I have been in Afib for a week now , the longest everI take Flecainide 150 ,and Xaralto 20
I have been told I can take Bisoprolol as a pill in the pocket , this works for a day then I'm back in Afib again
My question is , can I take Bisoprolol for 5 / 10 days and then stop ?
If I take it all the time my heart beat and blood pressure drop to silly numbers
Has anyone experience of doing this please
l am exactly the same. I use it as a PIP and take it for as long as l need it to calm my heart, whether that be 1 day or 5. I have low blood pressure so it’s impossible for me to take this regularly, but it works very well in returning me to NSR. I would still ask your GP if this is ok. I don’t take Flecainide.
That is very interesting , very similar except for the Flecainide. I will check about that but I can't see it is a problem as in the past I took both Flecainide and Bisoprolol
Hi Lily.
Consult with your medic about this. Flecainide may elevate the risk of cardiovascular side effects when taken with Bisoprolol. The general consensus is to exercise caution or avoid taking both at the same time. Both Bisoprolol and Flecainide can also raise the risk of bradycardia. Taken together this could be an unwanted combo.
Paul
Hi PaulNot sure about this
My cardiologist wanted me to take bisoprolol and flecanide together which I did for a long time.I stopped the bisoprolol before s stress test , felt so much better without it been off it ever since.
But the general rule , here in France , is to take them together
Interesting
Will check what I am doing is okay with cardiologist
I'm afraid you have it backwards . Beta blockers like bisoprolol are taken all the time with Flecainide. In fact, many don't think it's safe to take Flecainide without a beta blocker or calcium channel blocker as they act as nodal blocking agents .
Jim
Hello Jim.
You could right and I stand to be corrected. I have dug a little deeper and some sites say yes and some say don't take them together, The NICE site is very reputable and a good source of information about heath matters - it says quite clearly not to take these med's at the same time. The manufacturer of flecainide even states not to take bisoprolol with flex.
I guess the jury is out on this one. Please note I am not a doctor and can only go on personal experience or information to hand (I don't always get it right - who does?). This is why I suggested the OP check with a medic to confirm one way or the other. I'm sure the OP will be pleased to hear two different points of view in answer to her post. This is the benefit of an open forum - if someone makes a genuine mistake others will jump in to correct the error. Anyone can post anything on the internet but some reputable sites are adament they should not be taken together. This applys to bisoprolol but not necessary all beta blockers.
Paul
Hi Paul, I wanted to see the wording for myself, and you are right. Bisoprolol prescribed with Flecainide can increase the risk of adverse cardiovascular events and manufacturer advises avoid. Amazing 😳 But I guess it explains why you have to have a load of tests before you can be prescribed Flecainide. I discovered a couple of other interesting things there as well……
It is not uncommon for printed drug guidelines to differ from what is done in real world clinical practice. If we literally translated every drug insert warning (where the NICE guidelines apparently are extracted from ) into clinical practice, there would be few drugs anyone would take!
Unlike some, I happen to be a big fan of Dr. Google. But our busy internet doctor does have some serious limitations, and this is a prime example. Because without a clinical context , Dr. Google can often be scary and misleading.
The fact remains that beta blockers, including bisoprolol, are commonly prescribed, along with Flecainide, by top electrophysiologists in the real world for safety reasons due to its nodal blocking properties.
Their advice should trump what you read on some Internet sites or in a package insert.
Jim
It is safe for some to just take Flecainide I for one had Bisoprolol stopped because I have conductivity problems.
As you say however, they are for often than not taken together I believe.
Pete
Hi Lily.
The reactions seem to be mixed but the general consenus is no. Have a look at the NICE website 'interactions' and it says not to mix the two. However, if your unsure then checking with your cardio is a wise move.
Paul
Flecainide can convert AF to atrial flutter, although it is quite rare. Rarer still, the flutter can become very rapid (flutter with 1:1 block), which is definitely a rhythm you want to avoid. Bisoprolol (usually a low dose (1.25mg - 2.5mg)) can combat this unwanted side effect. From personal experience of working on cardiothoracic and cardiology wards, it is quite common for AF patients to be prescribed flecainide and bisoprolol together.
I didn't expect my post to lead to such an interesting conversation !I am a fan of Sanjay Gupta ,York cardiologist , he always explains things extremely clearly
His Facebook video on Flecainide is worth looking at , but I expect most of you will already be very familiar with his talks
Thank you all for your advice.
I am a fan of Sanjay Gupta ,York cardiologist , he always explains things extremely clearly.
For other fans of Dr. Gupta, if you go to the 6:20 mark of his flecainide video, he states that the "most doctors" will prescribe a beta blocker or calcium channel blocker to help prevent the occurrence of dangerous heart rhythms.
Jim
Exactly !
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