I have AF 9 years controlled with Eliquis, metoprolol and Flecainide. For two days pVCs that almost take my breath away. Recent lexiscan normal. So annoying as I get them every couple of hours. They cause me anxiety which doesn’t help.
anyone else? Little bit dizzy these past two days, too, now and again.
I can't help, but a few questions, if I may.
Are you taking all three of those meds regularly, as in every day?
What have been the doses?
At the beginning of your nine years, did you take all three, or was one added as time went on?
I was finally officially diagnosed with afib in May 2024, after suspecting something was amiss for many, many years. I'm now taking Eliquis and Metoprolol. Both my cardiologist and my GP have mentioned Flecainide, but it's not clear to me if this would be a regular med or one taken "pill in pocket style" during actual episodes. I've had 11 episodes in 110 days. They have lasted a minimum of 8 hours, once around 14 hours.
I hope you get good info on your PVC issue.
Hope you are given the Flecainide as a PIP soon, as I was, so that episodes never lasted longer than a few hours and now that I take it regularly, 50mg am and 100mg in the evening, it has put an end to episodes. My heart was shown to be structurally fine near the beginning of my AF journey.
The warnings are pretty strong, such as taking initial doses in a clinic or hospital setting to see what the effects are.
But millions of people over the world must be regular users, so I suppose the chances are great that I would be OK, even at the age of 77 (hard to believe).
My GP and cardiologist are aware that my episodes have been about 1 in every 10 days, and they seem to believe my testimony that I've had undiagnosed afib for a very, very long time.
Both of them seem to be in the "ride-it-out" mode. Well, to be accurate, neither of them seems to be in a hurry to prescribe flecinaide, even as a PIP. Maybe its ageism? Both of them are in their 50s or later, so they both have lots of experience with this, and maybe negative experiences with trying too hard, if you know what I mean.
I have had an echocardiogram that seems to be OK as those things go.
It may be the frequency of your AF (every 10 days) is currently being adversely affected by your natural initial uncertainties pre and post your recent AF diagnosis. Stress is a major factor in aggravating and initiating AF.
The frequency of my paroxysmal AF was every 30 days at the time of diagnosis (not as frequent as yours), with an average duration of 8 hours, but this has now settled 2 years later, after my own initial disturbing worries and including the rectification of a Vitamin D deficiency, to every 110 days. And I have finally discovered that when AF does occur, a single 100mg PIP dose of flecainide stops it within 1-2 hours.
Good luck in finding your own way forward.
So you do *not* take flecainide on a regular basis, but only when AF occurs?
Yes, I take Flecainide 50 mg twice a day, every day for 4 years. No issues since I’m on it.
I only take flecainide as a PIP.
It was originally prescribed for me by the Arrhythmia Nurse I saw a few months months after my initial diagnosis, along with PIP bisoprolol. It was my request to try a PIP approach rather than as everyday medications which was first suggested. And the nurse agreed, especially as I had only just started supplementation to correct my Vitamin D deficiency, and I said I wanted to reassess my AF situation after my Vit D deficiency was resolved before starting to consider whether I needed daily meds to "control" my AF. (See my Vitamin D and AF story at the end of my Bio)
The problem I had though was I received no advice from this Arrhythmia Nurse about dosage and frequency of my PIP doses. These essential details I thankfully obtained via the experience of others as reported on the Forum.
But, before that, my first 2 experimental attempts to use both PIP meds to "control" an AF event were rather shambolic and didn't reduce the frequency of my events, at 8 hours and 10 hours. Then I read that others had been recommended that an original larger dose of flecainide might be more effective in restoring NSR. And Forum members had also reported success with this larger initial dose approach. So for my next 2 events, instead of spaced 50 mg doses, I tried a 100mg dose (max daily dose seems to be 300mg, even 400mg exceptionally) as soon as my AF started, and, as I said, both times AF has ceased within 1-2 hours, which is the desirable reduction in duration I was hoping for. So I will use that regime going forward, at least until my AF events change their nature or frequency. I avoid the PIP bisoprolol unless forced to by a high heart rate during my AF (not happened in these last 2 events).
So not a lot of experience with PIP flecainide, but so far so good.
Hope you find something useful in my ramblings.
Ectopic beats like this are generally considered benign but we all know how distressing they can be and also now they feed on your own anxiety! Try the slow deep breathing exercise.
Use your diaphragm (stomach) not your shoulders and slow your breathing down to 6 or fewer breaths per minute for at least five minutes.
I have daily ectopic beats and their effect on me is worse than the AF I get every so often. The "thud" feeling, unpredictable, can be pretty awful.
Steve
Yes! The hesitation and then the thud. I’m just so spoiled with no longer having AF episodes that a pvc although benign, is anxiety provoking. ❤️
What do you consider "controlled"? Thanks.
I have not had an episode for almost 5 years being on that regimen. Had a lexiscan last month to check on my heart to be sure the Flecainide continues to be safe for me and it was normal. So that’s what I consider controlled.
What are the dosages of your medicine? Thanks.
Flecainide 50 mg twice a day
Eliquis 5 mg twice a day
Metoprolol 25 in am 12.5 in pm
Works like a charm!
Did you make any "life-style" changes and/or take certain supplements? Thanks.
Have always exercised aerobically and with weights, no changes that way. Always ate clean. No changes. Beta blocker put on weight. I’m a 68 year old female, work full time.
Also take vitamin D3 and biotin daily.
As I’ve recorded here before, mine was prescribed by an EP I saw privately and he’d introduced me to having a smart phone and a Kardia and I’d sent him a reading of my heart in AF. I was around 74 or 75 at the time and am now 80. The decisions to take it regularly etc were made by my doctors, possibly with some input from consultants of whom I have seen two, once each. It works pretty well for me even now I’ve reduced (and occasionally forget) the morning one! But we are all different.
Hi
Hav a heart monitor on Metoprolol. It left me 186 bpm, breathless and night pauses.
cheri JOY. 75. (NZ)
Af after Ablation when had couple of pints of bitter 
PVCS PACS PALPATATIONS
Pvcs post covid.
