Flecainide

[Glb1948]

My ep just started me on flecainide 50 mg twice daily. Can anyone on it tell me how well you have tolerated. When I look it up it says most people are started on this in the hospital for observation. My ep just said take twice a day.

[Hidden]

I was prescribed the same daily maintenance dose of Flecainide when my cardioversion showed signs of failing after first taking it as a pill in the pocket. It kept me in sinus rhythm whilst a waited around 8 months for my first ablation and I continued taking it for another six months after. Apart from a short period of mild constipation I don’t recall any other problems. Like you, I thought you were supposed to start taking Flecainide under supervision but my cardiologist said that he was comfortable that would be OK, fortunately he was right! From what you hear on this forum, not many people actually start taking Flecainide under supervision these days. I’m not medically trained so all I can see is that it worked well for me.

Hope this helps......

[Glb1948 in reply to Hidden]

Thank you so much!

[secondtry]

At 100mgs/day you are on the low dose, 200mgs is medium and 300mgs is maximum, so I guess your EP wished up your individual circumstances and thought it was OK to go ahead.

[Geonome]

My EP wanted to give it to me as a PIP. First time under supervision. So he wrote a letter for me, and the next time I had an episode of AF, I went to the hospital ER, presented the letter to the ER doc, who gave me 300 mg, while being monitored with ECG. I had to wait in ER for 4 hrs, to make sure it didn't cause any other heart irregularities. It stopped the AF though.When my AF increased to 1-2x/week, I started using it on a regular basis. I started on 50 mg/twice per day, but due to side effects (headaches, dizziness), I cut it down to 25 mg/twice per day. I also had a Spect Stress Rest test done, to make sure I was a candidate to take Flecainide long term.

Presently still taking 25 mg/twice per day. Rarely have any AF. If I do, I take an extra 100 mg, and the AF stops within 1 hr.

[Singwell in reply to Geonome]

May I ask you about the test you refer to here? I'm 6 weeks post ablation and looking to come off two of my meds if possible. But Flecainide would be my choice of antiarrhythmic if I needed it longer term. I'm also curious you can get 25mg. Are you UK based? Thanks so much!

[Geonome in reply to Singwell]

Not UK, I'm in Canada. I get 50 mg tablets, and cut them in half. My EP says the dosage is so small, it's just like 'licking a pill'. But it works for me. The test checks to see if you have any coronary artery disease. If you do, the risks of flecainide long term are increased.

This website explains it well:

ottawaheart.ca/test-procedu...

Good luck!

[Singwell in reply to Geonome]

Thank you. I've considered the option of cutting my pills in half but there's no dividing line...

[Geonome in reply to Singwell]

No, there's no dividing line. I use a pill cutter, and it chops it in half quite nicely.

[Singwell in reply to Geonome]

I'm on the case 😉

[Joesephhagnau in reply to Singwell]

I have been cuting my in half for a year with a pill cutter. Twice a day with 25 mg.

[Singwell in reply to Joesephhagnau]

And may I ask if you're on a rate controller as well - as I am? Or just (presumably) anticoagulants. There seems to be some divergence of opinions as to if it's ok to take Flecainide without the rate controller. I'm looking to possibly reduce my dosage and I'd like to be off the Diltiazem. Any info is useful thanks.

[lucillear]

I was badly allergic to it so had an ablation

[Hylda2]

Take 100 twice a day and it has given me my life back

[Glb1948 in reply to Hylda2]

That’s wonderful. I hope it does that for me!

[KMRobbo]

I started flecainide in hospital as in had a flecainide infusion ( to cardiovert me) and believe I had blood tests and ECG following this before leaving hospital.

I was then put on 50mg x 2 daily and also had a follow up 3 months later at hospital with the cardiologist. Can't remember whether I had a blood test or not AT Definitely had another ECG.

I was only on flecainide 10 months as I stopped it post ablation.

[Guitar335]

Originally using as PiP but switched to 2x100.Works for me

Have had visual disturbance on it a couple of times but otherwise all good

[Glb1948 in reply to Guitar335]

I’m having a little blurred vision and breathlessness a few times.

[Bob56]

It sounds very obvious, but the higher the daily dose the more likely it appears from this and other forum threads that you might get a reaction to Flecainide. I can only speak from personal experience and have never had a reaction to 100mg total dose, and it seems at 100mg twice daily most people are still ok. On the few occasions I have taken a higher dose, usually to try and curtail an AF episode, I have felt pretty rough for most of the day. It’s fair to say that most people see Flecainide as their friend, and as I’ve been taking it for 25 years plus, I’m definitely in that category.

