I have atrial fibrillation with a fast heartbeat and have been asked to consider taking Digoxin. I would like to know if anybody is taking this and if it makes them feel better. Thank you.
Digoxin: I have atrial fibrillation... - Atrial Fibrillati...
Digoxin
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bluepuddy1
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hi there took Digoxin when I was first diagnosed in 2010. I was fine on it. The only side affect I had which wasn’t very nice was that I got yellow halos round my eyes they would start underneath then go round the eye and when halo complete they disappeared. It was just an irritation more than anything. But other than that I was fine. Hope you will be fine.
Thank you Gillybean. Yellow halos sound strange. I notice that you are speaking in the past tense, does this mean that you had some alternative treatment afterwards ? I hope you don’t mind me asking.
Hi Bluepuddy1,
I wasn’t able to take Digoxin as it gave me very bad diarrhea . I believe it is a good drug, so hope it works for you.
Chris.
Dear Chris,
I had stomach problems, rashes, with various anti coagulants, so I don’t know if Digoxin, as an anti arrhythmic would be suitable. Thank you for this.
Hi bluepuddy1. Yes, l am very sensitive to drugs so know how you feel. I get on better with pill in the pocket. Why not just try it and see. You never know it might work. Anything is worth a try. Good wishes for that.
Hello,
Excuse my ignorance, but what is pill in the pocket ? Occasional use might be good. Thank you.
I take 1.25 mg Bisoprolol when l have an episode of AF. I can’t take it regularly as l have low blood pressure and Bisoprolol lowers HR and blood pressure. I always have fast AF. I have low blood pressure so it’s a no no for me to take regularly, You cannot do that with your anticoagulant by the way! You really need to discuss this with a medic as we are all different and we are not medically trained on here, just our own experiences. Hope you get sorted out soon. It’s a mine field ! Take care.
Thank you, I think I’m going to have a word with my doctor.
Hi, I take it because 10mg of bisoprolol just wasn't keeping my atrial flutter controlled, it made a huge difference (in a good way) and I don't have any side effects from it.
Thank you Borderterriorist, I might try it.
Hello there...I am interested in your comment as I am now suffering from A Flutter and its a new challenge for me.....I find Bisoprolol at 7.5mg not enough too....might I ask what your dose of Digoxin is daily? Do you cope with the Flutter ok ? My hrs can get stuck at 160 and really worries me...thank you...
Hi. I’m on 10mg bisop and 187.5 digoxin. I was in flutter on top of my usual AF. 125 digoxin didn’t work for me and my GP advised raising the digoxin rather than the bisop.
I’ve been on this for about 18 months. My heart beat is permanently slightly irregular, I feel better than I have for years, and my heart hasn’t deteriorated at all, so I’m happy with this.
Thank you for responding...its such an awful condition. Really happy for you that it's under control....
I'm on 125 micrograms of digoxin and 5mg of bisoprolol twice daily. I have a pacemaker and the print out before adding the digoxin showed I had over 300 episodes of flutter in 4 weeks, the longest lasted nearly 48 hours and I was reaching 190bpm at times. I felt really ill most of the time. The digoxin made a huge difference but my EP/cardiologist thinks I could feel better. I'm not suitable for an ablation for the flutter, partly because I have atypical flutter but also because I've had some episodes of fib so I'm hoping to have an AV Node ablation very soon. I've not got a date yet but I had my cardiac pre-assessment this week. Good luck, give digoxin a try it's not as scary as some people seem to think.
Thank you for taking the time to write back....I'm new to A Flutter so trying to see what works for me. When I get an episode it just comes out of the blue and my heart rate zooms to the 160's and stays there and starts to readjust over 24 or 48 hours after I take more Bisoprolol ....so trying Digoxin aswell now to see if it helps....not sure what each one does ! I do hope you get your operation soon...its such an unpleasant and scary condition....
I have a friend who takes it and it's done wonders for her.
Thank you jeanjeannie, this is encouraging.
I have fast AF. I took Digoxin for about 6 months along after being classed as pesistant. I also take metoprolol. The only side effect was mild aura migraines which became frequent. The combination of meds worked well. Mr GP tells me Digoxin is an old well tried medication.
