ANY ADVICE

[SilverliningsForNow]

Hi everyone

I have been AF free for nearly a year now. I have been taking 75 mg flecainide morning and night half of 125mg Bisoprolol in the morning, Apixaban and 20 mg Tamoxifen. Everything has been great. However in the past week I wake up every morning and my lips are stinging and cracked and in the night around 9 pm I started to get atrial flutter and ectopic beats. I increased my flecainide to 100mg morning and night but it has made no difference I get no activity whatsoever in the day but between eight and going to bed I am experiencing a period of these atrial flutters and ectopic beats. GPs don’t know what to do 8 months to see an EP and no-one private where I live. Any suggestions?

[jeanjeannie50]

I believe Flecainide can cause flutter, or other abnormal rhythms. When my cardiologist looked at my ECG he told me to stop taking Flecainide as he believed that was causing my problems. I'd try putting vaseline on your lips before going to bed. I've not heard of that being a symptom of taking pills before.

Jean

[SilverliningsForNow in reply to jeanjeannie50]

Thanks Jeanjeannie I will try the vaseline. So much good advice here. I am going to read about vagal nerve and AF I’m sure that’s me. It’s all settled down now and sometimes it goes like that. I haven’t had AF for a year now but was worried this was a precursor just before Christmas. Fingers crossed I have avoided it. Thanks for all your help. ❤️

[Singwell in reply to SilverliningsForNow]

I'm 7 months in Sinus rhythm now post my 2nd ablation. Saw my.EP last Friday. I've stayed on a dose of 50mg Flecainide am and 25mg pm. When we met my EP said 'I'd really like to see you off the Flecainide'. I just reduced to 25mg X 2 a day and noticed my highish HR in the mornings post breakfast is stabilising. Do you think you need to be on the Flecainide at this point? Forgive me if I cannot remember when or why you started taking it. I've been on it since March 2020.

[SilverliningsForNow in reply to Singwell]

I’ve had one ablation but I’m on Tamoxifen for breast cancer I had 2 years ago and the hormone disruption irritates my heart so I have to be on my medication. Thanks for trying to help me ❤️

[secondtry]

I found my AF always came on late afternoon, evening and during the night. Initially, I had to avoid TV sitting down and did light household chores in the evening. Overtime I reduced daytime stress/activity to even up my day ie to avoid flat out and then collapse.

This strategy has worked very well but it was accompanied with 200mgs Flecainide and a host of other lifestyle changes. So who knows whether one or all have helped; I believe the latter.

My advice never give up trying, I'm still doing it 8 yrs down the track and virtually AF free.

[cherylttt in reply to secondtry]

secondtry,

Your post is very interesting. My AF also comes later in the day. Why would lightly increasing activity change that? I might give that a try.

Thank you for the idea.

[secondtry in reply to cherylttt]

You may have vagally mediated AF. I concluded (medics just raise their eyebrows) that my stress levels during the day were too high, come later in the day, relaxing in front of a screen or when in bed the body (incl the heart) relaxes too much to compensate giving the chance, if you are susceptible, for the 'little drummers' to take over from the normal 'Big Base' (aka normal HB). Hence instead I had to do some light jobs rather than collapse on the sofa to wind down more slowly. You would need to read up about the Vagus Nerve to get a better understanding of how it works and of course things may be a bit different for you.

[cherylttt in reply to secondtry]

Thank you!

[SilverliningsForNow in reply to secondtry]

Wow! Great encouragement. Here’s hoping!

[OzJames]

my cardiologist suggested that Flecainide can cause Atrial Flutter and taking a beta blocker lessens the risk of side effects of Flecainide. I take Flec as a PIP and the BB about 20-30 mins before the Flecainide to allow time for it to start working.

[SilverliningsForNow in reply to OzJames]

That is a great suggestion. If it comes on again I will take by Bisoprolol and see what happens. Didn’t think of that. Thank you so much for trying to help me. ❤️

[OzJames in reply to SilverliningsForNow]

maybe run that past him first but my guy said to take Metropolol 20-30 mins before Flecainide to lessen side effects from the Flecainide. Having said that I now have flutters could be that I took the tabs with not enough time between

[RussJun55]

When you're in atrial flutter, how fast is your heart rate?

[SilverliningsForNow in reply to RussJun55]

Low - about 65-72 bpm. ❤️