Multaq

I see a lot of people use Multaq. I was talking to the pharmacist that works with our EP team because that is one we have never tried. She said it doesn't work as well as dofetlide (which I am on) and has a bigger side effect profile. Can anyone comment on that? (I have tried all the others except Sotalol- and they said that was the same as dofetilide as well.).
Thanks

Multaq (dronedarone) is not delivered here in Belgium because of its side effects.

I have one major side effect of multaq but then again I’m highly sensitive. I get extremely painful vomiting acid. Nothing sounds more eerie than loud gurgling acid sounds coming out of your body. When on multaq I get it up to 3.5 hrs of this after a meal. Painful as heck burning my esophagus. I can’t swallow and avoid talking. I just drool until it passes. Then I have a tablespoon of cold frozen coconut ice cream to sooth the pain. Once off (weaning for ablations) it disappears.

Multaq isn’t as effective as Flecainide and some other drugs but it’s safer and milder I am told. I didn’t need a hospital stay on the initial starting of Multaq that I needed with sotolol.



Edited 3 time(s). Last edit at 07/29/2021 01:59PM by susan.d.

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Pompon
Multaq (dronedarone) is not delivered here in Belgium because of its side effects.

What side effects?

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bettylou4488
She said it doesn't work as well as dofetlide (which I am on) and has a bigger side effect profile.

It's true that it's not as effective as dofetilide (Tikosyn), but her comment about the side effects profile is bonkers. Tikosyn requires a 3-day hospital stay just to start it because it's potentially lethal for some people. Many people fail that 3-day trial and can't take it at all. And if they can take it, it requires periodic monitoring thereafter. Multaq requires none of that. I've taken both, and Tikosyn had all kinds of weird side effects for me while Multaq had none whatsoever. I've heard the same from many others. In fact, I can't recall ever hearing anyone mention side effects from Multaq.

What Multaq is very good at is keeping people in rhythm who just need a mild antiarrhythmic. If you've got full-blown afib or flutter, Multaq probably won't do the job for you. But if, say, you've just undergone an ablation and need something just to keep your heart calmed down for a month or two, Multaq is extremely effective at that.

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Carey
In fact, I can't recall ever hearing anyone mention side effects from Multaq.

Even less common side effects do occur to few. I can’t talk or swallow during a vomiting acid episode. So I’m your first who is mentioning side effects from Multaq. Unfortunately after my first two ablations, I was told to discontinue multaq during the blanking because of the Acid vomiting.

[www.mayoclinic.org]

All drugs have side effects; I'm not saying otherwise. But it's the severity and frequency of side effects that matters, and Multaq is very low on both, which is why I never people complain about them. Without question I think it has the fewest and least severe side effects of all the antiarrhythmics.

You are so right Carey. Only today I was getting my pacemaker tweaked and Amiodarone was recommended for long term use because I’m going into afib frequently. Not his call to make (I have my EP who did all my ablations who makes decisions) but only a passing suggestion. That drug has horrific organ side effects. I mentioned I have an iodine allergy and he said it won’t affect me. The drug contains 10% iodine.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 07/29/2021 09:31PM by susan.d.

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Carey

She said it doesn't work as well as dofetlide (which I am on) and has a bigger side effect profile.

It's true that it's not as effective as dofetilide (Tikosyn), but her comment about the side effects profile is bonkers. Tikosyn requires a 3-day hospital stay just to start it because it's potentially lethal for some people. Many people fail that 3-day trial and can't take it at all. And if they can take it, it requires periodic monitoring thereafter. Multaq requires none of that. I've taken both, and Tikosyn had all kinds of weird side effects for me while Multaq had none whatsoever. I've heard the same from many others. In fact, I can't recall ever hearing anyone mention side effects from Multaq.

What Multaq is very good at is keeping people in rhythm who just need a mild antiarrhythmic. If you've got full-blown afib or flutter, Multaq probably won't do the job for you. But if, say, you've just undergone an ablation and need something just to keep your heart calmed down for a month or two, Multaq is extremely effective at that.

Thanks Carey- yea it likely would not work for me at this point but I will bring it up on Monday with the EP as maybe something I could do post ablation. I have zero side effects with the dofetilide- but I did have to whittle down to 125 mcg because of the QT. I would prefer to not be on a QT altering med because for example I have antibiotic allergies- but not to Zith. and other meds I would like to consider for other health things... that I really can't.



Edited 3 time(s). Last edit at 07/29/2021 10:04PM by bettylou4488.

Yeah, I'm not a fan of the pharmacist's opinions, so bring it up with the EP. Having to whittle down to 125 because of long QT is exactly what I'm talking about. Tikosyn is effective but it definitely has serious side effects. I didn't have QT issues, but it did knock my heart rate down into the low 30s at random times, including while I was riding my bike (I had to give up the bike for the several months I was on it for fear of passing out).

Coincidentally, I was on Tikosyn when I went to Natale for my final ablation. I told him I'd tried Multaq before and it simply didn't work for me, so I thought Tikosyn would be a better choice post-ablation. He just nodded and smiled. After the ablation the nurse came in with my dose of... Multaq. I told her I'd spoken to Natale and we agreed I would be taking Tikosyn, not Multaq. So she said she'd wait until he arrived. When he did, I reminded him that Multaq simply didn't work for me, it didn't prevent my flutter. He just smiled again and said, "But you don't have flutter anymore." He has an amazingly disarming manner. I couldn't think of a good response, so Multaq it was.

And he was right. It was the perfect drug for that particular circumstance. It kept me out of afib/flutter for a month with zero side effects. I know it did because I tried to stop it early, and that didn't go well. So I went back on it for another week or two and then stopped, and all was well.

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Carey


And he was right. It was the perfect drug for that particular circumstance. It kept me out of afib/flutter for a month with zero side effects. I know it did because I tried to stop it early, and that didn't go well. So I went back on it for another week or two and then stopped, and all was well.

do you need to go in hosptial to get on Multaq?

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bettylou4488
do you need to go in hosptial to get on Multaq?

No.

It's said it can be bad for the liver...
I think tikosyn is not available, but I'm not sure about that.
All HR drugs are potentially dangerous. Here we have a very good "official" (obligatory) health insurance.
There are "not covered" meds, which means they are not prescribed. It does not necessarily means they are forbidden, of course, but you'll not find them.

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Pompon
It's said it can be bad for the liver...
I think tikosyn is not available, but I'm not sure about that.
All HR drugs are potentially dangerous. Here we have a very good "official" (obligatory) health insurance.
There are "not covered" meds, which means they are not prescribed. It does not necessarily means they are forbidden, of course, but you'll not find them.

I do get regular blood tests. if it isn't available I'm taking sugar pills and that explains everything LOL!!! We have new insurance starting today .... I checked before husband took the job to see if that and xeralto was covered. it is thankfully!