Alternatives to Flecainide

Please forgive me for asking a question that I'm sure has been asked before.

I've been on flecainide since my afib returned 13 months after my Bordeaux ablation. It hasn't been possible to get back there yet due to the pandemic but Flecainide has done an excellent job of keeping my heart in rhythm.

However, I don't feel well on it. Is there an alternative that is just as effective?

Thanks
Sam

There are several, but are you sure it's the flecainide? Flecainide is usually given along with metoprolol or diltiazem, both of which can cause fatigue, especially metoprolol. Are you also taking one of those drugs?

I do well with Tenormin (Atenolol). I’m no longer taking the Flecainide/Tenormin combo but remained on Tenormin after stopping flecainide for my tachycardia. It’s an older drug but I never had any problems. Tenormin also stopped my PVCs post ablation cold turkey-so that’s a plus.

Before I had my ablation 6 years ago, my Cardiologist had me on Disopyramide, which I was told was an older drug. I've been told subsequently that it was an unusual choice. It did an excellent job for me for several years before the afib overpowered it. I had no side effects on it whatsoever.

Carey. Not on any other medication, just the Flecainide.

In 2012 I started taking flec daily, after starting afib in 2004 and nearly immediately having a 2 1/2 month episode. In 2012 my, up to then stellar afib control deteriorated coincident with a divorce. After reading a post by Hans, I started taking ginger and titrated off the flec over about a month. This is a PDF I wrote at the time: [afibbers.org] I ultimately realized that my worse control in 2012 and part of 2013 was due to excess calcium. When I decreased calcium intake I no longer needed the ginger, however it was effective during the time I used it. So I only took flec daily for about a month.

This is a Google search of our site on ginger. I know that some others have had success with ginger & afib. [www.google.com]

Ginger interacts with some drugs and supplements and anti-coagulants and beta blockers. Sadly I miss my ginger ale.
[www.webmd.com]
[www.drugs.com]
[www.researchgate.net]
[consumer.healthday.com]

Something to keep in mind:
[www.mayoclinic.org]
[www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov]

Ginkgo Biloba gave me a real bad afib. My cardiologist told me she knew it triggered it and to stop taking Ginkgo biloba. FYI.
Milk thistle may interact with flecainide. I check this site before starting something new.
[www.mayoclinic.org]



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 10/29/2021 09:43PM by susan.d.

I checked the site www.mayoclinc.org and put the drug Xarelto in and they said that you can take aspirin with the drug. Yet everybody says not to do that. My EP told me not to take aspirin but if needed to take Tylenol. So who is right.

Some of the times I was ecv, I had to take a baby aspirin even though the ER knew I’m anal with Eliquis dosing. Those times my IV site really became bruised afterwards.

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Elizabeth
I checked the site www.mayoclinc.org and put the drug Xarelto in and they said that you can take aspirin with the drug. Yet everybody says not to do that. My EP told me not to take aspirin but if needed to take Tylenol. So who is right.

They both are. You can take aspirin with Xarelto (or any of the anticoagulants), and sometimes it's warranted, but they have an additive effect on bleeding risk so you shouldn't combine them without good reason and without medical guidance.

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susan.d
Ginger interacts with some drugs and supplements and anti-coagulants. Sadly I miss my ginger ale.

Ginger can have blood thinning properties, so be wary of combining it with a blood thinner.

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Sam
Carey. Not on any other medication, just the Flecainide.

Flecainide, as Carey said, is usually prescribed with a betablocker.
I've been given Flec with (too invalidating) and without a BB. The last time I took Flec (as PIP) without a BB, I got about 10hrs of AFlutter. Happily, I stayed at 125 BPM and self reverted spontaneously.

Flec had another unwanted effect for me: "conduction" problems in my heart chambers when reaching 110-120 BPM. Very frightening as it may give VFib-like ECG tracings!
Same phenomenon with propafenone, which is in the same class of HR drug.

Rhythm drugs are serious stuff. I don't want being prescribed any of them any more.
When I get afib, I always self revert to NSR without drugs. This after 4 ablation procedures.
I'd go for a fifth rather than taking those dangerous drugs.

Flecainide also worked for me until I realized (and educated my EP) it was causing conduction
isuues at around 115 bpm. Sharp pain in chest like heart attack. I was told repeatedly it wasnt the medicine
but it was. I found the identical case in a med journal and presented it. after two years of thinking i was crazy
i stopped the med and it cleared up that condition . These drugs altho helpful can also cause issues for some of us

Quote
tsco
Flecainide also worked for me until I realized (and educated my EP) it was causing conduction
isuues at around 115 bpm. Sharp pain in chest like heart attack. I was told repeatedly it wasnt the medicine
but it was. I found the identical case in a med journal and presented it. after two years of thinking i was crazy
i stopped the med and it cleared up that condition . These drugs altho helpful can also cause issues for some of us

Learning I'm not alone is reassuring, even if it does not change the issue...