Flecainide and high heart rate

[Sanpet]

I have been 'controlling' Afib episodes with PIP 2 x 100mg Flecainide for about a year, but the frequency of the episodes was increasimg so I tried taking regular Flecainide this week (100mg twice daily), as suggested by my cardiologist. What a disaster! I felt awful and my heart rate increased to 130 plus constantly plus odd arrhythmias creeping in.I realise now that this is what has been happening on the days of taking the PIP, i.e. the Flecainide quickly corrected the rythym, but heart rate remained high for 8-12 hours, then settled to 60 ish.

So, it seems I don’t get on with Flecainide.

Is this quite common? Have others found this? Are there alternative rythym drugs which can be used?

Considering an ablation, but terrified - that's another story and question!

Any help will bemuch appreciated.

[jeanjeannie50]

Yes, it can happen with Flecainide, it can cause abnormal beats (some quite serious) as well as cure others. The last time I saw my Cardiologist and he looked at my ECG, he said you need to come off of the Flecainide because it could be that causing your problems. I've felt so much more alive since stopping. I'd been taking it for many years.

I've had three ablations, but am still in constant low rate AF 60-90bpm, they are not always the miracle cure that we hope for. My third one helped a lot. Yes, some people are certainly better right after having one, but others aren't.

The mini maze is an AF medical procedure a few people (on the Atrial Fibrillation forum) have had and they're singing it's praises. This is where a mini maze specialist goes in through the side of the chest to stop the rogue pulses on the outside of the heart.

There's a cardiologist who has a private clinic in London who has cured one member. Another and her mother who live in the US had theirs done in Houston and another person who lives in Greece travelled to Japan.

If I had any more procedures for my AF it would be with a mini maze.

Here's the link to the AF forum which is also on Health unlocked

healthunlocked.com/afassoci...

Jean

[Sanpet in reply to jeanjeannie50]

(I thought i was posting on the AF forum, I didn't realise there was a difference!)

Thank you for your swift response Jean. I have seen your many contributions to the forum over the years which are appreciated.

It does seem odd that what seems to be the drug of choice for many cardiologists for rhythm control can, in some cases, cause the problem that it is supposed to help with!

Are you aware of any alternatives that I can research on the forum please ahead of me speaking to my cardiologist?

I will also discuss the mini-maze with him. (I am with Professor O'Neill in London).

Peter

[jeanjeannie50 in reply to Sanpet]

I think your EP would be able to advise you better than me, but I've heard quite a few good reports on Diltiazem lately. As with all medicines it's difficult to know what suits anyone else. A friend thinks that Digoxin is amazing, but when I took it, it made me feel as though I was going mad, also felt in a daze. Never again!

Amiodarone is a pill I would never recommend, as it damaged my thyroid and I'll now have to take drugs for life to rectify that, but others swear by it! Do your best not to take that unless it's pre ablation. Mind you that's when I took it, plus a few months after an ablation and it still did damage.

I just take the beta blocker Bisoprolol now and it appears to be ok.

Jean