Morning! I've been on 5mg of the above for ages but since going on Fleccainide my heart has really settled. I spoke to my GP last week (after finally making the appointment, my fault) and he agreed I could try reducing this. I am sure he said to 3 mg but the pills are 2.5. Is this rather a large reduction? ie - by half? Or is it ok? I also take Lisinopril, Indapmide and Rivaroxaban.
I suppose I can give it a go and go back to the 5mg if it doesn't work.
Thank you!
Katie
Ask your doctor for clarification.
The other point is if your current medication regime is working, why change anything.
Pete
The desperate lack of energy is why I wanted to reduce the dose. I have half the energy of a normal person currently. Katie
Yes that can be very draining I totally understand.
Speak to your doctor about adjusting the dose but don’t do it without guidance.
Trouble is that regular bouts of AF can also be debilitating so you need to strike a balance.
Pete
I am such a twit! I was holding the wrong packet of pills. I read the dosage but not the name of the pill. I have the 3.75 I was prescribed which is a reduction but much less. Thank you for your support especially as it turns out I'm an idiot! Katie
No such thing as a silly question. You are not a twit or an idiot.
I hope the reduced dose of Bisoprolol helps you.
Pete
Thank you! This community of ours is so supportive! We are very lucky. Katie
So you were gradually reduced from 5mg to 3.75? Sounds like a reasonable first step.
If you still feel that "desperate lack of energy" keep on your doctor for further reduction keeping in mind that you have to wean off beta blockers gradually.
Also, since you are taking daily Flecainide you will need some amount of a beta blocker or calcium channel blocker for safety. If beta blockers are still draining you, at some point you might want to speak to your doctor about switching over to a calcium channel blocker like Diltiazem.
I was on diltiazem, instead of a beta blocker, with my daily flecainide until my flecainide dose was reduced to 25mg, twice a day. At that low dose, my ep allowed me to stop the Diltiazem completely.
Unfortunately, doctors don't always factor in quality of life as much as they should when they prescribe drugs. There interpretation of a drug "working" may be more clinical than helpful to us as a patient who has to live with them.
Jim
I will make a note of this. No energy is such a disincentive to improving my fitness.
HI Jim, I too am on Flecainide and Diltiazem. Tak the Flec two times a day and the Diltiazem once a day in the morning. Has this kept your heart rate lower and what do you do if you have an AFIB eipisode and HR goes very high?
The combination (and I think it's mostly the Diltiazem) has a very mild lowering effect on my resting heart rate and a moderate effect on my exercise heart rate, but nothing like a beta blocker would. If I have an afib episode, I was instructed to take "x" additional mg of Flecainide after 15 minutes and then another "x" mg in another hour if I did not convert after the first dose. I've always converted within 1-4 hours with this PIP (as needed) plan. Something to work out with your cardiologist or ep.
Jim
That sounds like a good step forward. Fingers crossed 🤞
I second Diltiazem as a possible alternative to Bisoprolol though you do have to get the dose right. Too much can send your BP a bit awol
Top tip! Thank you!
You can get 3.75 tablets or take one 2.5 and one 1.25 as a total dose, this way you are reducing slowly
Both me and my wife have been on 2.5 for some time. We both get very tired from it. I had my dose increased about a month ago to 5mg. After the next tests I got a phone call saying to go back to 2.5mg. As it was slowing my heart to much.
Stroke risk reduction
Flecaininde - All stop or gradual reduction?
Article about salt reduction - worth a read.
Help re. Bisoprolol needed...
