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Flecanide for Atrial Fibrillation

Posted , 8 users are following.

GotAbitBetter
GotAbitBetter

Hi Guys

This is quite an urgent query: I've been taking flecanide + bisoprolol for the past year but about 2 months ago felt very light headed/dizzy and generally unwell with symptoms a bit like I had before they detected Tachicardia degenerating into AF. I was told by my Consultant that if I took the flecanide without the bisprolol 'it could kill me'. Now I've been told by another Doctor to trial the flecanide on its own.

Can anyone feed back to me if they're on Flecanide on its own or whether they were given the same advice as me.

Am going back to the Doctors on Thursday to monitor what's changed and if I'm still OK but would welcome your thoughts/experience.

Thank you.

0 likes, 18 replies

18 Replies

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  • malcolm96513
    malcolm96513 GotAbitBetter

    Posted

    Hi,

    i was taking Flecainide with bisoprolol but my cardiologist told me the bisoprolol wasn't having any effect so I stopped it about 6 months ago.  I'm still alive!  I was given diltiazem to replace by BP drug and told this could also help AF - all round improvement.  BP now down and infrequent AF episodes but no racing pulse!

     

    • GotAbitBetter
      GotAbitBetter malcolm96513

      Posted

      Thank you so much, Malcolm, and glad to hear the change of meds helped. I haven't had the racing pulse but I've been feeling like my head's going to burst and so very breathless it's literally stopped me in my tracks and at the weekend they even gave me a CT scan. There's also been some talk of hypertension but I don't know what causes that or how to avoid it. As with all AF sufferers I'm terrified of the risk of stroke as well.

      I'm going to take my BP and pulse for the next 3 days and then go back to the Doc with the readings. Wld like to hear the conversation between the Cardiologist and the GP regarding changing his prescription... Wish I had your proactive Cardiologist.

  • sandiishealthy
    sandiishealthy GotAbitBetter

    Posted

    Hi, I just restarted flecanide on its own 4 days ago. I was on it in November along with cardizam. They started me first on just flecanide then 3 weeks later added cardizam. I felt great on just the flecanide and like crap when they added cardizam. So my cardiologist took me off cardizam only. But I did a dum thing and also took myself off the flecanide a few days later. I felt I could get my A Fib under control again with stress and diet moderation. Well it didn't work 2 cardio versions in 1 month later I decided I would go back on the flecanide only. It's been 4 days and I feel great. I did a lot of research on this drug and it seems to have a good track record and is one of the best tolerated. But if you have certain preexisting conditions it could become NOT the drug of choice for your A Fib. Your doctor my be concerned that you might be developing a new condition that this medication is contraindicated for.

    Sandi

    • GotAbitBetter
      GotAbitBetter sandiishealthy

      Posted

      I have to say Sandi that when you feel that the cure is worse than the disease it's tempting to deviate from what the Doctor's prescribed, but glad that you're back on an even keel. 

      One of the reason's I posted my question on this site is to see the experiences other people have gone through to get a greater understanding of this wretched condition and all the helpful responses are appreciated and reassuring. 

  • jemma33320
    jemma33320 GotAbitBetter

    Posted

    Flecainide and Metopolol both made me feel like a zombie. I was so fatigued that I couldn't function. I was trialed on nearly very anti-arrhythmic drug and finally began dronedarone (Multaq) and that seems to be working. It's been about two years on this drug and I think I've had maybe three episodes of a-fib which didn't require a trip to the hospital. The episodes were not severe and I cardioverted on my own at home within hours.
    • GotAbitBetter
      GotAbitBetter jemma33320

      Posted

      Thank you Jemma - glad to hear you've been well since taking Multaq and I will definitely mention that to the Doctor later in the week. It would be interesting to know whether that is more expensive than Flecanide or whether every Cardiologist has their own 'pet' remedy.
    • jemma33320
      jemma33320 GotAbitBetter

      Posted

      The cost of Dronedarone (Multaq) unfortunately is a consideration. Here in the U.S. with Medicare, I have a $44 co-pay which is doable. But, when I reach the maximum benefit for drugs with Medicare which is usually around July, the co-pays go up exponentially. By December, I'm paying $225 U.S. out of pocket. Around the end of the year, I start calling the cardiologist office to see if they have pharmaceutical samples to give out. Sometime they have enough in office to give me to cover a month. Cost of dronedarone may be less expensive in the UK.
    • GotAbitBetter
      GotAbitBetter jemma33320

      Posted

      I hate to tell you but in the UK the patient doesn't actually pay anything (!) but the National Health Service do and often what the clinicians can prescribe is dependent on a list of approved drugs, and naturally so they are urged to prescribe the cheapest, which I don't have any issue with as long as it's the best to treat the condition and keep the patient well.

      My heart goes out to you, and it does make me angry when I see the profits the drug companies seem to make and what efforts people have to go to pay for their essential medication.  

    • jay7196
      jay7196 jemma33320

      Posted

      jemma, is Dronedarone the same as Amiodarone ? This costs me 6 euros for 2 month supply and I dont even need a prescription. 
    • jemma33320
      jemma33320 jay7196

      Posted

      Taken from the Medscape website: "Patients taking dronedarone (Multaq, Sanofi-Aventis) for prevention of recurrent atrial fibrillation (AF) are about half as likely to remain in sinus rhythm as patients on amiodarone, but they're also far less likely to go off antiarrhythmic therapy due to adverse effects, concluded the authors of a meta-analysis primarily of studies comparing one or the other drug with placebo" Here is a link to the entire article.

      http://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/708827

    • GotAbitBetter
      GotAbitBetter jemma33320

      Posted

      Thank you. AF is in the news today with an article under the health section of the BBC website (a little depressing really).
  • debbie61120
    debbie61120 GotAbitBetter

    Posted

    Hi. One year ago I had a Cardioversion for AF. Initially it worked but, after time I felt symptoms again. I wore a Monitor continuously for 7days and it showed I had intermittent symptoms of AF, for no particular reason. It was suggested I took Flecanide twice daily and, since then, my symptoms have been manageable. I haven't taken any other drug for AF since my Cardioversion.
  • Greebo64
    Greebo64 GotAbitBetter

    Posted

    Hi again my friend

    Sorry to hear you are not feeling well again.

    I was prescibed Flecanide on its own when i was first diagnosed with Afib some 7 to 8 years ago..

    But it did not suit me at all & i use to get the occasionaly  "Fainting / almost passing out bouts"...

    what Flecanide does is supposed to do is maintain a regular heart beat & hopefully prevent an attack of afib, i do know that it can be dangerous like all the other.

    i will send you a private post.

    best wishes

  • june64137
    june64137 GotAbitBetter

    Posted

    I was on Flecanide on its own last year, I became very unwell and short of breath, ended up in CCU where I was immediately taken off it. I have never felt so ill.  Now much better am on Bisoprolol, also Apixaban for anticoagulation, feeling much better. Prior to being given Flecanide I was well controlled for about three years on a drug called Sotalol, if you have not already taken it might be worth a try. Good Luck.
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