Should I stop my flecainide?

Let me preface the question by saying that I will ask both my cardiologist and Dr. Natale's office and heed their advice. I have been on flec 75mg BID for one week, since my last cardio version, and it makes me feel edgy and apprehensive. It was started as a pill in pocket for my last AF episode 10 days ago and didn't work at 300 mg. My cardiologist started me back on it the morning of my cardio version, along with diltiazem 240 SR qday and carvedilol 25 BID, which I had been on prior. My BP has been 110/70 and pulse 64 all week. I realize that I may relapse without the flec, but I am scheduled for an ablation May 22 and I can handle 2 weeks of AF. Also, could the flec "hide" some trigger spots for my AF, leading to a suboptimal ablation? Thanks.

Paul

Paul,

The half life of flec is 12-27 hours <[www.drugs.com] so if you quit it a few days before, it should be out of your system by the ablation. I've used flec relatively infrequently as PIP for over 10 years. I've not experienced the "edgy and apprehensive." Of course it has always worked to convert me, which is a great relief - the relief may overshadow anything else. In fact my first use of flec was 300 mg to convert a 2 1/2 month episode. I thought I was handling it well. After I converted, I was nearly euphoric for a month. Didn't realize how much the afib was affecting me...

George

The instructions from Natale's office to me was to stop the Flecainide 5 days before ablation and stop the Metoprolol 3 days before ablation......so that the afib would be running rampant..........and be easily identifiable.

Your assigned nurse will give you specific instructions for when to stop each medication. If unsure, call or email them.

Best wishes on 5/22.

Ken



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 05/04/2015 02:40AM by kls5834.

I had a Psycho-Stimulant side-effect from taking Flec, that lasted for the 1st week, then it went away.
Maybe give it a few more days, but you don't even know if the Flec is doing any good. Why take it if you have side effects. Since your Ablation is 3 weeks away, just rate control if you get AFIB, generally AFIB symptoms are proportional to how high the rate is.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 05/04/2015 06:52AM by The Anti-Fib.

Hi Paul,

As Ken and George noted above, you do need to be off of Flec 5 full days prior to start of your ablation time so the coast is clear,. Dr Natale then will have no trouble at all
Getting your AFIB Rockin' and Rollin' with either pacing during the initial EP study portion of the ablation of with a good dose of Isuprel (isoproterenol) super adrenaline/like drug.

See if you are like Anti-AFIB and have a transient hyper effect from the Flec that subsides soon. Unless that feeling is really lousy and unbearable relative to Dealing with AFIB the next two plus weeks.

Good news the light is very definitely at the end of the tunnel for you as you are fixing to take the single biggest step toward final victory by choosing the best possible hands I know of to guide your index ablation.

Great decisions here like you have made bring real peace of mind. Congrats and best wishes.

Shannon

Just got the word from Shirley today- as above- stop flec 5 days prior to zappage, carvedilol 3 days...