My 'foolproof' drug-taking regime broke down this morning and I took 5mg Apixaban and 100mg Flecainide twice within a couple of hours. Realised almost immediately what I had done and did the fingers down the throat over the loo manoeuvre - to no avail.
Rang pharmacist and got the expected advice - miss tonight's doses and be aware of heart rate and rhythm, without overthinking it and that I hadn't exceeded the daily maximum of 300mg.
Even so, I'm concerned about the Flecainide and wondered if anyone else has taken too much in one go and how it affected their heart (if at all). Just when things were going so well . . . .
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Dunno is the honest answer regarding Flecainide but pretend you took it as a PiP and I’m sure you will be OK. Regarding Apixaban, it does not cause spontaneous bleeds so wrap yourself up in cotton wool and stay in bed (figuratively speaking of course) 😉
Your pharmacist's advice seems sound. You are still under the daily limit for the Flecainide. Skipping your evening dose of Apixiban should put things back to normal by tomorrow. I would just be a little more careful, activity wise today. Happens to all of us. Last time it happened to me I got an AM/PM pill box.
Actually, we are on the north coast of Ireland on the Atlantic Ocean, so if you’re on the east coast you may well see a wave from here, if only the watery kind! 🤣
Well you're the first person over here who hasnt told me that they dont know a Totten! Seems like a really common name over here unlike in England where I've never come across one. Yes done Ancestry DNA and found lots in my other lines but none from my paternal grandfathers that I can link. Off to Roots Ireland today 🤞
Welcome to Ireland Nannysue - the emerald isle is looking slightly burnt at the moment. Have you tried a search at the Public Records Office or a register of ratepayers? Totten is not a common name here so it might be an easy search. Best wishes.
Hi there thanks. Yes going back to records office in belfast tomorrow . We were over there a couple of months ago but we have different info now. Just thinking, I've gone completely off piste with my non related heart topic ( though it's very dear to my heart) apologies to all.
Well - hello Barbara72 (name change?). I was thinking about you on and off over the last couple of years and wondering how you are. Will wave back when I think you are passing by.
Here's to nothing happening! Nice to hear from you.
they do a really good dosset box on Amazon and big enough to take all our pills. If I knew how to do it I would copy and paste it on to you but am duh with technology
Thank you Pete for the reassurance . I do feel slightly leaden but we aren't used to heat in N Ireland and last night was oven-like so I haven't slept much!
Sorry can’t help but just wanted to say bad luck! So easily done. I took the wrong tablets a few days ago but managed to spit them out before swallowing (very dramatically over the kitchen floor!) so I really sympathise. Jx
Thanks Jane - I realised my mistake as the second tablet went down and probably shouldn't have bothered getting to the bathroom!! Good that you evicted them in time.
Thanks Jean - I was sooo sure my system worked - did so for nearly 10 years - but this morning was the morning from hell and I got distracted. Lesson learned and I'll look on Amazon for a pill box after dinner.
I feel fine, thank you for asking - a bit leaden still - but I slept most of the afternoon, taking FlapJack's advice, without the cotton wool, though.
My Flecainide comes in strips of ten, five sets of two side by side so I can see if I have taken the morning one ( one gap). I keep another strip to use on the odd occasions I may require an extra one as a PIP so I don’t mess up my pattern!
I did it a few years ago. I was so engrossed in the book I was reading over breakfast. After ringing the surgery for advice I turned to friends on here for advice and comforting words. All was well and I survived.However the following week I did it again. I was so embarrassed I didn't tell anyone. Rushed upstairs to try and make myself vomit but couldn't. I started to feel really ill. I thought Oh well, I'll lie on sofa and wait to die. Then thought No, I'd better wash up breakfast dishes and leave the kitchen tidy. I went into kitchen and there was second pill on the floor. I had only taken one. 😆
😀Aw Liz - sorry I had to laugh at your choices - lie down to die or wash up! I took my morning dose just now and I counted and checked the tablets THREE times. Distraction is the enemy of pill-takers.
as others have said, that is the normal dose for a PIP approach when having an event. So it should be fine. The maximum daily dose for Flecainide is 400mg, so taking 200mg in one go is not a problem if it is a once off. I accidentally took 300mg in one go in the middle of the night when I had a breakthrough AF and found no adverse effects (I normally never take Flecainide). Make sure you take electrolytes (not those sports drinks which are very dangerous for us AFibbers) that contain sodium, potassium and magnesium, in the meantime and rest up, you will be good.
