Flecanide

[caz62]

Has anyone heard of taking Flecainde for atrial fibrillation. If you had AF would Flecanide not make it worse - I thought this caused arrythmias??

Any information is appreciated thanks

[banglamom]

There are a lot of people with chronic atrial fibrillation.  Many others that go in and out day in and day out.  It is a condition that people can live with.  Some people don't even notice.

[acjviolin]

Jerry- How in this world do you deal with being in AFib all of the time?  Are you very aware of the irregular rhythm?  Is it rapid?  
Amy

[Tjoyce]

My husband was given a prescription for Flecainide last summer without any warning from his cardiologist, neither admission to the hospital nor wearing a monitor, just here, take this drug for your irregular heart beat.  Shortly after starting he started getting symptoms of shortness of breadth, fatigue and weakness.  He went along with these symptoms for a few weeks until they became so bad that we rushed to the ER where he was admitted in congestive heart failure.  I've asked his doctor if Flecainide cause this but his doctor has said NO, couldn't be from that and has called this an episode of unknown origin.  Sounds fishy to me and my husband and I suspect that the doctor is just protecting his you know what!  So, that was our experience.  I would love to learn of any others who might have had the same or similar experience from Flecainide.  Tjoyce

[Wisconsin2007]

Both of my parents have afib (which means I'll probably have it someday, too), both are on Flecainide.  Both don't seem to do anything differently - my father continues to guzzle diet coke and coffee, and just backs off for a day or three when afib takes over because of the caffeine overdose.  Both have the same level of activity they had before they started on that med.

They both have their afib under control with it.  But unlike Jerry, neither was in continuous afib.  

[banglamom]

Along with the flecainide, I do have to take beta-blockers and Calcium channel blockers to slow down the rate.  That is why there is such a bp problem, but it still beats being completely out of control in both rhythms and rate.  I often feel SO slowed down, I can hardly move.  Doesn't end up taking my breath away like having no real pattern to cardiac rhythms.  I had 3 ablations and they can't always fix it... so thankfully there are these big gun meds.

[drdan503]

flecanide or tambocor can be very helpful at keeping you in nsr, i took it for 7 years without a problem. afib does get somewhat worse for some people over time so dose may need to get adjusted or combined with a rate reducer like toprol.  being out of nsr is very discomforting to me- im glad i had an ablation. drdan

[PikaPika88]

Yes, Dr came face to face and asked me at the hospital bed.  "When the Flecainide starts not working?"  It not even working, it generated the risky rhythms for me.  

[caz62]

Thanks everyone I've a flecainide test coming up and was curious how this works thanks again Caz

[banglamom]

I haven't had probs with a-fib and a-flutter since I started taking flecainide last year.  Initially, it was a horrid experience- even involved a "code".  Now, it does a great job of helping (along with other meds) to suppress rhythms and my pacemaker runs the show.  It gives me lots of nausea, sometimes my mouth and hands are numb, and really struggle with hypotension.... but in general life is MUCH better than before it.  I'm with caz62... now I'm pretty much afraid to miss a dose.  It's abig gun, but if you have to use it, it's pretty dang good.

( obviously just a personal note... not terribly medical sounding this time)

[Brooke_38]

Hello...

This drug is a widely used antiarrhythmic to help maintain NSR and is aslo used to chemically convert people, who are in active afib, to NSR.

[Jerry_NJ]

Yes, the arrhythmia drugs do carry warnings about it causing arrhythmia.  I think it is a strategy of "fighting fire with fire".  Flecainide is a medication for the treatment of AFib.  It is up the power scale about Propafenone and Ryntmol which also carry similar warnings.

Did you doctor start Flecainde in the hospital?  My EP adviser to my Cardiologist suggested I try Flecainde for treating my AFib.  I declined, but it seems to see a lot of use and with some success.  I'm interested in how well it work for you and how "bad" you AFib is/was.  Mine AFib is full-time.  24/7.

[wiloubaby]

hey there
i have afib and i have taken flecainide since october......has been a TREMENDOUS help with the afib.......only 3 short events of afib since october compared to daily or every other day. would recomend flec to anyone. i was scared to death to start it and now i'm scared to death to miss adose.
louise