PC, Your personal experiences re disopyramide give me at least some hope for an option "after flecainide". My EP said there would be nothing but amiodaron, which I wouldn't take by no means and tikosyn which I fear also. Thank you for your info. Gertby Gert - AFIBBERS FORUM
Gregg, You have no idea how frequently, even now, digitalis and amiodarone are prescribed as first line meds for LAF, vagal or otherwise. I know of no long term negative effects of disopyramide. If you hear of any, please let us know. I think it's important to separate the many excellent suggestions for general health that are posted repeatedly on this BB from those that specifically aby PC - AFIBBERS FORUM
Kerry, I think most cardiologists would agree that flecainide is better than disopyramide in converting an episode already in progress. However, disopyramide is particularly good at preventing the start of an episode. If flecainide works for you, I wouldn't rock the boat. I think its main danger is at the start of therapy, i.e., idiosyncratic reaction, especially in those with subclinicaby PC - AFIBBERS FORUM
PC, I have been using flecainide on demand (as mentioned on this board). It works beautifully for me. My episodes always start at night (totally vagal). I take the flec at onset and then in the morning and I convert like clockwork in 12-14 from onset. Questions: 1. what is your overall view of taking antiarrhythmics prn? 2. Is flecainide less likely to lose efficacy if used this way? 3. Mby Kerry - AFIBBERS FORUM
Gert, Your cardiologist seems a bit confused or at least inexperienced on this point. Flecainide is a much more dangerous drug. Many MDs will not initiate therapy without hospitalizing the patient in advance to cover themselves, at least medicolegally. Disopyramide is less dangerous but has decidedly stronger vagolytic properties. My experience with flecainide parallels yours. I too took 20by PC - AFIBBERS FORUM
PC, Have you ever been on flecainide ? If yes, how did it work for you - compared to disopyramide ? Would you say - as my EP does - that diso is a far "weaker" drug than flec - so it would not make much sense to change over if flecainide starts loosing effect ? Currently I'm on flecainide on demand (200mg at onset) - but the intervals between my bouts are getting shorter and shortby Gert - AFIBBERS FORUM
John, q3h means every 3 hours. This is a physical q3h reminder to me that I'm 1) lucky that my health problems are presently limited to just LAF 2) lucky to have such an effective med to address it. PC PS I could easily have given up on disopyramide at the recommended daily dosage and moved on to something else. We're all different and must pick our own path toward improvement.by PC - AFIBBERS FORUM
Happy New Year fibbers, While Ive been reading the BB posts Ive continued to experiment and contemplate the LAF mystery. Ive seen many posts touting the ablation approach. Im sure many of you will agree that this route is most tantalizing. However, this post will hopefully encourage some of you with a prominent vagal component to persist in your search for a medical (v. surgical) solution.by PC - AFIBBERS FORUM
Hi all, I am 48 years old and have had LAF for about 3 years now and luckily have always been able to stop the afib by excercising. I now have 2-3 episodes a month but very mild. If I dont excercise they last about 2 days. Once I excercise, usually running or biking they stay away for a week or so and I can stop the afib as early as 2 hours after onset. I just started taking Disopyramide 2 weeby Paul - AFIBBERS FORUM
Micah, If you have the vagal variety of lone afib then Toprol is exactly the wrong drug for you and is more than likely responsible for the increased frequency of episodes. Sotalol would not be any better for you. You'll probably be better off with no drugs, but if you do feel you need something then flecainide or disopyramide would be the drugs of choice. According to my surveys of closby Hans Larsen - AFIBBERS FORUM
Kevin, I also take disopyramide for its vagolytic properties. It seems to me that Viagra could be quite beneficial to a VMAFer (vagally mediated AFer). from page 104 of Hans' book Researchers at the Mayo Clinic report that sildenafil (Viagra) can increase sympathetic nerve activity by as much as 141% and norepinephrine release by more than 30%. Probably not a good choice for afibbers witby PC - AFIBBERS FORUM
Kevin, Hello, Norpace is a Type I antiarrhtymic. The type I antiarrhythmic drugs (sodium channel blockers). This is similiar to quinidine. Here are the drug interactions of Norpace: phenytoin or other hepatic enzyme inducers are taken concurrently with Norpace or Norpace CR, lower plasma levels of disopyramide may occur. Monitoring of disopyramide plasma levels is recommended inby J. Pisano - AFIBBERS FORUM
Some years ago my then cardio referred me for gastroscopy and that examination confirmed dismotility, hiatal pouch and acid reflux. There is no doubt that AF and Gerd/Hiatus Hernia are linked. I take Lansoprazole to control the acid but since changing my diet, have had very few GERD problems. AF is currently under control with Disopyramide - great stuff so far, hope it holds! 61 year old vagal Afby Bill - AFIBBERS FORUM
Nel, I have compiled a list of drugs used to treat arrythmia and heart related problems, see below Generic Name (Brand Names) Based on the phonetics of your mystery drug, I would say it probably belongs in the beta blocker category. I don't know of anything that quite sounds like that.... Useful to know: Anti-Arrythmics usually end in an "ide" Calcium Channelby J. Pisano - AFIBBERS FORUM
ANP, Baroreflex, Ion Channels, Fever, Vagal Tone and Disopyramide Part I. (ANP and the Baroreflex) There has been considerable speculation that something builds up to initiate an episode of AF and this buildup is rectified by the episode and finally terminated. This seems to lead to a repeating cycle with a specific episode duration and interval between episodes that is unique for each individuby PC - AFIBBERS FORUM
Hi folks, Had another visit from our friend last night...... only 3 weeks after the last (10/10) which, for me, is a little discouraging since some 11 months of NSR had elapsed between the episode of 10/10 and the one before it. (Although I obviously appreciate that AF almost invariably occurs more frequently with the passing of time - it's just that one hopes that with dietery and lifestylby Mike F. V42 - AFIBBERS FORUM
Gregg, This theory is definitely on the radar. If you visit the Proceedings of the Conference Room, Session 1 was devoted to this very topic. Sessions 4 and 5 specifically address glutamate and its possible role in all this. Many have made the same observation that your first post contains. Fran's glutamate being the culprit makes a lot of sense. Your last post about how the AF process dby PC - AFIBBERS FORUM
I always had bad indegestion after a breakfast of cereal (wheat). Now I have fruit only and the indegestion has gone entirely. I have a couple of sandwiches for lunch and I have noticed I get terrible bloating and wind within a hour of eating them. This might be a wheat allergy so I am cutting the carbs and bread in particular right down. I am 61 and have vagal AF (currently well controlled by Diby Bill - AFIBBERS FORUM
Doug, I have had some success in the past using voluntary apnea (breath holding) to terminate an episode. This is akin to a Valsalva maneuver and may work through the same mechanism. Several websites have talked about this and one reported it as being called kapalabhata, a kind of breathing in yoga. I have found that on occasion it works for me, a vagal AFer, only for those infrequent episodby PC - AFIBBERS FORUM