Atrial Fibrillation (AFib) Support Group

I take Diltiazem only when I go into Afib. I also take Sotalol every day for my Afib. The Diltiazem brings my heart rate down so my afib is more tolerable. I take only one and repeat 7 hours later if still in Afib. Before adding this pill, I would have to go to the ER every time I went into Afib because my heart rate was so high. I would get nauseous, dizzy and almost pass out if I stood up.

I take 480 mg. of Diltiazem a day. I think its the kind that lasts for 24 hours. It has slowed my heart own considerably and I can't even feel the AF most of the time. I also take 25 mg. of Metoprlil which does the same thing. Together they seem to work fine. I have cronic AF but I don't feel it unless I get stressed out or eat a large meal. I thank God for these pills because I was terrible before I switched to a new cardiologist who put me on them.

When I was first diagnoised with a-fib, the doctor put me on diltiazem. I had no side effects from it, but it did nothing to help with my a-fib. Then the doctor had me take a combo of Sotalol and Dilitazem and it did help my a-fib and flutter for awhile.

I was just like JB except that it did help for awhile. Now I am looking at ablasion.

Following my ablation in February which was apparently successful, I stopped all other meds except aspirin and diltiazem. Diltiazem works only to slow your heart beat, but it isn't an antiarrythmic drug. Slowing your heart rate might make you think you are in normal rhythm because the rate is slower and you may not feel the a-fib. Apparently, for the first year after ablation, the heart rate tends to be too high and the dialtiazem helps with that.