PAF

[alfrae13]

I get AF very couple of days. I don't have high btm usually around 70. but the beat is irregular I check it on KARDIA I am on propanol. I tried flecainide 50 2/day but it did not change the frequency of occurrence . Would an increase of dosage help or just switch toPIP

[Hidden]

Sorry alfrae but we are not able to advise you on medication. If anybody did and they got it wrong the consequences could be disastrous. I know seeking medical help in the States can be very expensive but I’m sure you will understand the forum rules on this…..please talk to your Doctor…..

[alfrae13 in reply to Hidden]

I was not looking for advise on medication. Most of the posts mention AF occurrencer 3 or 4 times a year with high bpm. This is not my case. I have AF every 3 or 4 days with the HR normal but irregular. Was looking for someone with similar experience and how they handle it

[Hidden in reply to alfrae13]

Sorry alfrae, I must have mis-understood your last sentence. Hopefully you are happy with the advice you’ve received from others…….

[Dixiegurl in reply to alfrae13]

I was on 50 flecainide twice per day and it worked for about a year before having afib again. So Dr chanted my flecainide to 100 Flec twice per day. Then sometime later, maybe a year, I had a lot of AFib breakthrough along with some other irregular hb's and my heart started pausing a lot, sometimes to the point of almost passing out. So I got a pacemaker for the pauses and now I don't think I am having AFib! I was supposed to have my first month checkup two months ago but the Dr got COVID. Then as my new appt came up, I got COVID. Thank God I was only sick one day and then just tired for about 4 days. Anyway, I was told the Pacemaker would not affect or help the AFib only the pauses. But, it seems to me the Afib has stopped. We will see in a few days when I get the checkup and ask my doctor is he sure a Pacemaker will not help Afib.

[alfrae13 in reply to Dixiegurl]

Thanks for the input. I am taking Fec twice day now but it does not stop afib, Will see the doctor tomorrow have it change to 100

[Cigarboxblues]

Welcome to the forum for sharing survivors of this common (but to us) life changing issue.Keep your mind on the facts about your own AF and PAF for reference when you communicate to your own health experts.

Try not to get bogged down with the “holy grail” of AF of what will make it go away.

The good news is that stress will worsen what you might call your “normal pattern” so ease back a notch and reflect on what’s happening before assuming you can self medicate away something of your bodily makeup. We are sharing our own unique symptoms of this common issue.

After the cycles of shock and panic hopefully you’ll start “living” with, what I call, the squabbling twins.

Ask away, be kind to yourself and learn to be patient. AF will be with you a long while and although it’s changed your life you can live with it comfortably.

Good luck.

[secondtry]

As Flapjack says you need to have an early discussion with your cardiologist/EP, who advises with the benefit of all your medical history and of course his training which we don't have. After all you are taking powerful drugs, which for some people can have serious side effects. It may not be possible to increase the two drugs you are taking.

We can only relate our personal experience......I started on Flecainide 50 x2 per day which did not stop the PAF. I then went onto 100 x2 daily which did, maybe I was lucky but more likely it was due to my individual circumstances. Also relevant I am not on any other drugs. My cardiologist did not favour PIP.

My experience is there are no quick fixes you have to weld together advice from your medics and others with your personal gut feel and a high amount of research (on this Forum and elsewhere). I have found that approach very worthwhile.

[alfrae13 in reply to secondtry]

Appreciate your input. My cardiologist originally recommended amiadarone which I don't want to take because of the side effects. But when I see him next week I will ask him if it is OK to increase me to 100 2/day and then go from there.

[irene75359]

You really need to have a discussion with your doctor to see if you other meds would help you better. I use flecainide as a PiP but only have 3-4 episodes a year and it is very effective. My doctor said if and when episodes get more frequent he would advise changing to a daily dose for better control, but that isn't working for you. See your doctor, please! Best of luck.

[Hidden]

Hi alfrae, I assume you have a definite diagnosis of PAF, as you mention your prescribed medications. Most of those will help to 'dampen down' episodes of PAF, but unfortunately there's no cure for this condition and it does have a tendency to become more frequent and prolonged as time passes. Any changes to your medication really must be discussed with a medical professional. It's not safe to switch and swap them around yourself or on the advice of laypeople, even those of us who use this forum. We are nearly all sufferers and not trained to discuss your medications.

Although episodes of AF can feel scary, and uncomfortable, and can also make you feel fatigued, they are, in the main, not dangerous. Most danger comes from the increased likelihood of a stroke, and (again with the advice of a health professional), it may well be that, at some time in future, you might be prescribed medication to prevent that.

I think the best thing to do with this annoying condition is to learn to live with it, while, in conjunction with a medical practitioner, try to get the best treatment to help you, which could well be to try a different medication or method of taking it.

[jeanjeannie50]

Hi Alfrae13

Do your attacks of AF make you feel ill?

Jean

[alfrae13 in reply to jeanjeannie50]

Just weak and shaky

[Magson]

How long have you had AF every couple of days? Have you had AF for quite a few years and it has become more frequent?I would never give advice on meds but have you seen your cardiologist recently and discussed meds and has he mentioned a possible ablation?

[alfrae13 in reply to Magson]

I must have had it for a while but it got worse and more frequent the last couple of months.

[Magson in reply to alfrae13]

See my last sentence.

[saulger]

Hello Alfrae. You were looking for someone as symptomatic as yourself and here I am.

I also tried daily 50mg x 2 Flecainide (on its own) for some 6 months and the episodes were as frequent. Came of the Flecainide 6 weeks ago and am feeling better.

I do exert myself more now to get back into the old physical shape and the AFib episodes are more frequent. If I try to control the food triggers and avoid just a few "pull ups" in the park, I can go ten days without an episode. But, wanting to be more alive, I have been overdoing it and my episodes are every 2-3 days.

What I did find, after weaning off the Flecainide is that the heart seems to be more resilient and will not always progress to AFib from random ectopic beats.

Once an episode starts, if I take PIP 100mg Flecainide and 1.25 Bisoprolol, it will end in about an hour, whereas it would take 3-5 hours to end when on the daily Flecainide.

Let me know if you come across something wonderful !

Saul