skips

for barbara (Dec 2008) I had 20,000 skips during a 24-hour Holter. The cardio was not impressed by this but found something serious and put me into hospital to give me a heavy 1600mg dose of amiodarone. The skips continued for six months and then stopped exactly on Dec 10, 2008. They have never recurred. However..,after 14 months of amio a blood trest showed TSH (thyroid) of 38. I was put on levo and still take it at 112mg/day. The cardio changed the amio to propafenone. With a view to my age, 80,  he started on a very low dose 150mg/day. There were then one or two skips. He upped to dose to 150 twice a day six months ago and there has not been amother skip. Conclusion. These medications are strong and you must be careful but they most surely stop your skips. Bless


This discussion is related to how to live with heart skips.

[Jerry_NJ]

I'm not surprised you had skips on Propafenone once a day.  This medication is not available in slow release form (at least not in the USA).  I think most of the active medication is metabolized (or otherwise used up) in about 8 hours.   I used to take 220 mg three times a day (every 8 hours) when it was used as a follow up medication to an electrocardioversion for my AFib.  Well twice a day makes that (approximately) every 12 hours, should work almost as well as three a day.  

For me, electrocardioversions and Propafenone no longer work... and I've not agreed to go to something stronger such as amiodarone.