Taking Flecainide - do you vary the times?

[secondtry]

I have not seen anything here about varying the times of taking the prescribed dose of Flecainide, just the effect of different amounts.

My PAF has always for 10 years occurred v rarely but principally threatened in late pm and during the night. During this time I have always taken 100mgs around 4am and then another 100mgs around 4pm. This year due to a change in my AF pattern I have been taking my first '4am' dose up to 6 hours earlier ie 10pm and found it helps prevent nighttime AF (which is now occurring much more often) and improves sleep. I am aware max dose is 300mgs in any 24hrs.

Anybody found varying the times has helped them and secondly are there any risks in taking x2 100mgs within 6/7/8 hours?

[Cliff_G]

Pretty sure I used to take a single 200 mg daily one a.m., but this was years ago. Currently taking 2 x 100, one a.m., one about 9 p.m. Same nightime AF pattern as you (well, ectopics), but found varying the Flec dose times of no help.

[OzJames]

i'm not sure that would be an issue though taking more in 24 hours would make me lethargic. I take mine at 6.30 morning/night and about 10pm i take 200mg magnesium biglycinate which helps me relax. Two hours after my morning drugs i take 150mg of magnesium Taurate and 200mg of CoQ10 and 1000iu Vitd3.

Not sure if thats keeping me ok but i know the ectopics only rear their heads a couple of times a month!

[secondtry in reply to OzJames]

I like the look of that regime. I read recently that the magnesium enters the cells and sucks in water to hydrate them, so keep the water intake up preferably spring (we are lucky to have a farm shop with free spring water on tap!!) or filtered (I use a Berkey filter).

[OzJames in reply to secondtry]

That’s good to know about the spring water, the other thing is that some of these are fat soluble so if you take the supplements without fat then some will not be absorbed by your body. I usually have some nuts or Avocado or the easiest option is a teaspoon of peanut butter!

[secondtry in reply to OzJames]

Full fat diet here! Just read less likely to get Alzheimer's if you have high cholesterol 🤔, mine's always been around 7 so 🤞. I wonder whether the medical establishment has been erring again on the pill dispensing side when they really don't know or worse.

[Tapanac]

I remember when I went for my pre op assessments (not to do either heart) I had written down my medication and the doctor took it that I was taking my flecainide irregularly. She then went into a long diatribe in flecainide has a 12 hour lifespan and should only take it 12 hours apart so since then I take at 8.30 am and 8.30 pm

Sooo if you are taking flecainide at 10pm you should take again at 10am

Why did you take at 4am. Have to set the alarm????

All the best

[secondtry]

Thanks for the caution, I need to be more careful on varying times. I am pretty sure AF is responsible for waking me up sometimes several times in the night hence don't need an alarm for 4am 😃. That is why I am looking on changing to 10pm so my sleep improves - never give up trying to tame 'this beast'!

[Pommerania78]

Dear Secondtry, You and I have exchanged several posts. I read with interest whatever you write and I have noticed that you say that Afib has become more frequent with you in recent times. I have some thoughts that I would like for you to comment on. I notice on this Forum that many people repeat the maxim that: "we are all different and Afib is a mongrel condition." I'm not sure that is really the case. I'm beginning to believe, the more I study, that Afib is the same for everyone, but that WE are indeed different - does that make US the mongrel?! Also, we know that the cells in our bodies are constantly changing so that in a few years, we are quite literally NOT the same people we once were (yet the same, somehow!). So, if Afib "changes", it may not be Afib that is changing, but that WE are becoming a different person, and the key to solving the Afib problem once again is to determine what kind of different person we have become over the years, and approach the problem from that angle, and not just assume that Afib is a "mongrel", which I do not believe it is. If we have become a different person, then we must conquer Afib as though it was not the person who conquered it in earlier times. We have become a different person. For example, I have learned that the person that was allergic to penicillin as a child, is often no longer allergic to it as an older man. He has become a different person. Thanks for your time.

[secondtry]

Yes, you make a very valid point but the puzzle remains the same!

[Pommerania78]

I know a chiopractor who says that one should always remember what one was doing or what happened just before an illness occurred. If my theory is correct, perhaps you should remember how you/your body/mind/environment changed just before the Afib began again. It may be something that at first have seemed inconsequential.

[Pommerania78]

One other thing I just thought of. Is it possible that your body is actually improving, and therefore the medicine is having a deleterious effect? Like someone who is taking Flecainide but doesn't actually need it? Just a thought.

[secondtry in reply to Pommerania78]

Wow you are on fire. Another valid point. My conclusion for the change is it may be related to stress & anxiety as my AF is vagally mediated and my gut & thought patterns need to improve....persevering with this but change rarely happens overnight.

[secondtry]

Yes, you are quite right I also think that is a possibility. It is on my list of things to try.