Flecainide

Flecianide

by AgentX86 - 2019-05-28 22:10:58

I've not been on that one but I can tell you that it is an antiarrrhythmic, which as a class is toxic to the body.  Flec is one of the safer in the class but also one of the less effective (efficacy and toxicity tend to go hand-in-hand in this class of drugs).  However, if it works for you, that's great.  It will likely work for a few years.  And then it won't.  You'll then have to move on to something stronger and more toxic. 

Yes, I'm down on antiarrhytics.  If I knew what I know now, I never would have gone down that road.  I'd have gone straight for an ablation but it matters who does the procedure.  There is a huge difference in skill and art between EPs. There's no point in going to less than the best.  If you want more informaiton you can drop by the Afib forum at stopafib.org.  There are a lot of very well informed people over there.

Flecainide Redux

by donr - 2019-05-29 00:41:14

I started  on Flecainide in about 12009, when I developed a big batch of PVC's.  Made me feel pretty trashy for a while, but I adapted reasonably fast & well.  I tALKED W/ MY ep ABOUT AN ABLATION & HE TOLD ME THAT MY PROBLEM WAS A SOURCE OF pvc'S THAT WOULD MAKE AN ABLATION VERY CHANCY AS TO ITS SUCCESS, SO WE WENT THE fLECAINIDE ROUTE.  Theyworked well for me at a single 50 Mg pillper day for a long time, then I was forced into 50 Mg bid.  After some 9 yrs, they became ineffective & as *^ said, I moved on to Soptalol.  Been on it for as year noe.  So far , so good.  I have one problem - a marginal QTc interval - runs about 502 msec at 80 Mg bid.  I've moved back to 60 Mg bid, but do not know how that will work yet.  Will find out in a short while when I have another ECG.  No real sensible side effects for mew yet.  Sotalol has controlled my PVC's so far.  I'm 82, so nearing the end of the trail,  anyway.    Next step appears to be amioderone - that's a BAD actor w/o an understudy.  Hope to avoid that one for another 9 years or so.

Donr

Flecainide Good For Me

by KonaLawrence - 2019-05-29 02:35:43

Aloha John,

It's very difficult to get good, unbiased information about flecainide.  I've taken it for years at the max dose, 150mg, twice a day.  It works great.  No Afib and I'm a competitive athlete, which it supports.  Beta Blockers on the other hand make it virtually impossible to exercise at all.  Originally, about 30 years ago they didn't know that Flecainide is bad for people with structural heart defects.  Some of those folks took it and got worse.  About 20 years ago they figured it out and since then it's only perscribed for people like us who have only electrical problems.  I have asked a number of cardiologists and EPs over the years.  They all say they perscribe it to lots & lots of their patients, it works great, there seldom any side-effects and it is the gold-standard for Afib.  Yes, an abaltion might be better or it might be worse.  Even if an abaltion works great, they often wear off and have to be re-done two, three or more times.  I've been successfully treating my Afib for ten years without surgery.  If my heart condition gets worse where the Flec doesn't work I may get an ablation.  Until that day, likes tens of thousands of other Afib patients, I will continue to take Flecainide.
I recommend you talk to your Cardiologist and EP and even Primary Care doc.  I expect they have had hundreds and hundreds of Flecainide patients and can tell you their experience. 
Good Luck
 

Sotalol

by AgentX86 - 2019-05-29 08:15:09

Sotalol is one I'm personally familiar with. It's the reason I now have a pacemaker[*]. As I said, every one of this class of drugs is toxic.

[*] My EP was pushing for an AV node ablation and pacemaker before Sotalol sealed the deal.

Flecainide might work well but it won't work forever and it *is* toxic. It is probably the least toxic (and effective, again they go together) in its class, though.

Pssst John

by IAN MC - 2019-05-29 09:50:43

Some advice for you ... if you are taking Flecainide and  it is keeping you out of afib  why does it matter what other people think about it ?

If you posted on here that you are taking penicillin and asked how other people find it , I bet somebody would post that their Uncle Fred took penicillin and died from anaphylactic shock.  They would then delight in labelling penicillin as " toxic ".

Say you're taking aspirin and you will hear about all those gastro-intestinal bleeds. Aspirin must be "toxic"  !

Flecainide is a safe and highly effective drug for the management of atrial fibrillation. It has been  around for over 35 years and MILLIONS of people have taken it worldwide. It is highly likely to restore normal sinus rhythm if you have AF.

I am delighted that it is working so well for you .  I sometimes think this site should carry a health warning  !

Ian

Water

by donr - 2019-05-29 23:59:22

Water is toxic, also, in excessive quantities..  I Know - I OD'ed on water once when workimng in the Saudi desert.  But it is relative - I kept up w/ an "Old Desert Rat" drink for drink till I finished off 2 liters in an hour.  Wound up in a hosp for a WEEK FOR THEM TO GET MY bp BACK DOWN.  gOOD OLD flOYD, WHO i KEPT UP WITH, HAD NO ILL EFFECT.  tHEN i LEARNED HE HAD low bp.  hE COULD DRINK LIKE A FISH W/ NO ILL EFFECT.  My kidneys could only process about a half liter per hour - his could do a two  liters.

Then there are peanuts - more toxic than cobra venom for some  folks - but common food for most of us.

Donr

Don

by IAN MC - 2019-05-30 05:33:12

......  Dangerous stuff water !   That's why I never risk adding  it to my whisky .

Regards

Ian

Whiskey - w/o water

by donr - 2019-05-31 00:52:59

NEAT!

Donr

good drug

by Grandmoi - 2019-06-01 00:00:24

Flecainide and I were good friends for several years. I used it as "a pill in the pocket"..taking it when A-fib kicked in...the paroxysmal A-Fib that I had was horrid with a ventricular response rate of 160-170 for hours ....Flecainide , after 1 hour, dropped that rate to 70's. I had a stroke a year ago, and after that when A-Fib came to visit, all I could do was to lay down like a fish on a beach and gasp for breath.I also had a tachy arrythmia crop up a few times a month.. My EP is the best..he recommended an AV node ablation which I had done 10/5/18...I feel great...seriously...no A-Fib...no rate over 90...enjoying life again. A word about the online A-Fib site...people seem to love to post things such as "AV node ablation..don't let them DO that to you." I have no idea why some folks like to scare the poop out of people.....anyway...flecainide is a good drug..yet a caveat..all of these drugs have a habit of working well for a time and then...not. Enjoy it while it's working for you, and speak with your EP about the future plans:)