I now take Diltiazan instead of Digoxin which is an improvement regarding migraines but gives your face a reddish hew.
Thank you Izzle. Diltiazan seems worth considering. I’m rather pale so the reddish hue might be OK 😀.
Hi
You need your ECHO checked before Diltiazem. If you have Ventricle problem apparently you can't have that CCB but there are others.
cheri JOY. 76 (NZ)
Thank you Joy.
It helped me, came off it when I had ablation
Thank you AmandaLouise.
wasn’t for me. Upset stomach and feeling hellish. Had to be put on Amiodarone.
Thank you jd2004. My stomach seems to react badly to medicine so I might avoid it if possible.
Hi there, I have had AF in the past but now have A Flutter but I've been on Digoxin for both for years....I think it depends on the dosage as to how effective it is. I have had no side effects though and would definitely use it if I were you. I am also on Bisoprolol which can be amazing when the AF is in full flow...but remember both take a few days to build up in your bloodstream...its not immediate relief...P
Been on it for about 4 years, not had any issues with it.
Thank you Silvasava, this is encouraging.
Been on it (62.5 micrograms) since September 2024. no issues with side effects from the Digoxin - but the packaging is really awkward! A tiny tablet in a blister pack is very easy to lose!
My mum was on digoxin for at least 40 years. Along with warfarin and diuretics. It suited her fine and she never had any problems until she was 93 when some young doctor decided to switch her to bisoprolol. She had heart failure as well as Afib and I don't think her body could cope.
Thank you Broseley. Sorry to hear about your mother.
Thank you Aesculus. My heart beat occasionally goes up to 125 bpm. Last time it was stress related. The doctor has previously suggested Digoxin as an anti arrhythmic and though I was not eager to take it I have started to change my mind since the stress incident (sudden Illness in the family) as feel that I should have some kind of safeguard. I have had problems with side effects from anti coagulants and beta blockers though, hence my enquiry.
I was prescribed Digoxin last year. I have permanent afib - ablation not an option. Diltiazem didn’t work for me and I can only tolerate low doze (2.5mg) Bisoprolol , which I still take alongside the Digoxin. It has definitely been a positive for me. I have more energy and am less breathless. No side effects that I am aware of. I did have a spell of insomnia which may or may not have been due to Digoxin but all settled down now.
Hello Puzzled,
To be absolutely awkward I don’t tolerate Bisoprolol as it causes diarrhoea. I will have a word with the doctor to find a good alternative. Thank you.
Hi
Digoxin is an old med.
It is well tolerated.
I take CCB Diltiazem CD a wonder med for me as BBs did not control my High H/Rate. I've been on it 3 years. CCB.
cheri JOY. 76. (NZ)
Thank you Cheri Joy.
I had taken it for a while -- first having to stay in the hospital for a few days to assess its effects on me -- and had no problems with it. It kept my a-fib at bay for quite some time, until it finally didn't.
Thank you Snowgirl, I hope you are alright now.
Thanks for your well wishes, bluepuddy1. As usual, a-fib returned intermittently through the years. I'll probably be having a pulsed field ablation in summer. Best wishes to you too!
I hope your pulsed field ablation goes well.
Thank you!
I've been on Digoxin, 0.125 mg., since July, 2021. I've had no problems with it. I also have a pacemaker and take metropolol ER, 50 mg, at bedtime. I've been in permanent afib since March, 2021. Good luck to you in whatever you decide to do.
Hello JudyMarie,
I thought I had paroxysmal AFib, but my episodes can last up to 9 days, so it might be persistent AFib. Anyway, permanent AFib must be a lot to put up with. I wish you all the best for the future. I hope that you will be AFib free.
Thank you for the kind wishes. It might surprise you to know that I feel much better since I've gone into permanent afib. The digoxin and metoprolol keep my heart rate low (50s to 70s usually) and I don't even know I'm in afib unless I take my pulse or it's indicated on my blood pressure monitor. This is so much easier to deal with than the sudden, forceful palpitations which frequently happened in the middle of the night or when I was just sitting and relaxing. I'm much more active now, less breathless and my stamina is actually better.
