Flecainide question

[Pommerania78]

As I lose weight will the Flecainide, indeed all medicine, become more effective? Thanks.

[mjames1]

In the sense that losing weight may lessen, or possibly even eliminate your afib burden, per study data -- yes Flecainide could become more effective, or possibly even unnecessary. Same with other afib drugs.

Jim

[Pommerania78 in reply to mjames1]

Thanks.

[BobD Volunteer]

Weight loss usually improves AF burden so it may appear to help.

[bean_counter27]

If you are overweight then there's lots of good reasons to lose weight, including evidence that it reduces your AF burden. I suspect that some improvement would occur whether you are taking Flecainide or not.

Does losing weight make Flecainide more effective? I'm not a medical professional. Logically, I would expect that all other things being equal, if you lose weight you'll also reduce the volume of plasma in your body. So for medications like Flecainide, it would probably result in a higher level of that medication in your plasma. Whether that increase is enough to make it more effective or not you'll probably only ever know if you lose the weight and see. What might work for me, might not work for you and vice versa.

That's because we're all different and our circumstances are different i.e. too many variables to be certain about the discrete effect of losing weight on the effectiveness of Flecainide. I suspect it could only help.

[Pommerania78 in reply to bean_counter27]

Thanks for your comments.

[Hidden in reply to bean_counter27]

my bmi is 26,so I’m overweight, because of the meds I’m taking - exemestane anti-oestrogen to prevent breast cancer return, but it’s pushed my gp, cholesterol and thyroid levels haywire. I don’t eat the “wrong things” I don’t smoke, or drink, I’m active without going mad in the gym, but the gp and cardio just ignore my pleas! I have a wardrobe of clothes I can’t wear and I don’t have much of an appetite- so how does one lose ant weight? It just won’t shift even though I’ve tried 5-2, fast 800, slim fast etc. I take bisoprolol edoxaban Rosuvastatin, lisinoril, all of which had to be increased because of the exemestane! Grrrr!

[bean_counter27 in reply to Hidden]

It must be very frustrating for you. I lose weight easily. I've been doing intermittent fasting for years. However, it wasn't to lose weight, I just got out of the habit of eating breakfast - generally just having several cups of coffee in the morning. I always thought it was unhealthy until intermittent fasting came along!

Last year my sister was diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes so I decided to try cut sugar out of my diet (having sibling with diabetes puts me in higher risk category). It took a bit to overcome the initial cravings but after several days I was then struggling to keep weight on. It also takes some effort to avoid food high in carbohydrates and low in fibre. Carbohydrates are converted into sugars during digestion process but that's slowed down by higher fibre content.

[Hidden in reply to bean_counter27]

Yes, I now what you mean! I'm often asked by medics if I am medically trained! No, I tell them, I'm interested in my body being as well as it can be so I learn about what different drugs are doing so I can manage things well. The first thing people are told-lose weight, don't smoke, don't drink, eat low fat, etc, we are piggy in the middle of the 'specialists' and GP, most of whom know little or nothing outside their area of interest! I told the ElectroPhysiologist I saw privately (about the AF), I'm juggling the cardio, Endo, and oncology people, with meds from all them, and trying to balance the side effects with quality of life! It's a full time job! Rant over-for now!😁🙄