drug trial- newbie

So i tried to search but apparently i didn't get the spelling anywhere close because i can't find the drug on the internet. I had tried PIP with cardizem and rhythmol.. then another time (years later) with cardizem and flecanide. Didn't work. So once i was back in rhythm they said lets try cardizem and flecanide all the time. Well.. nope. IN fact there was something funky dunky on the EKG and so i am just on cardizem and they want to do an in hospital trial of ??diphedalide?? Can someone spell that for me so i can search the archives?? I have managed most of my health naturally. (I do have a congenital heart problem as well.) They want to take off cardizem because it can interact and do toporol which i have done for BP years ago.. hated it! I am not sure what my questions are- maybe what is the best way to search the archives so i can read up on this?? We discussed ablation but with my congenital stuff including 5 surgeries the chances of it working are less so they are trying this first. 4 days in the hospital.. like a spa week right?! Anyway- like i said i have mostly done natural stuff... so blah. I am taking Mg night now (glycinate) maybe i'll convert back spontaneously. (i have been converted successfully i think 5 times.. maybe 4..... most with years in between but on 11/25.. i had one and then a week later and well. now i'm in afib as of a couple of days ago.... i know some of you have been doing this a lot longer so looking for thoughts and advice. I have done so much medical research for my son but i was hoping to avoid ya'll if you get my drift! (Ps i am at University fo Michigan. i don't know if i would go for ablation elsewhere because of my congenital stuff.. and i do know of the doctor that died there quite a few years ago so no need to let me know about that .) thanks all for helping a newbie.

If they're talking about a hospital stay to begin the drug then it's almost certainly dofetilide, brand name Tikosyn.

It's usually fairly effective for most people and most people tolerate it well, but that hospital stay will determine whether you can take it at all or not. What they'll be watching is a measurement of your QT, which is basically how wide your heartbeat is on an ECG. If it's becomes too wide, you won't be able to take it and they'll send you home early. Downside: it's a fairly expensive drug.

Thanks for your reply. feeling better about it now and now i can spell it . As an aside, a friend was given solotol and did not have to go in the hospital; however my docs all said that has to be in hospital also... confusing info . ..



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 01/04/2019 05:55PM by bettylou4488.

I've started sotalol three times without a hospital stay. It's a judgement call on the EP's part. Sotalol has the same risk of widening the QT as Tikosyn does, but to somewhat of a lesser degree. Being female makes the risk a bit higher, so that's probably why your doc would want you to start it in the hospital.

Generally those “second tier” anti-arrhythmics get the hospital stay, but it can vary. Even the first line AARs like Propafenone and flecainide could land you in the hospital if your cardio or EP wants to start a maximum dosage (600 mg).

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wolfpack
Generally those “second tier” anti-arrhythmics get the hospital stay, but it can vary. Even the first line AARs like Propafenone and flecainide could land you in the hospital if your cardio or EP wants to start a maximum dosage (600 mg).

The 600mg/day sounds like the max dosage for Propafenone, not Flecainide. As far as i know the Max dose for Flecainide is 300mg/day for AFIB/AFL, and 400mg/day for VT. Is anyone taking over 400mg/day of Flec?

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The Anti-Fib

Generally those “second tier” anti-arrhythmics get the hospital stay, but it can vary. Even the first line AARs like Propafenone and flecainide could land you in the hospital if your cardio or EP wants to start a maximum dosage (600 mg).

The 600mg/day sounds like the max dosage for Propafenone, not Flecainide. As far as i know the Max dose for Flecainide is 300mg/day for AFIB/AFL, and 400mg/day for VT. Is anyone taking over 400mg/day of Flec?

For sure: I wouldn't want anyone on more than 400mg Flecainide per day.

I believe 400/day is the max for flecanide and 1 mg/day for ticosyn.
When they started me on ticosyn they started me with .5 mg twice a day. That converted me to NSR but mt QT was too long. So they reduced it to .25 mg twice a day.
As allot of you here know I had mixed results with the ticosyn but it did work better the longer I was on it. IMHO, if you are going to be on ticosyn is should only be part of a plan to get off of all antiarrhythmic drugs all together by having an ablation.

Yes, to clarify, 600mg is the max for Propafenone.