Flecainide and Blurred Vision

[bbrooks1966]

Hello, I am a 58-year-old female who was diagnosed with atrial fibrillation last week via my cardiologist and a heart monitor that I've been wearing for the past 30 days. My cardiologist put me on Eliquis 5mg bid and Flecainide 100mg q 12.hours. I started having increased palpitations, fatigue and blurred vision about 4 days after starting treatment. I called my cardiologist and spoke with his nurse about my symptoms and she said my symptoms weren't related to my treatment, especially the blurred vision. I was advised to contact my primary care physician regarding my symptoms or to go to urgent care. I am wondering if anyone here in this community has experienced any symptoms similar to mine, especially the blurred vision? Thank you in advance for your help, I appreciate it.

[baba]

You need to get checked as advised by your cardiologist.

Best wishes

[Cavalierrubie]

l would not be happy with that answer considering you have just begun taking this medication. I don’t take those meds., but what does the list of side effects say in the leaflet?

[secondtry]

Medication can take several months to settle down but I would go back to your cardiologist and discuss options incl reducing flecainide to a lower dose to see if that helps.

[TaffinSussex]

I am Eliquis (Apixaban in UK)and other meds Bisoprolol and Amlodapine. The advice in the leaflets about side effects is often a bit sketchy and can differ hugely with others listed in other countries. Check out your Rx sites in the US...drugs.com is one where you can cross reference meds for side effects and interactions etc. In the UK too we have a yellow card reporting site where we can report any side effects to anything medications or vaccines.

I do have blurred vision periodically since my medications began 9 months ago...as to which one is causing it, I'm not entirely sure. However, I know I'm not alone as others in my FB support group have reported this too. It was very unprofessional of the nurse to be so blunt as no 2 people will have the same side effects to anything!

[Buffafly]

Check the BNF, drugs.com tends to be a bit scary

[Buffafly in reply to Buffafly]

I looked and ‘vision disorders’ are listed as a very common side effect.

[Tapanac]

yes although I have had cataracts done many many years ago and was told at that time my eyesight should not change (?), since I’ve been on my afib pills flecainide included my sight has definitely got worse and had to get long distance glasses.

Hope you find the reason for your sight deterioration

All the best

[Ivan_91107]

I had exactly those symptoms after adding flecanide to my eliquis. Cardiologist reduced my flecanide to 50 mg twice daily. I think flecanide impacts vision in more folks than is reported.

[Tilos5]

Hello,

I was put on Flecainide after my ablation

It made me quite dizzy and the room was spinning, my HR increased

I was kept in hospital, until I was stablilized , they reduced the dose to 50mg and I took it every 12 hours

After four weeks I was able to cone off, I am very sensitive to meds

I’m now off Eliquis as well

I had an ablation June 2023

Metro tool or Bisprolol seem to be the more common meds used

Maybe check with your cardiologist and see can you change the medication, a beta blocker may be better, bluriness and dizziness are very scary and should not be dismissed, I am very lucky I see an excellent Electrophysiologist who worked with me,until we got the right formulae.

I still have Flecinide with the instructions only to use it in an emergency.

If your cardiologist is not an Electrophysiologist, seek a second opinion with a Electrophysiologist

Good luck

[kurtgv in reply to Tilos5]

Tilo5,

I am wondering how you were able to stop using Eliquis. I have been told that I will have to take an anti-coagulant the rest of my life since I had persistent AFIB for years. That is despite the fact that I have not had A/F for over two years following an ablation...

[Tilos5 in reply to kurtgv]

I had my ablation June 2023, and I stopped Eliquis January 24

I wore a holter in October 23 and Jan 24 for 14 day each time

I have paroxysmal AFib, and my Chad Vac score was 1 gender based .

Your Chad Vac score may be higher and if you have persistent AFib your cardiologist may think it necessary for your to continue with the Eliquis .

Every patient is different, not sure if you had an ablation.

[kurtgv in reply to Tilos5]

Thank you for the reply. And yes, my Chad score is higher. Coming off of Eliquis is just wishful thinking I guess…

[kurtgv]

I also had dizzy spells ( mostly when I first stood up from sitting a while) while taking Flecainide 100 MG twice a day. I reduced that to 100 MG at night. That corrected the problem and has kept AFIB at bay for over two years.

[Outsidethelines]

I have been taking up to 300mg Flecainide as a pill in the pocket for years now. Mostly it just makes me feel ghastly for a few hours, but on a very few occasions I have had some quite dramatic visual disturbances after taking it.