Multaq vs Felcainide

Just wondering about anyone's experiences with Multaq and Flecainide... are they similar? Side effects? Has anyone been on one of the two drugs whose effects wore off and so switched to the other and it worked?

No, they're not similar. Multaq's mechanism of action isn't fully understood and it has characteristics of all four classes of antiarrhythmic drugs while flecainide is clearly a class I drug.

I've been on both, flecainide first. I didn't change because it stopped working, but rather my circumstances changed. Multaq and flecainide were both useless against my flutter. But following my ablation that finally stopped both my afib and flutter, Natale had me on Multaq for a month. It served well in that role to keep my heart calmed down.

All in all, I would describe Multaq as a mild antiarrhythmic with few side effects. It's always worth a try for that reason. If it works for you, great! If it doesn't, then it doesn't.

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Sdweller
Just wondering about anyone's experiences with Multaq and Flecainide... are they similar? Side effects? Has anyone been on one of the two drugs whose effects wore off and so switched to the other and it worked?

I’ve been on both—first Flecainide, which worked pretty well until the dose increases my EP made caused serious side-effects. Then I was on Multaq which worked fairly well for the first few months and then became pretty useless in preventing Afib/flutter. I had an ablation and was put on Multaq for a couple months after with no problems.

I have been on Multaq for about one year after my ablation on August 4, 2022 and it has held me in rhythm through intensely hot tennis matches of 3 hours, and other stressors. I don't think I have had flutter (yet) though. No side effects. I think I am lucky as it is such a mild medication.

I had an ablation with Natale on May 30th of this year, addressing atrial flutter. 2 to 3 weeks later my heart began days of tachycardia. I was started on Multaq for a few months which helped a little, but not enough. Was switched to 100 mg of flecainide with 6.25 mg Metroprolol (a 25 mg tablet, quartered) twice/day, and my heart has been excellent ever since. I guess we're all different in our responses.
(Since it's the end of the blanking period, I've been instructed to reduce the flecainide to see if the ablation will negate further use of it. -Will be interesting to see how this goes).

I'll be very interested to see how it goes off the Flecainide for you... I've been on the Flec for 3 years since my ablation, which did not work and had to stay on the Flec...everything was great until a few weeks ago, and i started having some runs of svt and a few short bursts of afib. I've upped the dosage so hoping it will hold. Good luck I'm hoping you will be good off the Flec!!!

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Sdweller
I've upped the dosage so hoping it will hold.

Here's hoping--though keep in mind the upper limits on dosing: under 154 lbs--no more than 200 mg per day. Over 154=no more than 300 mg per day.

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Sdweller
I'll be very interested to see how it goes off the Flecainide for you... I've been on the Flec for 3 years since my ablation, which did not work and had to stay on the Flec...everything was great until a few weeks ago, and i started having some runs of svt and a few short bursts of afib. I've upped the dosage so hoping it will hold. Good luck I'm hoping you will be good off the Flec!!!

Me too!