atrial fibrillation

[7754]

I'm in good condition and apparently developed A.F. last winter.  I'm on warfarin 5mg daily and now 100 mg of flecainide 2x perday.  It's under control at least from my pulse which I check daily and based on how I feel.  Last night after eating Chinese and earlier in the day drinking a diet pepsi,  I went to bed.  I woke up after falling asleep for 30 minutes and was dreaming I could not get a pillow off my chest no matter how I tried.  The next thing I knew I was shaking like I had tremors.  After 5 seconds or so it stopped.  I went back to sleep and had no further problems except I usually wake up every few hours.  I've been so tired since on these meds. I often nap after I eat whether I want to or not.  Before getting on these meds I was running 5 to 6 miles 2x per week and swimming as well.  I still exercise the same amount.  Did I have a heart attack?  Should I cut down on the dosage if this med. shocked me or is that what it's suspose to do?

[va_tony]

Flecainide is a sodium channel blocker.  I take another sodium blocker, rythmol, for my afib.  I've never had the chest symptom you mentioned.  However, if you log on the askapatient website and type in flecainide, the first poster there does complain about "Rarely I feel an intense muscular pain in my chest. Very intense but short lived." So maybe there is something there to discuss with your cardiologist the next time you talk with him.

I'm afraid a side-effect of all the antiarrhtymic meds is becoming easily tired, especially after heavy exercise or eating. I felt that at first and then after a few months it got somewhat better.  It still affects the maximum heartrate I can achieve in exercise and I can't do as much as I used to.

We all have different triggers for afib.  You should start a diary and note what activities and foods seem to set off your side effects.  Apparently caffeine and monosodium glutinate are possibilities in your case.

[Sweetwaterguy]

When I was dealing with a fib I was put on a beta blocker (sotolol).  Even though it helped my heart stay in rhythm, it did make me tired and was often sleepy.  I don't know if your medication is a beta blocker, and if so, these medications are supposed to slow your heart rate. Feeling tired is a common side effect.  Because the meds controlled my symptoms, I was never on a blood thinner other than a daily aspirin.  
Seven months ago I had an ablation and I am no longer on any rhythm medication--only the aspirin and lipitor for cholesterol.  My energy is back to normal.
Advice?  Diet Pepsi and many other soft drinks contain caffeine--a known trigger for a fib.  You may want to eliminate caffeine from your diet.  
Most certainly, do not adjust your medication without consultation and approval from your doctor.  

[lanakaye]

I know that warfarin is a blood thinner.  Is flecainide for rhytym control?  Chinese food does not work for me anymore at night unless I am very careful of the amount and the salt.  It usually contains monosodium glutamate which can cause a host of problems like a very big rise in blood pressure , etc.  The large amount of salt and or this chemical additive could have been your problem that night and had to wear off.  Also it can be a side effect of the meds, anxiety.  Just have to see if it continues and mention this definitely to your Dr.  

My heart rate can wake me up and the active dreams that I have.  I have also awakened shaking like I have been out in the snow with my teeth chattering, but this has not happened in a long time.  Now it is just the fast heart rate and the anxiety that goes with it.  Chinese food helped to give me an extremly elevated blood pressure on a couple of occasions.  Just thought I would mention that.


lanakaye