flecainide does it cause weight gain with everyone

[Lilylui]

have to take flecainide not got prescription yet but have read it makes you put on weight, I have managed to lose 2 stones, and am worried about gaining weight back.

Does anyone take it who stays same weight.?

[meadfoot]

it hasnt made the slightest difference to my weight. I was under nine stone when I started it and I still am years later.

[Lilylui in reply to meadfoot]

How are you on it? Do you take as a pip? Or daily, I read that some have an awful time on it.

[meadfoot in reply to Lilylui]

For several years I took it twice a day, 2x 100mg then my consultant suggested I try to take it as PIP as my arrhythmia was well under control and that has worked well too. If I have any arrhythmia flare ups I am told to take it regularly trying 2 x 50mg until things settle or can take up to the max of 300mg in a 24 hour period.

I have found it a very effective drug for me personally. Only side effect I had was some flashing lights when entering a darkened room but that went after the first two weeks or so. Some people thrive on it others dont. My first experience of it was high dose intravenous flecainide when taken into hospital with a heart rate of 298 beats per minute due to SVT and atrial fib. I was so poorly I also had to have intravenous morphine for the chest pain. The flecainide in that intense situation, max dose I suspect, worked in fifteen minutes or so when it started to ease the situation. I was back in NSR within half an hour. Exhausted after the mad heart rhythms and sleepy with the morphine but ok otherwise.

[Tapanac in reply to meadfoot]

my experience exactly except I am still on flecainide 50mgs twice daily

[cindyrella in reply to meadfoot]

I am so glad that you survived the298beats per minute. Amazing!

[Drounding]

I've put on weight but not due to flecainide

Felcainide has been fanstatic for me. I started taking it as a PIP initially, then changed to a regular dose. I know take 100mg am and pm and have only had very rare AF episodes in many years, and these episodes have been short. For me it's worked wonders and changed my quality of life.

I don't think you need to be concerned if the Dr is prescribing it. Any concerns of course check with the Dr.

[Bagrat]

I'm a fan, been on it for 11 years. Have gained wt but that's through snacking, however healthy and idleness!!

[KMRobbo]

I did not put any weight on over my 12 months plus on flecainide .

[Angie06]

I've been on a regular dose of 50mgx2 daily for 15 yrs and in that time I've gained some weight but more likely to be due to retirement and having more time for lunch out, coffee with friends, and a natural ageing process slowing me down. In all that time I've had very few AF moments, just bouts of ectopics and quite happy to take flecainide and get on with my life. 😃

[Morzine]

I think flecainade is a great tablet and I feel was a support aid with the arythmia. I’m not on it now but had it three years. Did I put on weight yes, but I doubt it was flecainade I think it was that I dint do as much excersise now, my walking I still do but not as far as I dint have the energy,,,,

If they’ve saud take it don’t worry about it, it’s not given me any trouble personally and the upside is I feel it works

Sue

[Ppiman]

My understanding of this is that unless a drug causes fluid retention, as some hormonal drugs can, then it cannot cause weight gain except by slowing the metabolism, and the only drugs that can do this to any degree are thyroid hormones. You can be sure that flecainide has no such effects as those.

One other reason possible reason for weight increase is when anxiety linked to taking the drug, or to the condition itself, causes either reduced activity or increased food intake.

Steve

[secondtry]

Yes. No weight gain here after 8yrs on 200mgs Flec.

If you are worried about weight what about a brisk 1/2 mile walk before breakfast and evening meal; very good for losing weight, heart rhythm and other gains.

[Prince123456]

I have been taking Flecainide for the last 2 years 100mg twice daily my weight is the same. The key is regular exercise and good diet. It’s common sense really you are what you eat, eat shit = look like shit.

[Singwell]

I've only once heard of someone complaining about putting weight due to it. And that's a recent post here. Beta Blockers much more likely to be associated with weight gain I'd say. Flecainide for me made everything work more efficiently- once I'd uploaded it realised I'd not been feeling great for quite a while. I could walk faster, uphill without going super slow, felt like exercising and consequently lost weight. Im a fan. I’t suit everyone though. Have you seen that EP?

[Lilylui in reply to Singwell]

yes saw him Wednesday he is very nice, Sod’s law went into AF on way home for 27 hrs he is writing to cardiac team in Hereford I have an appointment on 22 nd sept. He says thry will refer me to him he as asked doc to give me flecainide, someone said I will need monthly ecg at docs ?

[Singwell in reply to Lilylui]

OKAY!! But this is progress isnt it? Happy for you. Firstly i woulsnt worry about weight gain in Flecainide as it should improve your heart's efficiency so you’ll feel more up to taking exercise. Aim for a 20 minute brisk walk on the flat to begin with 4 days a week. Also good for you BP. Technically you should be monitored initally on Flecainide to check that your HR doesnt go too fast as a result (it's known to increase HR) or develop atrial flutter. Sp your GP can organise that. You can also be proactive and monitor yourself with Kardiamobile.

That said, I switched to Flecainide from Bisoprolol totally unmonitored during the first wave of the pandemic. I was OK. It dod take a bit of getting used to - felt.weird - but once uploaded it worked well.

[Lilylui in reply to Singwell]

can you take it as a pip? He said up to me

[Singwell in reply to Lilylui]

yes you can. It depends on how often you get your AF, how well you feel between episodes etc. This is obviously personal bit o wish i hadnt been put on pills regularly at the start. O was given 2.5mg Bisoprolol to take each day and looking back i dont think it was necessary. And then the pandemic hit. I just did as advised and hoped for the best. I'd never do that now!

[AussieHeart in reply to Singwell]

I have been on it since March-April this year … started on 50mg then dropped it to 25mg x twice daily as it energised me to the point I started LOSING WEIGHT! We dropped Flec further to 15mg at night and combined it with 1.25mg Bisoprosolol +( 25mg Flec only in mornings) and the weight kept coming off. I dropped 7kg in six months before stabilising. I did have a colonoscopy in between to check out high constipation so weight loss could have been clearing my bowels! My system is working better it seems!!!! PS: Flec brings on sweats for me

[willec49]

I've been on flecainide for the past three or four years; 150 mg for a couple of years and now, 100 mg daily after my ablation in March. It hasn't caused me any weight gain. That is always a result of my food intake/diet. It has been very helpful for me.

[Hidden]

No weight gain for me either. Was on it for a few years too. Didn't seem to make a difference to my PAF because it acted independently of everything. 😂

[Daisy2908]

I was on it for over 18 months and didn’t gain any weight, no issues with taking it at all. Good luck!

[Speed]

57 y.o. Male. 2nd Ablation for AFlut Nov ‘21. Now PAF managed with 2 x 50 mg daily with occasional PIP for last 9 mths. In that time have lost a little weight (pretty lean anyway) but put that down to generally eating well and regular exercise with no impact from Flecainide. Not convinced any direct correlation between flecainide and weight gain / loss. Any change probably more related to consequential lifestyle changes.

[SuziElley]

just keep doing what you’ve been doing to lose the two stone and you’ll be fine. I’ve been on it for 18months now and still the same weight……

[jamesvdv]

I take 2 x Flecainide 50 mg and 1 x Bisoprolol 1.25 mg daily for the past 5 years for my PAF. I have not gained any weight as a result. If fact, I have lost a small amount of weight over the last two years but that has been due to eating out less often.

[Snowgirl65]

Everyone is different, of course, but I personally put on weight with Flecainide and no amount of diet and exercise could take it off. When my EP switched my meds, 23 lbs. quickly fell off.

[listerines]

Been on it daily for close to two years now and no real weight gain noticed. Hope that helps.