propaferone!!!!!?

went in today to get cardio verted but of course i didn't go in to Afib so it wasnt done ( 10 mins after leaving hospital went into Afib--typical :) now the doc has prescribed propaferone to control Afib ---- i haven't heard good things about this drug----any thoughts out there!. I was also told this drug can chemically convert you and may not be a permanent thing. I'm also on a beta blocker and warfarin and was on verapamil but that was removed in favour of this new one. thanks for any thoughts on this

5 Comments

should be propafenone sorry

by karma - 2008-07-25 04:07:41

should be propafenone sorry

Rythmol/Propafenone

by chiliman - 2008-07-25 04:07:43

I've been taking Propafenone, the generic name for "Rythmol," for several years to help control my afib.

Simple truth is that none of the anti-arrithmatics are great drugs, but I experience no adverse side effects from Rythmol except a little tiredness sometimes.

My new biventricular pacemaker implanted 2 months ago has turned out to be the best thing in keeping my afib under control while taking Rythmol. These new pm's have a more sophisticated anti-afib algorhythm then simple pm's and the difference in continued, uninterrupted sinus rhythm for me has been incredible.

Make sure that if you continue taking Rythmol, that your doctor orders a blood test to check the propafenone level as the tricky part is finding the correct dose for each individual.

Of the anti-afib drugs on the market, none are great, but some are much dicier and more dangerous than propafenone.

I wish you well.

another addition

by karma - 2008-07-25 04:07:59

i also have a pacemaker 3rd degree heart block sorry about that

Propafenone

by Stacey28 - 2008-07-25 10:07:25

I am on the Rythmol SR and I have never had any problems with it. I used the Rythmol SR to control my Afib and I also have a pacemaker to control the heart rate to keep it from getting too low.

Propafenone

by SMITTY - 2008-07-26 12:07:53


Hi Karma,

I had an experience slightly similar to yours in one respect. But first the Propafenone can be a bad actor so I hope you have read all the info that came with your prescription. Especially the "side effects."

As you probably know Verapamil is a calcium channel blocker. I had a calcium channel blocker (diltiazem) prescribed for me in 1985, which was 15 years before I would get a pacemaker. At time it was to stop angina and lower blood pressure. Did both and I continued to take it until earlier this year. I was having rather severe problems with arrhythmia and my good doctor stopped my diltiazem and put me on a beta blocker. The idea was to force a lower heart rate and let my pacemaker take over. Didn't work, in fact I could have been taking aspirin and done as well with the arrhythmia. A few months go by and a few visits with this doctor and I asked to restart my diltiazem. Man he got downright hostile and told me that he could refer me to another doctor but he was not going to prescribe a calcium channel blocker because they could cause an arrhythmia. Of course I didn't believe him but on doing a little research I found an article where that has been reported as a problem for some people taking calcium channel blockers.

To make a long story a little shorter, when I got home I dropped the beta blocker and went back to my diltiazem. Believe it or not my problem with arrhythmia has been reduced by at least 90%. Now I'm not going to say my ignoring the doctors orders and taking a medicine he is very much against my taking resulted in my improvement. Actually, I think Mother Nature decided I had been a good boy and she took pity on me again.

Since all that happened I have had a new EP to come into the picture and he thinks I am still taking the beta blocker as my medical records show. I saw him last week and so help me he prescribed diltiazem and wanted me to stop the beta blocker. He said the CCB should help the type arrhythmia I have. Something about the location of the start of my irregular heart beat. I didn’t understand what he was talkign aobut and didn’t ask any question. But, I haven't told him I had already made the change.

I guess the moral of this story is never try to figure out what a doctor may, or may not, know about our needs when it comes to medicine. If you are taking one or more medicines and doing well on them, just be thankful.

Smitty

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