[Glb1948 in reply to Bob56]

Thank you!

[Singwell in reply to Bob56]

I'm the same. If I've needed to take 150 to stop an episode and maybe already had my usual 50mg earlier in the day before get horrible reversion pauses and am wiped out the following day. Stops the AF though.

[Singwell]

I started on that dose in the same way. It didn't stop my AF altogether but it improved my QOL and I preferred it to bisoprolol, which I was on previously. Are you also on a 'rate controller'? This is usually recommended if you're on Flecainide. I am on Diltiazem as well, which controls my HR.

[Glb1948 in reply to Singwell]

Yes, a beta blocker which he wants me off.

[Hidden in reply to Glb1948]

Why is that? See my other reply to you. Is this just a GP advising you ?

[Glb1948 in reply to Hidden]

I don’t know but it’s an EP advising.

[Glb1948 in reply to Glb1948]

Other than I have a slow rate on my heart.

[Thomas45]

I started at 50mg twice a day. After 2 years I was on 150 twice a day. Vastly reduced episodes of AF with no side effects. After 21 years of AF, the last 12 on Flecainide I was found to be in persistent though asymptomatic, AF.

[Glb1948 in reply to Thomas45]

Thank you! I feel better after reading all these replies.

[Finvola]

I started taking 2 x 100mg Flecainide at home 7 years ago - I've had no AF in that time and live a fairly normal life again.

[Glb1948 in reply to Finvola]

That’s great! I pray it works for me.

[SuziElley]

My EP prescribed 50mg twice a day to start at home, unsupervised. Think the flecainide is alright but still getting some breathlessness from the diltiazem which he reduced to 120mg a day. Low dose but still causing some issues. He’s hoping I can stay on the flecainide for up to 5 years......

[Snowgirl65]

I was on it for a few years. For an hour after taking it in the morning, my peripheral vision would become blurry which faded as the day went by. It also made me gain weight that no amount of dieting would relieve. When I stopped the medication, my weight dropped off in the blink of an eye.

[Glb1948 in reply to Snowgirl65]

Thank you. I sure hope it doesn’t make me gain weight, I just lit 15 pounds after being diagnosed with diabetes. I hate all these pills I have to take.😝

[Snowgirl65 in reply to Glb1948]

Everyone is different, Glb1948. I've only heard of one or two others who mentioned the weight gain. Most don't notice a difference at all. Good luck to you, and yes -- I hate taking pills too!

[Redmakesmehappy]

That what my EP started me on along with Eliquis. The only problem I have had is weight loss... Digoxin did the same thing few years ago when doctor prescribed it. My EP said Flecainide shouldn’t do that but I gone from 106 to 95 in a year of taking it. I am going to ask him next visit if I can use it as a PIP to see if that will stop the loss. It has stop AFib which is great.

[Glb1948 in reply to Redmakesmehappy]

I’m so glad it’s working for you. Thank you for responding.

[The_Lord_is_with_Us]

I first used Flecainide as pill-in-pocket (50mg) for cardioversion at home, over 10 years ago. It worked well to bring me out of AFIB. So no more going to emergency to have it done.

Recently my AFIB returned after 10 years. Back on Flecainide at 50mg twice a day.

It took 3 weeks to kick in. Thought it wasn't working at first. Very effective at keeping AFIB and tachycardia at bay. However, it is a caustic little pill, so drink plenty of water with it.

Got another ablation, so not taking it now. But, nice to know it's in the toolbox if I ever need it again in the future.

[Glb1948 in reply to The_Lord_is_with_Us]

I’m drinking more water than I ever have and it’s good because I was dehydrated in the hospital. I hope this ablation works for you.

[Karendeena]

Hi Gib1948, I was prescribed exactly the same as you when diagnosed in hospital last year. I was sent home with the meds to take twice a day (50mg). It was ok with me for 3 months and then suddenly developed a pro arrhythmia with a fast heart rate occurring every weekend and lasting several days. I went privately to an EP who yld me Flecainide wouldn't have been his first choice for me and changed me to Sotalol last November. I still get odd flutters but (touch wood) my afib has settled

[sdonate in reply to Karendeena]

Why not his first choice?

[Karendeena in reply to sdonate]

Hi there, no idea and I didn't ask to be honest

[dh1120]

I was given the same dosage as you. I had no side effects at all.