Hello JudyMarie,
I’m so glad to hear this. When I have a few normal days I’m really bouncing with energy, (now it seems to be one day), but when the AFib returns I’m exhausted and don’t feel like doing anything much. I’m so glad you feel much better. I’ll try the digoxin.
Hello JudyMarie, just reading your post and I’m amazed that you feel much better in Permanent Afib.Does being Permanent still damage your heart, leading to Heart Failure? Does your body get used to it and you just don’t notice it, ? I thought it would be worse I’d like to know more about Perm/afib. It scares me to think there will be no relief. Thanks.
Hello - I think you'll find others on this forum who have posted that they feel better being in permanent afib. I actually have mild congestive heart failure and take a diuretic for it. It was diagnosed before I went into permanent afib. As far as damage to the heart is concerned, I had an echo in 2023 and there was no significant change from the one I had in 2021. I have another one scheduled for November so it seems that things are stable. I'll be 78 next month and consider myself lucky that I'm able to keep active with my husband, children and grandchildren so that's all I can ask for. I went through a couple of really rough years after I was diagnosed with afib in 2017 but things are better for me now and I just don't worry about it. At my recent checkup with my cardiologist, he told me that my prognosis is excellent so that's all I needed to hear. As to your question about whether the body gets used to it and you just don't notice it, I can only speak to my experience in that maybe it's not as noticeable because I'm not constantly flipping back and forth between afib and NSR - who knows? Wishing you the best!
Thank you for replying so soon,sounds like you are doing great, I’m happy for you,I’m 76 with Paroxysmal Afib for 4yrs, new tablet seems to be helping atm. Cardiologist told me it gets worse with age but some people don’t know they have it.Reading your post has made me feel better .. perhaps permanent Afib might be something to look forward to 😀. Thanks again enjoy your time with the grandkids.
Hi, I started on 0.125 digoxin about 18 months ago. Since I've been on it , no more episodes of afib but I do have one weird side effect. I take it with breakfast, then in the late afternoon I begin hearing this annoying music which lasts until bedtime. Auditory hallucinations of music that isn't really there. I didn't connect it with digoxin until I picked up a refill and read about this side effect in the accompanying literature.
That's very interesting. I take the same dose of digoxin as you do. My instructions say not to take it within 2 hours of eating fiber foods. Since I usually have oatmeal and fruit for breakfast and some fruit with my lunch, I have to time my digoxin dose between these 2 meals. I wonder if you are eating fiber with breakfast and if that might be contributing to the strange side effect? Just a thought.
Not taking fiber with breakfast but I do have prunes and coffee on arising. I'm awaiting a reply from my cardiologist on this.
Thank you Goldenre.
A bit of classical music wouldn’t be bad, or a bit of soul music 😀. Mind you it might conflict with other things. I very often have some sort of ear worm, so I might be susceptible….
It was the only drug that helped get my fast rate down to one I could cope with back in 2019 when I had not atrial fibrillation at the time, but atrial flutter - a closely related condition. It was recommended by a kind person on this forum. I had no side effects from it at all, only good effects.
Steve
Thank you, Steve.
Digoxin has a "bad name" much like another drug called amiodarone, but that seems to have arisen from past times when higher doses were used and much less monitoring was done. Digoxin is now given in very low doses and you will (should...) be asked to report back if you feel any kind of "toxicity".
I suspect it will do for you what it did for me, and that was a lot of good. Mind you, the ablation was better still and allowed me to stop all drugs; until a bad attack of AF came my way (not AFl which the ablation was for), and that meant anticoagulants for life. Sadly, the AF has become much more frequent, with half of last night taken up with it.
I do hope you get one well with the digoxin. I suspect you will.
Steve
I take Digoxin more than 10 years, feels OK, also I take Diltiazem 120 mg, it gives my face a reddish hew, but when I start Magnesium Glycinate most part of red spots became pale.
first of all it doesn’t matter who else it works for. It’s going to be how it affects you because as you see on here quite often we are all different.
that being said yes, I was put on it to try to hold me over until my pacemaker was placed. It worked fast and it worked wonderful. The only problem was by the second week it had stopped working. That was not the fault of the med. I was about to get a pacemaker. It was just a last stitch effort to try to make me a little more comfortable until the following week.
