Anyone here had positive results with Propafenone to curn a racing heart?
Propafenone: Anyone here had positive results... - CLL Support
Propafenone
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unairdefamille
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Propafenone is an antiarrythmic drug used for certain cardiac rhythm abnormalities. Since you have had BTK induced A fib, there is no structural defect in your heart, it's medication that is causing the arrythmias. A number of heart meds "more commonly" used are known to affect the pg-p in our stomach lining, which is not good or even contraindicated, when one is also taking venetoclax. Depending on a drug, pg-p can either cause absorbing more or less of the drug than usual, when it is stimulated or inhibited. Some of the more common cardiac meds are to be used very cautiously if at all while taking venetoclax. Propafenone is also rather short acting, and I hope you are being started on the "regular" med one takes several times a day, instead of the sustained release.
One reason propafenone isn't a first line cardiac agent, is that it can take a bit a time to adjust the dose, so there may be a period of dose adjustment, on top of having to take it 2-3 times a day. But with known severe interactions between venetoclax and a number of other cardiac meds, this seems like a good choice, since it clears your system more rapidly than others. Once a somewhat stable dose is ascertained while taking venetoclax, one can then be put on a sustained relase of the drug if you prefer.
It may be a hassle to take a pill several times a day, but the upside is that *if* there is an interaction with venetoclax, or other drug side effects, they clear up pretty quickly. I'll mention when I started taking a statin after being stabilized on venetoclax, I had a drug interaction. But instead of the expected increase in venetoclax effect, I had an increase in statin effect, and the statin dose was adjusted down. So you may have to be more aware of symptoms, and report these to your doc, as you start this new med. Your doc may monitor you more closely at first to make sure the venetoclax effects of decreased neutrophils, platelets, or RBC's isn't occuring after starting the propafenone.
Do you have a portable EKG device at home? It's one way to reassure yourself your heartbeat is normal, it's frightening to actually feel cardiac rhythm changes. Some of the more expensive models can upload to a cloud server, so you have a record of changes over time. Google "smartphone ECG machines" to see a number of options.
