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Avatar universal

lone atrial flutter and flecainide

I am a 45 y.o. male.  Fit, lifelong exerciser, 5
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448072 tn?1207511726
A related discussion, PVC's was started.
Helpful - 1
Avatar universal
I'm 59 with a strong, healthy heart and no other risk factors for stroke or heart disease. I discovered that I have lone afib about 4 months ago.  My atrial flutter is mild; other than an occasional somewhat stronger episode, the afib doesn't really bother me and the eposodes last only a few minutes.   My caridologist has prescribed a series of beta blockers and antiarrythmic drugs, none of which have prevented the fibrillations from "breaking through".  Now he's prescribed flecainide morning and night combined with with toprol (which I've been taking for a month) at night.  I'm concerned about taking flecainide after reading about its dangers, and in general I don't like the idea of taking all these heavy duty drugs for the rest of my life. Here's my question:  What would happen to my risk of stroke if I stopped taking the drugs and just lived with the occasional fibrillation? Would my risk of stroke go up more than the normal amount that happens with age?
Helpful - 1
Avatar universal
Flecainide was the best tolerated drug for me, in my quest of finding an anti-arrhythmic that would solve my problem of exercise intolerance. I believe the standard dosage based on retention is twice a day. However, like the other drugs, it didn't help whatever arrhy. I suffer from, the first time I exercised after taking Flec. for a week, my heart rate went down after exercise (as it always does). (I sometimes enter this phase after exercise where bpm goes to 40 and below with symptoms. It usually clears after 30-45 mts). With Flec. it lasted 23 hours. I think it was the Flec. bec. my symptoms cleared up about the time one would expect the drug had been flushed out of my system.
Helpful - 1
Avatar universal
I have PVCs very bad at times and I have had all the tests and all is normal.  My doctor put me on 150mg of flecinide and 50mg of toporol xl and this mix works some of the side effects are bother some tho but it works.  I almost over dosed on the flecinide tho but that was my own fault I am suppose to take it every 12 hours and I got to the point that I was taking it every 8 hours and the side effects got really bad the doc said I could have killed my self.  scared the **** out of me lol.  what is an Albation I have herd alot about it but I dont really know what it is??  Please E-Mail me at ***@**** It would be great to find out what this is thanks to all and God bless.  P.S. This forum is the best medicine that I have had yet!!!!!  No Joke
Helpful - 1
Avatar universal
Iwas told that flecinide only is suppose to last up to 12 hours.  And it should pretty much be gone thats why they told me to only take it every 12 hours.  I noticed that I have different kinds of PVCs some of them are very strong and make me really dizzy and want to puke and some of them dont really bother me they are easy to put up with.  They are all so different in so many ways they are very hard to figure out.  Like I said I have having these for 7 years and I have clue about them. They just all of a sudden started one day and they have not completely gone away yet I have good and bad times just like everyone else, but the new meds are awesome.
Helpful - 1
Avatar universal
I keep trying to post but never can get one on. I went to the cardio with pvcs and pacs and wore an event monitor, had an echo last year, every thing ok, i had alot of pvcs and pacs and he recommended toporol...
but the last week i have been getting a piercing chest pain that last for seconds at a time in my left center chest and is sometimes so severe it makes my lower lip involuntarily tremble. I called the cardio and he asked me the symptoms and said just take the toporol!??
Im really scared...should i go tto the ER? Im 34 male otherwise healthy. What the heck is this???? i can feel it hurt in the beat itself....its really upsetting me :(
Helpful - 1
Avatar universal
I would get that checked out just for peace of mind for yourself.
Good luck to you.
Helpful - 1
239757 tn?1213809582
MEDICAL PROFESSIONAL
david,

Thanks for the post.

1. What is the consensus of the medical community in light of the CAST study regarding whether flecainide increases my risk of sudden cardiac death? My cardiologist says the flecainide is safe for me, but is that because, say, doubling a small risk is still small, or because the flecainide doesn't change my risk?

The general consensus is that in patients without significant coronary disease, flecanide is an acceptible medication for atrial arrythmias.

2. I am not on blood thinners
Helpful - 1
Avatar universal
Thanks for your answers.  You wrote,

> The general consensus is that in patients without significant coronary disease, flecanide is an acceptible medication for atrial arrythmias.

Of course, but WHY? The CAST study showed that patients
post MI put on flecainide or other Type Ic antiarrhytmics suffered
significantly higher mortality than the control group. Yet it
is considered safe for folks like me. Is that because my risk
with a normal heart is so low that it doesn't matter if it is increased, that there is not an increase in mortality risk for patients with structurally normal hearts, or that the reduction
in risk of stroke I get by controlling the flutter outweighs
the increased risk I assume by taking the medication? I was hoping
that some research done since the CAST study might have clarified
the issue a bit.

Whatever, the flecainide makes me feel much better today, anyway!
Helpful - 1
Avatar universal
A related discussion, Risks was started.
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