AF and Flecainide and "Proximate Cause"

[Smitty150]

I've been having paroxsysmal episodes for about 18 years.

They ran about 3-5 per year until 2005 and now I am getting an episode about every two weeks.

My electrophysiologist said that, when they get down to once a week, it was time to try "suppression" with daily drugs (I had been doing PIP with episodes running 4 hours flat).

I started on Flecainide and Digoxin two weeks ago and went in to AF 3 hours later. Since then I have had 4 more episodes. These episodes are long (24 hours +) but not violent--yet I don't like that queasy feeling you get when you KNOW the machinery is out of whack.

Did anyone experience multiple episodes with a new course of Flecainide or Digoin?

[Smitty150]

Thanks for your Post!

Today after church I had 12 or so episodes of "brain shutdown" lightheadedness.

When I got the doc who was on call, he advised me my heart was trying to convert out of AF and, very time it did, it STOPPED PUMPING!!?? What the heck?

Two weeks ago my primary EP had put me on the Flecainide (from 100 to 150mg two days ago) and Digoxin and Atenolol. From the very day he put me on these drugs I have had 3 AF episodes a week and these have lasted 24+ hours each. Prior to this new drug regimen, my longest episode was 4 hours and my frequency was one every two weeks.

What bugs me is that this EP gave me absolutely no preparation for pro-arrhythmia. Of course I am on coumadin, but jeez!

[mariop]

Amiodarone is the first medicine of choice because it is the most effective.  However over 50% of patients have to get off of it due to side effects.  I was on it for two months and I just could not tolerate it: it totally kills your sex drive if there's any left; it produced terrible shakes and tremors in my arms; it produced immense dizziness where my head felt like it was falling off one of those cliffs in the Grand Canyon.  It is highly toxic too.

However the effects are reversable when you stop taking it.  But it stays in your system for like 6 months.

I tried Flecainide (two pills) and had to stop it because it is pro-arrhythmia and it was causing my arrhytmia to get worse.  Within 30 minutes I could feel my heart jumping all over the place.

I tried rythmol and it worked for about 3 months then it too made my arrhythmia worse.  Only verapamil proved to be very safe but it wasn't effective.

Moral of the story:  There's no good drugs in this business.

[Carrie Bell]

Has anyone taken Amiodarone as  a first choice medicine for Atrial Flutter.  Sounds very dangerous to read and says 80% suffer from sudden death.  Have pulse 146 for about 6 hours twice a month now.  Doctor just prescribed this and I am looking for alternatives that are less toxic

[Smitty150]

My heart is a mystery. Moreover, when I try to

tell my doc about "coincident" items in and around

onset of AF, I get the feeling he is try to not

guffaw and roll on the floor.

[PikaPika88]

I was on that before.  If it didn't work, next the cardio will probably change to Flecainide and verapamil.  That was me....  I took it all off by myself!  Of course, will listen and get some discipline right infront of the Dr.  After few months, he told me I didn't have anymore tachy or fib.  Now is more than a year without tachy or fib and also without med.  Good luck and take care.  

P/s. I have pacemaker.