Intolerance to meds

[FJOHNONE]

Anyone have an intolerance to heart medications? Flecainide (50mg) and Cartia. (120mg)  Did you upgrade to an ablation, pill-in-the-pocket alternative? Or do you suffer daily with symptoms because the "meds keep you in sinus rhythm?"  
For 25 months I have had daily symptoms (extreme fatigue, nausea, sleepiness) which match the side effects of Flecainide and Cartia. My cardiologist believes that the symptoms are OK in that they keep me from getting out of sinus rhythm which I only had one time. I am 67 years old.
How do I find out if I have symptoms or side effects? I want to increase the quality of my day and not have the shadow of arrhythmia hanging over my head, unless I have to.

[banglamom]

OK!  I don't think I would just PUT UP with hallucinations.  I have my limits.  By the way, we didn't just start and end with the medicines.  I have had 3 ablations.  I have a bunch of meds ready in the (as needed) "pill in the pocket" back up.  My main back up is that I got a pacemaker out of the deal too.  Good luck to all.  Finding the balance is what shapes day to day life now.

[grendslori]

I was put on different forms of Digoxin and Inderal and had vomiting and hallucinated. That wasn't fun!

[banglamom]

I'm just afraid if I insist on feeling good, I might be living shorter yet.  I think I may well have to make some sacrifices to get through this.  I know from the occasional day of running away figuratively that if I DON'T take the medicine, the rhythms are very unforgiving.  Likewise, it seems, many of the meds are unforgiving as well.  Life now is trying to find a balance between the two as best I can.

[sick and tired 47]

Hi! I have to add my comment.
I have SVT, have tried many heart meds ( including flecainide).  I was exhausted, very low  BP, with calcium channel blockers, flecainide had low headache constantly but my PCP thought it was inappropriate med for my condition. I then try toperal XL... horrible nausea, headaches, depression. I am now on Atenolol... have fatigue but otherwise okay.
Moral of the story... there are SO many drugs out there if it would me I would try others.. and if dr said no... find  new dr . Life is to short to feel bad...
Good luck and god bless.

[FJOHNONE]

Thank you very much. Tell my more about your "symptoms" which sound like my "side effects."  I see my cardiologist every six months, get a EKG which shows that I am in sinus rhythm and that is the end of the story. Everyone tells me I should be grateful that meds can keep me in sinus rhythm. No one asks me about side effects and the price I pay for being in sinus rhythm. Maybe everyone is right.

[banglamom]

I take flecainide (100mg twice daily), cartia (240mg daily), coreg (6.25 twice daily), and lisinopril.  I really struggle with side effects too, but I stay on them essentially because they keep me in a rate controlled sinus rhythm.  I guess there is no shame in that.  I'm doing what it seems I have to to make my heart last longer.  I hope others answer to this post and we can see some input.  Every now and then I think I just can't do it anymore, but I really don't want to just have my rhythms WILD all the time and go to the md every now and then and find out how much worse it has gotten.  My kids are young and I want to be responsible enough to stay well as I can for them.  Sometimes I feel like I am robbing them because of what I can't do, but at least I am still here.  Let me know how you fare.