Guest guest Posted December 20, 2000 Report Share Posted December 20, 2000 I have been taking flecainide, and am satisfied with it. I was not placed in the hospital when I started it. I was in chronic afib, and my doc gave me flecainide three days in advance of a planned DC cardioversion. The Tambocor was to pre-load me before the cardioversion with the hopes that I would stay in NSR, or better yet, revert on my own with the help of the flecainide before the cardioversion. A couple of weeks before that cardioversion, I had my first cardioversion while on Coumadin and Verapamil. I stayed in NSR only a few days. Before that I had been in constant afib for what I believe was many years. As far as aspirin versus Coumadin, in my case it was used for three days prior to a DC cardioversion to dissolve any clots that might be present. I have read in the literature that aspirin can be effective, but if I was looking at a situation where I had been fibbing for many days, and they wanted to cardiovert, I would feel more comfortable with Coumadin. I have been afib free with flecainide for over three years now (except for one episode of a few hours around once a year), and I was taken off of Coumadin after I was in NSR. I do take an aspirin daily however. I have heard of some people going on flecainide while hospitalized. Lets do a poll and find out. All should receive a poll notice in a few minutes! Flecainide Has anyone out there been treated with Flecainide? What is your experience with it? Was treatment initiated in the hospital during an episode of afib? The treatment was suggested to me today after a long conversation and exam by a new (to me) cardiologist, who gave the diagnosis of " vagally-mediated paroxysmal atrial fibrillation. " He told me to stop taking the beta blocker (Inderal) immediately, saying that beta blockers have been found to actually make vagally mediated afib worse, and suggested that I could be helped by taking Flecainide which would be introduced at the next onset of Afib in the hospital, should I decide to go that route. He also left it up to me to decide whether to continue with an aspirin a day (160mg) or to start Coumadin. Web Page /group/AFIBsupport Afibbers Database- http://www.dialsolutions.com/af To Unsubscribe send an email to: AFIBsupport-unsubscribeegroups Daily digest mode: Send a blank message to AFIBsupport-digestegroups Individual emails: Send a blank message to AFIBsupport-normalegroups Read on web only: Send a blank message to AFIBsupport-nomailegroups Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted December 21, 2000 Report Share Posted December 21, 2000 P. Raichel wrote >The treatment was suggested to me today after a long conversation and exam >by a new (to me) cardiologist, who gave the diagnosis of " vagally-mediated >paroxysmal atrial fibrillation. " He told me to stop taking the beta blocker >(Inderal) immediately, saying that beta blockers have been found to actually >make vagally mediated afib worse, and suggested that I could be helped by >taking Flecainide which would be introduced at the next onset of Afib in the >hospital, should I decide to go that route. What !? Another thread said a _Doctor_ had suggested Mg might be of use in arrythmias, and now a _Cardiologist_ has diagnosed VMPAF !!! It must be Christmas. Anyway, good on him - maybe the word is spreading. > He also left it up to me to >decide whether to continue with an aspirin a day (160mg) or to start >Coumadin. Is Coumadin an anti-coagulant? Although we don't see eye to eye on my VMPAF, I think we do agree that aspirin (75 mg/day) is a good precaution. The risk period apparently is coming _out_ of an AF attack - the blood that has pooled in the heart and may therefore have started forming clots is then ejected back around the body as the heart starts using all its volume again, hence that's when the thrombosis risk occurs. Anyhow - will have some updates shortly - promise to get to them when I can finish all this /work/ ;-( but a reminder in the meantime : http://www.vagalafibportal.fsnet.co.uk/ and click on the FAQ page I saw a posting a while back saying there were a few subjective aspects to my FAQ page, and so there are, but I will take these on board and make a few changes when I get to it. -- Best of health to all Vicky Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted December 21, 2000 Report Share Posted December 21, 2000 In article <001201c06ae4$34976a40$28b052a6@svientos>, P. Raichel writes >Has anyone out there been treated with Flecainide? Flec has been the choice drug for me fro 4 years now - but I have never been sure whether it has worked. I think my overall conclusion is it works (for me) at small doses but only when my gastric problems are not causing too much vagal stimulation - when it appears _nothing_ can stop the AF, except gastric relief ! I am also sure that Flec at high doses makes the AF worse - a feeling that my heart is " not mine " and has a life of its own - pro-arrhythmia is a known side-effect of most anti-arrhythmics, and Flec is no different. I believe starting it in hospital is no longer de rigeur, except maybe for high doses and of course intravenous pharamacological conversion by IV Felc. -- Best of health to all Vicky Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted December 21, 2000 Report Share Posted December 21, 2000 >Has anyone out there been treated with Flecainide? What is your experience >with it? Was treatment initiated in the hospital during an episode of afib? >The treatment was suggested to me today after a long conversation and exam >by a new (to me) cardiologist, who gave the diagnosis of " vagally-mediated >paroxysmal atrial fibrillation. " He told me to stop taking the beta blocker >(Inderal) immediately, saying that beta blockers have been found to actually >make vagally mediated afib worse, and suggested that I could be helped by >taking Flecainide which would be introduced at the next onset of Afib in the >hospital, should I decide to go that route. He also left it up to me to >decide whether to continue with an aspirin a day (160mg) or to start >Coumadin. Hi Sandy - your cardiologist sounds interesting! In the early days when I was hospitalized with AF they tried IV flecainide to try to restore my sinus rhythm. I also went on to flecainide tablets, for about 2-3 months I think, but it didn't seem to work for me. I'm not sure whether it was flecainide of propafanone which gave me atrial flutter but which ever it was I stopped having flutter when I came off the drug. If I were in your shoes I'd give it a try - if it doesn't work you can always come of it and you cardiologist sounds like he knows his stuff. I'm only taking 75 mg of aspirin a day - I'm reluctant to go to warfarin (coumadin) since I have this image of getting back to an active lifestyle! I bruise pretty easily just on the aspirin and I think I just have to many knocks in my life to be confident taking warfarin. wishing you every success. -- D Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted December 21, 2000 Report Share Posted December 21, 2000 In a message dated 12/20/00 7:27:24 PM Eastern Standard Time, vientos@... writes: > Has anyone out there been treated with Flecainide? What is your experience > with it? Was treatment initiated in the hospital during an episode of afib? > The treatment was suggested to me today after a long conversation and exam > by a new (to me) cardiologist, who gave the diagnosis of " vagally-mediated > paroxysmal atrial fibrillation. " He told me to stop taking the beta blocker > (Inderal) immediately, saying that beta blockers have been found to actually > make vagally mediated afib worse, and suggested that I could be helped by > taking Flecainide which would be introduced at the next onset of Afib in the > hospital, should I decide to go that route. He also left it up to me to > decide whether to continue with an aspirin a day (160mg) or to start > Coumadin. > > > > > I also started Flecainide in the hospital during an episode of AF. I was given 300 mg. and converted within an hour. This enabled my doctor to observe whether the drug was lengthening my QT interval or whether I was otherwise having an adverse reaction. I was let out after a few hours. I also have vagally mediated PAF. Fortunately I have not had to take any flecainide for the past 6 months. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted December 22, 2000 Report Share Posted December 22, 2000 Re: Flecainide Fortunately I have not had to take any flecainide for the past 6 months. > Victor, is this because you have not had an episode? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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