Atrial Fibrillation

Hi Macas

Sympathise totally : last year the effect of bisoprolol alone (5 mg) made me feel really bad, depressed, dizzy, cold... and I do wonder whether the Doctors or the drug companies do sufficient research to try and tailor the dose to the patient. Have you fed back to either your GP or your Consultant how this cocktail is making you feel. 

Do let us know how you get on : I was so bad my husband told me to cut the dose in half which I didn't do but eventually they did decrease my dose which is 1.25 mg bisoprolol twinned with 50 mg flecainide a.m. and flecainide on its own p.m.  but like you I still feel slightly apathetic and have lost the get up and go I used to have.

I did raise this during a Pharmacy review last week but she didn't make any comment. We just read through the A4 size page of side effects of the drug which doesn't make great reading and its good to share on this website everyone's experiences of them.

Take care and like the rest of us hope they soon find a different solution to our AF problem.

Ho GotabitBetter!

Thank you for your thoughts. I am havng a bad day today I feel so disappointed . I was doing well on Bisoprolol and flecainaide (although difficult when i first took them) The new medication has been added because it appears that asprin is not being prescribed anymore?

I am having a review at the Pharmacy this week, Tuesday I am having a 24hr ECG monitor fitted, so then i will TRY to get an appt with Cardiologist, but as you know they are not happy if you question them.

Take care I will keep yu informed and thank you.

Cardiologists listen less to patients than any other consultans.

I thought it was just ME, I feel as if I should apologise for having AFiB.

\i just wish I could get soretd and have less medication, I really mean it when I say at the moment with the new pills thecure is worse that the illness.

 

Hi Macas,

I also had a bad reaction to bisoporol went from being very active to zombie like overnight, I think the clinicians treat everyone the same and don't take into account we are all different and what suits one doesn't always suit the next person, they stick us all in the same little box and never think outside of it. eventually I was advised to take my meds in the evening and so far so good.I am also on clopidogrel as I am allergic to aspirin but I only take it every other day.

The best thing for me has been this forum as evryone is so supportive.

I hope you feel better soon

Linda.

 

Thank you Linda, was taking clopidogrel every other day your idea or your Doctors, I would really like to try it. Oh how I agree about sticking us in a box, I have been made to feel very guilty because some meds don't suit me. Its so good to get feedback I wish I had done it earlier. I feel better already!!!!

Mary

Hi Mary,

I soke to the pharmacist about taking Clopidogrel every other day, and went on her advice. but as we have already said we are all different, so never just do it always get advice.

Never feel guilty I am intolerant of so many meds due to my immune system its not your fault.

Take care

Linda

Hi Linda, Thank you I have an appointment to see the Pharmasist this week and I will discuss it with him. to me it sounds just what I need.!

Will let you know.

Regards

Mary

I once had a doctor who said that the only person he knew who was less tolerant to medications was his wife.

Hi Linda, I said I would let you know when I had seen Pharmasist he said that neither Clopidogrel or Losartin make you tired!!! I have felt very unwell  headaches and so tired, I feel as if I could sleep all day. I have decided to get an appointment with the Cardiologist hopefully next week. I can't go on feeling this bad, I was fine before he added these two medications.

Hi Linda, Its now a while since I have posted. I saw Cardiologist and he stopped the Losartan and Clopidogerel reluctantly,I am made to feel that I am the only one that has problems with medication!! within a few days I ws feeling so much better.

I now continue to take bisoprolol and flecanide, he has added Apixaban (blood thinner) and spironolactone. Other than feeling tired, having ringing in my ears and nausea early mornings, I'm fine!!!!!!

No seriously I do feel better and very few episodes of AF.

Mary

A consultant once said to me that if I thought that side effects from meds I had taken were bad just wait till you try spironolactone !

 

Hi Mary,

I am really pleased you are feeling better, Its an awful shame that the clinicians don't seem to realise that one size does not fit all, and as they don't suffer from the condition should be more open to listening to those that do. its thanks to forums like this that people feel more empowered to speak up for themselves.

I haven't posted for a while either I had an episode that ended me up in hospital on a 999, for the first time I had AF continually for over a week I wont bore everyone with the details but it turned out that I had infection in the pericardium hence the AF going off at over 175bpm the correct treatment helped me recover and am now feeling a lot better with fewer AF episodes. The same week I saw the cardiologist for the first time he was very nice and most helpful and persuaded me to go onto warfarin that I had been reluctant to do, I am now on 1.5mg Bisoporol and the warfarin, but as I suffer with low blood pressure he said if I should need a higher dose of bisoporol I would have to change to flecanide as my blood presure would go to low on bisoporol.

Hope you keep well keep in touch.

Linda.