I had no ill effects from it, but it doesn’t do any good to compare yourself with any of us. I don’t know how many changes you may have had already I have had several including amounts of the med. Sometimes you get blessed and it works, and you may be able to stay on it for a while. I am doing that with Metropolol. I know I always spell it wrong lol anyway. Normally it’s great when it isn’t. It’s usually because of something else.
no when it comes to you can do is try it. I know when it comes to within a few I know if something is going to work.
best of luck maybe it will be the magic potion
Dear Dawn,
Thank you for replying to me. It’s quite humbling to know that people are so kind when they have had such problems. I am only at what must be an initial stage of atrial fibrillation as my highest average bpm has been 125. I’m glad you got your pacemaker and hope that it has made your life much better.
I don’t think it’s the beginning of this journey. I think we are just that different. Unless you can see inside you can’t see what’s going on. It is. honestly, I don’t feel there’s a reason to know everything that people seem to concentrate on at times. I see everyone talking about the different types of a fib. My never really discussed what it was a fib is a fib, even if get it once a year. very well have had it a long time before I had my episode where I blacked out and I probably wrote it off for 1 million other reasons such as just running around too much. I was pretty healthy swimming for hours every day because I loved it and I would walk to the closest pool to my. Wow did I sleep at night. honestly, every day was like a new one with a fib. At first I didn’t pay that much attention. I didn’t really know what I was dealing with. They were very fast about finding out with though because it was much worse than I thought. I was lucky that the meds he first put on, seemed to really help in the beginning. One I am still on without issue over four years later I can’t even tell you exactly when this started things start to blend because you’re busy dealing with the whole issue. Because of my tachycardia being constant that was another issue and it stayed up near 200 following the third ablation. I am still on without issue over four years I can’t even tell you exactly when things start to blend because you’re busy dealing with the whole issue. Because of my tachycardia being that was another issue and it stayed up near 200 following the third ablation. Until then I want you to know I thought I was doing pretty good. I didn’t concentrate on what kind of palpitations, etc. I felt them when I felt them, but for the most part tried to ignore them. My PE at the time was a sweetheart. He would get me right in, but as you are probably learning on hair, there’s not much you can do. When it gets worse it may be another ablation now they have more options even a few years later, but there’s still no cure.
I don’t think any of us are worse than anyone else or better. Each of us has our own form of a fib. Sometimes I think many people just focus too much. It really did not affect me all that much until I could no longer walk as I said, all of the really bad stuff followed the third ablation by a horrible doctor. I really helpless and did not know what to do because I never had a fib. I should have pushed myself to get to another doctor ASAP. One problem is that where I live is somewhat rural even though I have a close by the hospital is an hour away and all the big hospitals are a couple of hours away. Lucky for me. I ended up with a PE at the about an hour from here and also on the staff at my local hospital. The new one I will be going to is probably an hour and a half away in a different direction, but it is mini center of hospitals, some of the best hospitals in the country and the world. people come here from and if you saw the walls of the gigantic waiting room, you would the names of every major sports venue, etc. who are them in that hospital. When it comes to I am blessed to have the best of the best for doctors now and I had them at the very beginning in Florida.
we all need to help each other even though it’s all different just the I’m telling you I understand as I said there’s a giant learning curve. There’s a lot of information that is so wrong out there and don’t tell you at first really scare you until you get the right answer. Doctors can be like a fib. There are many different versions of them so don’t settle for just one answer if you didn’t like it.
when it comes to a fib, we are always at the beginning there is nothing black-and-white about it. Take care of yourself pay attention, but don’t drive yourself. Crazy question if you have questions and if you really don’t like things, find yourself a new doctor they are not perfect.
Thank you for your advice, Dawn, sounds as if you have had a rough time. I’m glad you have access to good treatment now.
I took diltiazem and digoxin at the same time with no side effects. Well except for the fact that both drugs still could not stop my AF episodes, so I had an ablation and that took care of the AF. I don't take anything for my heart now.
Thank you Madscientist.
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