Dioralyte is a fantastic electrolyte, just make sure you take the plain flavoured one. All the ones with flavours are really bad and unhealthy. Cheers.
yes I’ve done that with the flecainide and have to say it was ok for me, but everyone is different. If you are still worried perhaps you could ring your GP or your EP/cardiologist’s secretary
Hi there, I’m a bit neurotic about taking meds am / pm so this would really worry me too, pharmacist advice is great & sure you’ll be fine.
I keep my AM box upstairs by my bed ( take meds as soon as I wake up ) &my PM box downstairs in the kitchen so I don’t open the wrong section as I’m dopey enough to do that ! 😂
I was so tired yesterday that I took my evening's tablets in the morning... I survived, and I'm sure you will, too. I was so cross with myself but my lack of sleep and mornings make for an interesting time!
An AF episode once started only 20 minutes after I’d taken my evening Flecainide 100mg so I took another one as a PIP and the episode ended a few hours later and I’m still here!! I stopped taking the anticoagulants as I rarely have episodes on the Flec and they never last more than a couple of hours but even that has messed up my digestion as the anticoagulants did and added to my fatigue! I am going to be involved in a research project into chronic fatigue now which should be interesting.
In Dec last after being CONTROLLED by Diltiazem 120mg AM 2.5mg Bisoprolol PM my H/R Day Still went from 88-96 to now 62-69 till 6pm!
No more stopping during a walk in slightly elevated hill, no excessive sweating or fatigue although I can have a brief nap at the end of day, I believe it is lesser in quantity meals and weight loss first 3kgs now 5-6kgs. always on low fat diet.
Ordinarily I would take 100 PIP but one evening in Feb. I took 200 mg. In an hour I felt unease in my stomach and went to the bathroom where I fainted and was on the floor momentarily. Cardiologist then changed my regimen from PIP to 50 mg flecainide daily in am and pm.
I went on to that when the episodes started increasing and now on 100mg twice a day when a few episodes still occurred. It works except on very rare occasions like when I must have caught covid and the time recently when an episode started about 20 minutes after I’d taken the pm one! Hence another as PIP. Hope the 50mg am and pm works well for you for longer than it did for me!
I was taking 50mg twice a day and one evening I tried an extra 100mg as a PIP when the AFib had gone on for two days. It gave me the most incredible double vision and I mean incredible and the next day the doc took me off it immediately (didn’t stop the AFib either).
As people have said 300mg is the daily max and you’re within that, so it shouldn’t be a problem. Just watch for any side effects.
It certainly was! I’ve never experienced double (treble?) vision before and it was surreal.
Hi there, how are you today? I hope that you just rested up and are back on track! I nearly did the same recently, the cardiologists reduced my bisoprolol but I had an old higher-dose tablet lurking in my tablet box somewhere and that second tablet was on my tongue when a brain cell fired and went 'time to spit!'. Easily done... I find my tablet box usually makes things pretty foolproof though, put the daily dose in and voila. Haven't yet found a spot for the flecainide, you are making me think it's a good idea. Take care! Lis xxx
Thanks Lis - yes, back to normal today but the temperature here is 26 degrees so I'm still slobbing about, reading and eating! My brain cell was too slow yesterday and I could feel the Apixaban go down smoothly as I realised something was wrong. Got my box just now and have to devise an idiot-proof regime. 😆
Very relieved to hear it! That brain cell we share needs a telling off 😀Boxes are very helpful, I have an alarm too for the new one because it's twice a day and the brain cell can't cope lol
If you remember several years ago you were the one who recommended Nebivolol to me and I was so glad you did because I was on a high dose of Bisoprolol with awful side effects. Last year I finally went for Pace and Ablate which although taking a while to settle down has been my salvation. However I still take a tiny 2.5 of Nebivolol for my migraine but nothing else and am symptom free. Best wishes to you.
That's really good news and I do remember our conversation about Nebivolol and the problems which you were experiencing with Bisoprolol. Since then, I've been taking the same dose as you are now and so far, so good.
It means so much to be symptom free - long may it continue. Very best wishes to you too.
My idiot proof method is taking the tablet from the left of the strip in the morning and the right in the evening so I can always tell if I've taken the morning dose. My problem is forgetting to take them first thing rather than the other way around 😁.
Apixaban is unlikely to cause spontaneous bleeding and it has a lower risk of inter-cranial bleed than some other anticoagulants. So, I calculated that my main risk was from accidental injury - knives, gardening etc and caught up on some sleep that afternoon. All was well.
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