Posted , 5 users are following.
I an 59 with PAF occurs once every couple of months for a couple of days. I take atenolol (twice a day) .rivaoxyban, amlodopine, allupurinol, ibersartin, metformin, gliclazide, omeprozole, When I came out of AF i just used to get a bit dizzy but now I faint. Is there anything to be done about this?
1 like, 12 replies
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andypr1
Posted
Greebo64 andypr1
Posted
Hi
Yes there is something that can be, I am sure you may need a pacemaker, you do need to see you consultant....fainting is usually brought about by your pulse / heart rate dropping...I use to get near to fainting ,the feeling I was going to black out ...it was the medication I was taking "Flecanide" which slows the heart rate, it turned out that this drug did not suit me & they were slowing my heart rate down too much which can be fatal !.
you are taking a cocktail of drugs, I have not heard of some of them, but it seems a lot to me , I think that some of the drugs or perhaps one of them could be responsible for your fainting... do a search online of the side effects of all the drugs you are taking, if one or more could cause fainting it should be in the "side effect"...you need to find out which are responsible...but see your consultant or GP...don't leave it !
andypr1 Greebo64
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Thanks for that. I did mention it at my last consultant appointment and he also mentioned a pacemaker! but I am trying to avoid that if possible. I will ask about the side effects as this started happening when i switched from bisoprolol (because of psoriasis) to atenolol. My heart rate is steady at 44 bpm when i am out of AF. I could try another beta blocker>
derek76 andypr1
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They will say that 44bpm is too low. I lived happily with mine around that. When I had a 7 day ECG monitor they recorded lows of 37bpm during the night and 3.5 second pauses so they said that I needed a pacemaker 'as a matter of some urgency' Now my heart rate is not allowed to go below 60bpm. I felt much better before.
If you get one make sure it is MRI compatible in case you need a scan some time.
Greebo64 andypr1
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Derek is right 44bpm is far too low, no wonder you keep fainting.
my advice would be to stop all drugs & ask you doc to change your BP tab for candesartan [just blood pressure] then see how you go, ask GP or consultant to keep you monitored.
after I had the near fatal ablation op' in 2015 & this was followed by a bleed from the Apixaban I decided that the only pill I was going to take was for BP [candesartan]
one of the other pills I was taking was Simvastatin [cholesterol drug] since I stopped this 20 months ago my arthritis pain almost disappeared, I was told by a neurosurgeon that statins can cause Myopathy in many people leading to very pain full joints etc.
derek76 Greebo64
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My GP prides himself on his 40's heart rate but he runs marathons.
Once at A&E the triage nurse commented on my then low heart rate and asked if I once used to be very fit. I replied that was something I could never be accused of.
Orthopaedic consultant told me that almost any drug can cause joint pain,
Okapis andypr1
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Taking amlodopine continously for PAF that occurs every month or so seems heavy handed! I suggest you discuss the alternatives with your GP. Maybe flecainide and a pill in the pocket strategy. The dose of flecainide does necessarily need to be taken continously although it can be. you can also take it in increasing amounts when you feel an episode arriving. Such a strategy kept me comfortable/ coping for 10yrs plus at the same age as y
Atenelol as a beta blocker can be a bit of a so and so in terms of side effects but its cheap so talk to the doc about that too especially if you're feeling faint. I stopped taking atenelol, surprised some junior docs but atenelol can cause/exacerbate psoriasis and its arthritis. Felt better after stopping it and didn't seem to need it.
I still remember an occasion in a cardiology ward when a specialist registrar (whom I rated very highly) was doing the rounds with the consultant and my discharge was getting close. Looked at what the GP had been prescribing and took a pen and crossed out 2 hypertension drugs... dont need that, dont need that ...another prescription disappeared. Just giving you an MOT he said casually... and then caught a grin on my face and his consultants when he realised that perhaps not the most diplomatic of things to say to 65 old. Taught me a lesson though...question your drugs - hope you have a good GP and that youre not in the States
andypr1 Okapis
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Thanks for that. I take the amoldopine because of high BP and have taken it for some time but will ask at my next appointment if there's anything better than atenelol.
derek76 Okapis
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We had a neighbour in her late 80's with a catalogue of problems. She saw a different doctor one day as her one was on holiday. Looking at her list of fourteen drugs he asked why she was taking them. Of course she did not know and he went through her notes and stopped eight of them.
Okapis derek76
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Okapis andypr1
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I've always considered Amlodopine heavy duty. Whenever I've been on it (usually after ending up in A&E and overnight stay) docs have always been in a hurry to get me off the stuff. Maybe its expensive? There are however lots of other calcium channel blockers for hypertension so ask for a change?
And oh dear moved onto atenolol because you have psoriasis? Watch out...maybe betablockers exacerbate psoriasis / psoriatic arthritis generally
betty47298 andypr1
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