Flecainide questions

[Pepsicoke]

Hi everyone, is anybody on flecainide aware of any interactions with food? I've been on a health trying to lose weight and improve my over all diet by introducing nuts seeds and other healthy stuff. I know grapefruit is a big no with taking most medicines but I was going to use goji berries but I read they can cause flecainide tox issues and also milk can cause problems? Are these things I'm reading alot of rubbish or is there truth to it. I don't know what to do or eat now lol I'm a vegetarian as it is and I have high cholesterol, I want to be eating healthy and getting my vitamins and minerals but don't know how to get them without issue. Do any of you use multivitamins daily? So confusing... thanks all.

[dmac4646]

i was on Flec for 15 years with no food issues at all.

[secondtry]

I have been on Flecainide for 11yrs avoiding grapefruit with no food issues. Always make sure you take it 2- 3hrs after food and wait an hour before eating after taking it, otherwise you may feel nauseous and the efficacy may be reduced.

[wilsond]

No problems. I don't eat grapefruit as interacts with other drugs I take.However I do take flecanide either before or after eating to get the best level of efficacy. Some people feel nauseous and prefer to take nearer food intake

[Vonnegut in reply to wilsond]

It says in the info, to take “an hour before eating” or “on an empty stomach” whenever that is! The Flecainide that is.

[Vonnegut]

My husband and I have taken a multivitamin and mineral suitable for over 70s ever since we were- before that, the one for over 50s - but we’ve never been overweight and have a healthy diet with no meat or dairy. I recently was prescribed a low dose statin as it seems I have a familial problem with cholesterol! We are all very different

[smoothiepete]

I've been on Flecainide for 3 years and never had any interactions with food of supplements.

[Gilli54]

I take Flecainide along with other associated drugs such as a beta blocker and warfarin. Plus levothyroxine.

I take my morning dose before eating and my evening dose about an hour or so after food.

I have heard that milk can lower its efficacy but I tend to use alternative milks except I have dairy milk for tea and ordinary coffee.

But I’m not precious about it.

Apart from avoiding grapefruit nowadays, I eat most things in moderation. Like you, I’m eating lots of nuts and seeds.

I eat plenty of leafy veg etc and foods containing Vitamin K and just watch my INR levels. The best advice I got on this forum was to dose the diet, not the other way round

It is a minefield all the small interactions you can read about. But a lot are to do with taking something in a concentrated form.

So for example, I don’t worry about turmeric or ginger as a meal ingredient or an additive to a tea or a recipe. But I wouldn’t regularly take concentrated turmeric tablets.

In the end it’s a very tricky balance to get right and you have to make an individual decision. I like soya milk and tofu. But I don’t eat or drink it within three hours of taking levothyroxine nowadays. But having said that I took my tablets and had porridge for breakfast afterwards with soya milk for most of the time I was up early and teaching. I couldn’t wait and didn’t know!! But the doctor said it’s about being consistent. So as long as I did the same thing every day I would be on the correct dose of levothyroxine to make that ok. Now I’m retired I habitually eat breakfast late. But I use mostly oat and coconut milk now.

So find what works for you and keeps your blood tests and symptoms in the right zone.

And just check for interactions if you suddenly decide to try something new.

I love liquorice but it seems to be something I should only have a little taste of nowadays as it reacts with all sorts of things but I still enjoy a few allsorts occasionally

Hope you find your happy balance.

😊💕

[sdweller]

I've been on Flec for 5 years now, I eat normally and have never had any issues with this. Your doctor would be the one to talk with next time you see him/her.

[Robv1954]

Have taken Flecainide 100mg TID for over 30 years. Similar situation with diet. Trying to drop a few pounds after the holidays. Also try to exercise a little more. The diet changes don’t seem to have any affect. The increase in high intensity exercise seems to increase a few extra pvcs and pacs. Remember, everyone is different. Good luck.