Hi everyone, I'm a LAF'er new to this Phorum.
For the last several years I have been taking Bystolic 5mg all the time, I had switched from Coreg due to drowsiness, and had heard about the cardio-selectivity of Bystolic that causes much less sedation.
When I have an AFIB episode, I immediately take Bystolic 20mg, and then take about 40mg a day total, until I convert back into NSR. My Doctors kind of scoff at me, one of them says that Bystolic is a Blood pressure drug, and does'nt affect rate control, the other says that Bystolic is a mild Beta-Blocker, and wants me to resume the Coreg instead.
Anyway I am almost syptom free when I have an episode, especially when I take the Bystolic, and I get very little sedation with it, even at 40mg a day. My rate in AFIB is 80-110 without any Beta-Blocker, and 65-75 with the Bystolic.
I also use Flecainide PIP (bolus dose) to help to convert. I can only handle about 200mg at once of the Flec, as when I take 250-300, the drug actually starts to slow my hearts functioning down so much the I almost pass out. So I am dealing with a narrow theraputic range between cardioverting, and dying from Flec induced Heart Failure.
Anyhow I do get some Atrial Flutter for about 10-40 minutes before it either goes full blown AFIB, or reverts back to NSR.
My plan is the immediately that 200mg Flec if I detect A-Flutter, along with 20 mg of Bystolic, and this usually works.
If I just detect AFIB, then I take just the 20mg Bystolic, then wait for 2 hrs for the drug to reach peak effect, then I proceed with the 200mg Flec PIP. I figure it's better the take the Bystolic first, because it takes longer for the drug to take effect than Flec, and I have heard that Flec can cause a 1:1 AV nodal conduction, thus requiring the use of a Beta-blocker to prevent this scenario. Also I convert to NSR more easily if my HR is slowed down.
Most of the time I can detect that I am having rythm issues right when they start, whether they are PAC's, A-Flutter or AFIB. I can feel irregularity via palpitations and then diagnose what is going on by checking my pulse.
I realize most of the Fibbers out there may not be able to detect this much via sensation.
I understand that a negative side effect of AFIB Ablations is the occurence of damaged nerve endings around the Heart so a patient can't feel whats going on, and I have not had an Ablation.
So my basic question is, is anyone else using Bystolic for rate control during AFIB?
And my advanced question is does anyone see anything wrong with what I am doing with my AFIB protocol?
Edited 5 time(s). Last edit at 07/21/2014 07:28AM by The Anti-Fib.
