Drugs losing effectiveness

Hello everyone...

Thanks for being such a great and supportive group!
Here’s my question...

I’ve heard that overtime that both anti-arrhythmic and beta/calcium blocker drugs lose their effectiveness.
Upon losing effectiveness, either the dose is increased or a new drug tried.

I suppose it’s different for everyone, but how long is a drug combination/dosage good for that is taken regularly on a daily basis?
(Not PIP.)

One year? Two years? Ten years?

I’d be interested in hearing your stories/feedback for how long you were able to control your symptoms effectively using the standard prescription drug combinations.

Thanks!



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 04/27/2020 08:09PM by allofus.

Flecainide worked for 15 years. Year 16 I started getting frequent AF up to weekly. If you are taking Flecainide, be aware that the dose for those weighing less than 154 pounds is 200ng a day. I took I’ll advise from an EP and increased to 300mg and ended up in the IZcU with flecainide overdose. So get a second opinion.

As you said, it's individual.
For some, meds work for years.
For others, like me, they don't even really work at all. Increasing the dose only increases the unwanted effects or dangerousness of the drug.

An effective med would likely lose its effectiveness over time, but how long it would take is highly individual.

Thanks Susan and Pompon.
Susan: 15 years sounds like a long time.

Quote
allofus
Thanks Susan and Pompon.
Susan: 15 years sounds like a long time.

Yes I was grateful. During that time frame I had 3 short AF- once during chemo when I was already there and I self converted in 25 minutes by taking a Valium and 11oz low sodium V8. The other 2 times was after vomiting-vagal. Each I converted quickly. After 15 years I started cardioverts because all self efforts didn’t help to the point I was getting AF and cardioversions weekly. Then I had my ablation.

Susan,
If you don’t mind me asking, how high was your dose of Flecainide during that time and did you take it in combination with dilitiazem or a beta blocker?
Thanks.

100mg flecainide twice a day plus 25mg Atenolol (I took Tenormin brand name) twice a day.

Flecainide lost effectiveness so I was stupid to believe a new EP who told me (I weighed 122 pounds) to increase the dose to 300/day that landed me in the icu for 3 days.

So watch the dose. Flecainide has a black box label which means it could cause death. The dose is a max of 200mg a day if you weigh less than 154 pounds.