DRONEDARONE

[LaceyLady]

Does anyone take this medication? I am supposed to be changing to this from flecainide and Bisoprolol and hating the side effect list already, especially the digestive issues as I’m almost certain to affect me 😤

[56dick19]

hi Iv been on it about 7 years the side effect I get is tiredness I’m now on 10mg per day I was taking 12.5 but it wasn’t keeping my heart under control so I had to go on amiodarone which is far worse it has made my skin sensitive to the sun and effected my eyes. Hope you get on with it ok can but try x

[Blange]

you sound just like me girl.I always look at side affects first.I’ve been on Bisopralol for 2 years.I’ll be honest when I first started I did get a bit dizzy.but it only lasted a couple of days and stopped.I’ve had no digestive issues.I take it now in morning and don’t even know I am.I do get bradycardia now and then but it’s above the worrying number.I’ve got paroxysmal tachycardia and it’s helped me a lot.my life was terrible and scary but this medication has helped so much.hope this helps girly .good luck 👍👍

[LaceyLady]

Spoken to my GP, for once was listening 🙄 He said its a balancing act. I’m concerned also that Apixaban is mentioned as the new drug can make that increase 😳 So, GP suggested halving the Apixaban. Been in bradycardia most of the day through the Bisoprolol 😳

[LaceyLady]

I’ve been prescribed 400mg x 2 per day

[Haggishead]

400 mgs sounds an awful lot to me!im on Bisoporil 5mgs twice daily, same for Apixaban !

[LaceyLady in reply to Haggishead]

Consultant replacing 100mg x2 flecainide and 1.25mg of Bisoprolol. Hubs looked on net and apparently that seems the usual dose 🤷🏼‍♀️

[Doonedog]

Hi I have been on Bisoprolol for 4 years with no side effects now At the beginning, as I had AF, which did make me tired but not now! I know my body just got used to it. I still play tennis (doubles) and thought I was working against this tablet but my GP assured me it doesn't work like that!I take it every morning without fail. I'm sure the benefits well out weigh the side effects to your benefit. I'm 77 yrs wish you well

[LaceyLady]

I’ve had PAF for 4 years. The hospital put me on too high a dose, 7.5 and it caused my Bp to go far far too low. A lady dr at hospital went 😤 and lowered it drastically, but eventually even 2.5 was too high, so was lowered to 1.25 and now that causes Bradycardia 🙄

[Gumbie_Cat]

400mg twice a day is the normal dose for Dronedarone - it doesn’t seem to be one that they vary much. I was on it for a few months last year when first diagnosed. I had breakthroughs of AF lasting for days, once each month, Then again after my ablation in December, though sadly it didn’t keep me in rhythm, and I have now been moved to rate control only. (Have been in A Fib since October, had been using a Flecainide PIP but it only worked one time for me. I still wonder if the bout of Covid just before the never-ending episode caused the rapid change. I have too much fibrosis for them to consider more ablations. I was advised that a cardioversion would entail years on Amiodarone and it wasn’t advised.)

Dronedarone did lower my heart rate though, and calmed it to a certain extent. My GGT liver enzymes went up, not dangerously. It did make things a bit loose (though now, with Bisoprolol I am needing to use Fybogel once a day to keep things ok.) So, I wouldn’t want to be on it for years and years really, but the effects weren’t too bad short term.

I used to call it ‘the drone’, as it stopped my heart rate going up when I needed it to on hills etc. Though I think that Bisoprolol is doing the same - maybe all the drugs do this.

ETA - I used to get bradycardia when I was in sinus rhythm, but since being persistent and having the ablation I am tolerating 5mg a day of Bisoprolol. My watch sometimes gives low readings, but Holter monitor showed a minimum in 60s now.