Is Propraponol the same as Rhythmol?

[DeltaDawn23]

I am thinking of asking my EP doctor about going on a low dose of Rhythmol -- has anyone had problems with this med?  It seems to me when it was suggested years ago, the warning scared me out of trying it:  "Do not take unless you have a life threatening condition because it could cause fatal rhythms."  The EP doc just handed it to me like it was candy and said to give it a try.  The new EP I went to (the one I'm still with) said he was not a fan of the medication, and left me on beta blockers.  However, when I was last hospitalized they gave me 300 mg. of Rhythmol and it didn't hurt me.  This time, after tests showed I had no blockages, they gave me 600 mg. which is all they can give in a 24 hr. period.  I felt pretty good on it, but it didn't convert my Afib.  Maybe I should rethink it for a regular med for Afib?  Any thoughts?  My EP doc also mentioned Norpace as an antiarrythmic with few side effects as a possibility for me in the future.  Someone asked me about Adenosine.  Anyone had any experience with any of these meds?

[DeltaDawn23]

Thanks for the input.

At this point, I'd settle for months or years of some peace.  My doctor has been reluctant to put me on an anti-arrythmic drug because of side effects.  He said if I had to go on one, he had Norpace in mind for me, he said it has fewer side effects.  Nobody's mentioned Multaq.  I did have 300 mg. of Rhythmol in the hospital last episode and 600 this time to see if it would stop my Afib, but it didn't work either time.  I felt pretty good on it tho, and it got my hr down.  Considering it had been in the 130' s and 140's for 3 days, anything that got it down would have felt good.  Maybe I could take a reduced dose to help with side effects?  I do that with the Atenolol.  I take it in 1/4's throughout the day.  If I took a whole pill, my bp would drop like a stone.

[LindaTX]

I have taken Phythmol for yrs and all I can say Is I didn't have to start it in a hospital and it is in the same class as Flecainide but i really don't think it is as strong a drug.  It helped me stay out of arrhythmia but like all the rest, it eventually becomes pro-arrhythmic and will actually bring on episodes....it may be months...it may be years...but it will happen.  I have taken flecainide a lot, did have to initiate that in the hospital, and a cardiologist recently told me if I had any kind of heart issues that were structural in nature, i could not take it and any Dr. who whould prescribe it could lose their license.  It's a pretty powerful drug and I guess pretty dangerous, but sometimes there are just no better alternatives. Has anyone suggested Multaq to you?  I know some people have had good luck with it.

[Jerry_NJ]

My EP had me on a heart monitor at home when I started taking Rythmol.  I think I had specific rules to follow for any event.  For one thing I needed to contact the monitor service by dial-up data set if the wireless didn't work, was out of range.  I had no side-effects or problems.  I can also say it didn't convert me to NSR and following an Electrocardioversion the Rythmol kept me in NSR for only about 1 week.

[Elli126]

I took rythmol for more than 16 years, not in a hospital setting. Never had one side effect and it kept my rythym ( other than a few minor blips ) regular for the entire time...then my gp took me off it, said it was a dangerous drug and my arrythmia came back full force and added the fun of PSVT. Now I'm on prop and it helps somewhat. I can not selfconvert when in PSVT so I've had about half a dozen Adenosine pushes with no real side effects but I don't like the treatments ( I usually end up getting a dose of ativan while in the ER ( once my pressure comes back up )...still saving up for a visit to the EP and hoping for a better solution.

[dmacd74]

I took this drug for years with no side effects.  I was hospitalized for 3 days during the initial administration, which any doctor worth their weight would do.  Also, I would not take it without a full, thorough, and complete cardiac work up.  I took it after 1 full year of bigeminy pvcs.  I guess I could have had an ablation at the time, but it was 1999 and things weren't as advanced as they are now.  Anyways, I loved being on rhythmol, but my EP went to Canada and I was assigned to a new EP.  He bothered me constantly about getting off of it and said an ablation was safer.  He said he would never let a family member of his take it for any reason.  So I got off of it and went to Verapamil, which never worked well, and now I take Metropropol.  I have more pvcs than I've had since 1999, and am considering ablation.

[twinbee]

If your doctor agrees to put you on Rhythmol, please make sure it is in a hospital setting. In 2006 I was put on Rhythmol for my a-fib. Unfortunetly, I was one of the rare cases who did have a reaction to it, and went into V-Tach. I spent the next couple of days in ICU. Thankfully, my EP is the type of doctor who whenever they changed my heart meds, I was put into the hospital for monitoring. What happened to me is very, very rare. I know of alot of people who have taken this drug and have had no problems with it. Good Luck. Wishing you well, and wishing you enough....

[Jerry_NJ]

From memory, which in my case isn't real good, Rhyhmol is an anti arrhythmic drug, and while it has some beta blocker affects, it is more "powerful" than say Toprol (propanalol?).

I have taken both, was on Propafenone for years when it was keeping me in NSR following electrocardioversions.  None of that now works for my AFib, which I live with using rate control and anticoagulant medications.

My doctors do not think an Ablation would work for me.

[ireneo]

If you google the medication, Rhythmol is propafenone, not the same as propanalol. I haven't read the PDR on it but perhaps they're related just as amoxicillin and clavamox are similar.