestive problems with digoxin that the doctor sent me fur bowel cancer tests. Symptoms cleared once I stopped. Bisoprolol was the drug that made me feel spaced out and apathetic, as my EP put it. Now changed to verapamil and I feel so much better mentally, although I do have a number of annoying side effects. However, it is well worth it for my new clear headedness. Your dose of bisoprolol is much lower than mine was, so hopefully you will be OK.

[10gingercats in reply to Spinners]

Thanks for responding. I am feeling better after only 2 days off Digoxin. Still on Bisoprolol and slightly spaced out.I was on Verapamil for years with no problems until my blood pressure dropped whilst in an acute situation in AAU...the sidekick dept to Aand E of our local big hospital.It is likelyI was due for some meds. adjust. as over the last year it has been difficult to get anything medical done via GP.I have a 20 min consultation with cardio. on Tuesday..... with masses to discuss!

[Snowgirl65]

I guess everyone is different. Digoxin hasn't affected me at all; been on it almost a year. However, Flecainide caused me to gain weight and vision problems. Verapamil, to me, was the worst -- extremely low heart rate, depression and continual fuzziness in mental capacity.

[reinaway]

I must be made of iron or something because my GP a few years ago prescribed Digoxin for me to be taken as a Stat dose of 500mcg at the beginning of a episode. I did this for several years until one time when I had to go to the hospital and the doctor there said he had never heard of this and recommend that I should stop. As I feel so out of it when I have an attack I could not tell whether it was the AF or the medication!