What a day yesterday. Took Flecanide for the very first time . Within an hour my Kardia 6L was showing wide QRS. I took my BP which had shot up. It’s normally 135 /80ish . Long story. Ended up in A&E unit . BP then 235/135. Was given double dose of Bisoprolol and back to normal within a few hours. Could find no reason why my Bp was so high . Never been this high .
Interesting I sent my Kardia ecg off for analysis. Kardia said it was not wide QRS even though the device said it was. This has happened before with other ecgs on my Kardia band as well as my 6L device.
I was told Flecanide could not have raised my BP but seems to much of a coincidence?
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kalgs
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Another reason why flecianide was always recommended to be started in hospital under watchful eyes of medical staff. Why they don't do this now (apart from covid of course) is beyond me. It should aso be accompanied by a beta blocker in most cases.
After my last ablation where they had to give me a large IV of flecainide there was concern from one ward doctor (not my conmsultant) that I may need a pacemaker as the flec had drastically slowed conduction so whilst I can't comment on BP I think the other results could have been correct.
Caveat I am not medically trained so suggest you speak to your cardiologist asap.
I agree with Bob, although I wasn’t in hospital I had to spend the day in my GP clinic being constantly monitored on my 1st dose of Flecainide. My GP at the time had been a Cardiologist at Registrar level so had relevant competence.
In your position I would contact your cardiologist and ask for an urgent review and ensure they have copies of the A&E reports and the Kardia traces.
Agree with the others I had first dose of Flecanide as PIP on ICU after knee op last august. Bright fairy lights appeared and stayed all over the ceiling fir about an hour!!! Quite scary and I won’t be taking it at home. I often wonder if I’m over cautious ( had never taken it although had prescription for ages) as knew it’s supposed to be in hospital fir first try. Of course it probably was having a dance with whatever was still in my system from the epidural!!!
I started Flecainide alone at home, was anxious but all was OK, so we are all very different in our reactions to drugs.
I'm sorry to read of your experience yesterday kalgs - just when you need the reassurance of Flecainide. You need to talk to your cardiologist asap - perhaps via his/her secretary with details of your reaction and ask for advice about your drug regime and your BP spike.
A BP spike can be worrying - my husband had a very bad bleed from a tiny artery branch which the dentist nicked and his BP shot up to similar heights as yours.
Having just been diagnosed with Afib during my second episode I had my first dose of Flecainide on MAU by IV and was wheeled next to nurses station so I could be observed. I was fine and have been on tablet form since then (16+yrs). Learnt then that first dose should always be given in hospital under the watchful eye of medics because of its toxicity. Like others I cannot understand why some are now prescribed first dose to take at home. x
My cardiologist prescribed Flecainide to me on a phone appointment. I took the first dose and I had constant arrhythmia. I never had that before so I stopped taking it. I called my doctor and she said to give it time and to get a holter in the meantime. I tried to take it again and I couldn’t eat, I could t sleep. It was 24 hour irregular heartbeat. It was awful. I stopped taking it and everything returned to normal. I got the holter after I stopped taking the med and my heart had calmed down. I had no episodes of anything while on the holter. I dont. know what my cardiologist is going to say about it because I never told her I stopped. I can’t take the stuff AT ALL EVER! May have to get a new cardiologist. I don’t why she would tell me to keep taking it with those reactions.
I've been on Flecanide and Bisoprolol for about 3 months now and haven't had any symptoms at all. I had a minor AF episode in week 3 and nothing since. My sleep has improved drastically while on meds.
I'm due to have an ablation in June, which I'm hoping will sort me out and hopefully I'll be drug free by the end of the year.
As you will have now seen Flecainide does not suit everyone. I was switched to it and started it at home - unsupervised - result three cardiac syncope events in five days - the last one left me in such a state that I was blue-lighted to A&E. My GP said he had other patients with bad reactions and said Stay Off it. My problem is low BP going lower and yours is high going higher. I guess that somewhere there is a safe median point but it shows the importance of supervision
I was started on Flec in the hospital, kept me an extra day to make sure I did not have any adverse side effects from the drug. I take Metoprolol with it to keep the BP in check. Originally 1 Metoprolol 2x a day but heart rate snd BP were too low, now on 1/2 2x a day much better.
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