Atrial Fibrillation (AFib) Support Group

Atrial fibrillation (AF or afib) is an abnormal heart rhythm (cardiac arrhythmia) which involves the two small, upper heart chambers (the atria). Heart beats in a normal heart begin after electricity generated in the atria by the sinoatrial node spread through the heart and cause contraction of the heart muscle and pumping of blood.

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auntymo 03/31/2014

Hi all,

Q "Flecainide produces its helpful effects by slowing nerve impulses in the heart and making the heart tissue less sensitive." Do others find that it slows down your thinking too?

Seems I only look at these posts when I think I am going into AF! It's a wonderful thing, knowing I can go somewhere to find out info when it's almost midnight, the house is quiet and my mind is racing.

I have had a week of clusters of AF - more than ectopic, but not out for more than a minute. Took my fisrt PIP dose of 50mg flecainide a week ago and it helped the episodes to stop. Now I am wondering about taking another PIP (it's midnight here in NZ and I'm ready for bed)

I just got up because lying on my back in bed bought on another cluster of AF. Guess it is logical to take the PIP, then I can rest easy.

Certainly when my back is "out" or I eat lots not long before going to bed it doesn't help.

Thanks M

lchandless 03/31/2014

My husband felt like he was in a fog when he was on it. :) Lisa

SameDayNurse 03/31/2014

I can only say that I have absolutely no effects whatsoever on any level from taking Flecainide except that I stay in NSR.....I am bradycardic ( slow heart rate ) 40-50's but I was always just barely at a HR of 60 even pre flecainide. I take a steady low dose twice a day and have it as PIP along with Atenolol which I rarely need due to my HR being so low , I have never hesitated to take an extra dose when I have had an episode , my Dr tells me to take an extra 50mg, wait half an hour and take it again and then depending on heart rate take 25mg of Atenolol , only once have I had to do all 3 mostly the first extra dose does it. As a sodium channel blocker the flecainide decreases the sensitivity of the heart to arrythmia but you must have a healthy heart to take it. Best of luck to you and I will think good NSR thoughts for you cause I know it absolutely sucks.....jan

auntymo 03/31/2014

Thanks Jan and Lisa. I too have a sense of being in a fog at times. Like existing thru a cotton wool layer in my brain.

When I first went on it it was as if I had been run over by a truck and I couldn't walk very far for a few days. Then it came right and my heart slowed from a resting of around 90 to60-70 which was a huge relief.

I took a PIP dose last night 50mg flecainide as I had clusters of aF lasting 20-30 seconds. Bit foggy fist thing this morning but not so bad now. M

marikay234 04/01/2014

Like Jan, I have not noticed any side effects from flecainide. I also take it twice a day.
Since you take it as a PIP when you have afib...possibly the fogginess you describe is more from the after effects of the afib episode??
Just a thought.
Take care.

chubabubba 04/01/2014

I was on it for about two or three weeks and had a terrible headache the whole time. Once I stopped taking it, I was fine. Never again!

snowshoedude 04/05/2014

I am among those who did not like Flec (post ablation preventative for 3 months) while I was on it. My heart felt like it was being squeezed and looking back on it, it felt like I was being poisoned - perhaps because I have live my life mostly drug free except for the year before my ablation when I was taking thinner - and taking antibiotics a few times. I think the fog feeling might be common among drugs that are metabolized in the liver (that's my pedestrian uninformed observation!). Hope never to have to take that stuff again.

auntymo 04/06/2014

Thanks all, going to do my best to avoid triggers so I don't need to double the dose as my SP recommends ;)

Agree re effect on liver. Think when all is going well and I am eating a diet kind to my liver, my body can handle it, when not then all the fog and side effects are worsened.

deleted_user 04/07/2014

Hi all. Im new to this site and taking flecanaide twice daily. total of 300 mg. the side effect are to such and doc sez its not the meds, any feedback thx...............

nhnmnh 04/08/2014

I'm on flecainide, twice a day for a total of 200 mg, for almost 8 months now, and have not had any side effects from it. The beta blocker, which I started a few weeks earlier, made me tired at first, but that went away over a week or two. I wonder if some of the side effects people notice might be due to a combination of meds like that, or more likely to happen when a med is used in a PIP approach, when your body doesn't have a chance to get used to it.

Orchard25 04/08/2014

Don't think it is just flec. that causes the. "Slow thinking that you refer to" as I take Sotalol twice daily and get those episodes.

Sorry that you aren't feeling good and hope ur fib settles down really soon and u can get some sleep. How often do u take the Flec. I wish my Dr would let me do PIP. When you say u have a-fib episodes does your heart beat fast and h.b irregular? Or, do u just get skipped beats? I get confused as the only thing I know to be a-fib is the racing h.b. and wildly erratic h.b. I think u are doing the right thing taking another pill and hope it works for u! I get skipped h.b but not like afib
Hugs - good night and sleep tight:)
Christine

deleted_user 04/09/2014

I'm afraid I'm one of the ones who didn't handle Flecainide very well. It made my afib so much worse, some of the longest, scariest episodes ever for me. My doctor wanted me to double the dose, but I just couldn't do it. I'm on Rythmol now and still have afib once or twice a week, but they've been shorter and milder, so I'm still planning to go through with an ablation in a few weeks

acrossthepond 04/09/2014

Sorry to hear that the medicine didnt do the job. :(
Does your EP think he/she can end the a-fib with an ablation? Is the date set?
Take care!!

deleted_user 04/09/2014

Apparently he does. It's set for April 23, just 2 short weeks from today!

finocchio 09/24/2015

I've been on it for 6 months but continue to get some nightmares whic as a man at 68 never experienced before.
Does anybody else have sleeping problems taking this medication?

Hwkmn 09/24/2015

I m so thankful my last and never to be used again Cardio prescribed Flecainide. It drove me straight into the arms of the best Naturalpath doctor who has my AF under control better than any MD to date. No, I dont know how anyone tolerates this black box warning top 10 most dangerous med.

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