It will probably work for a while, Flecanide is stronger and better I think but everyone is different. I'm assuming you have very little symptoms since you did not run in to the ER. If your symptoms are not bad and you're on Eliquis, what are your concerns? I've been on both and never started either in the hospital. It does not seem there are a lot of Dr's who still use electro-cardioversion and from what I have read most times it is just temporary.

I'm more concerned that it won't work, I'll have to get "shocked" and then need an ablation down the road. I realize all these have relatively little risk but I'd rather avoid a medical procedure if I can. So just hoping it works. (I also read that you need a catheter "down there" when you have an ablation so that makes me a little more nervous!)

While in Afib I don't have a lot of bad symptoms although I can tell. My HR this morning at the doctor was 102 and my BP was something like 112/70.

Not sure why he didn't choose Flecanide....although I did see the Rythmol drug rep was handing out $100 bills in the hallway (just kidding!).

He told me last visit that when they tried an antiarythmic drug I would have to go into the hospital even if I wasn't in Afib at the time. So that must be the process they follow.

i hear you, I'm not fond of medical procedures either. I did try it but it did not work for more than a few weeks when I started having break thur's. Flecanide did work but then they found structural issues and took me off. I wouldn't get shocked if you don't want to, like I said that is an ancient treatment.

I sometimes use Rythmol for PIP (use only when I get an episode)
It works!!!!

I am hoping for the very best for you!!!!!!.......Hope you convert soon, hope the Rythmol is the Answer for you!

I raise my Water goblet to your success!!!

I am on Rythmol as a PIP. It works pretty well to get me out of my episodes. I have still had some last over 10 hours, but most are alot less since I started Rythmol. I started mine at home, but the cardiologist said he preferred I not go on a steady does due to potential side effects. Did you Doc. talk to you about those?

Best wishes for a chemical cardioversion with Rythmol. I have two good friends for whom the low dose 225mg SR Rythmol is working very well to prevent recurrence of afib. i was not responsive to Rythmol, but I had not side effects either. Altogether, Rythmol is a very safe drug. They will monitor you for 5-6 doses to make sure very rare side effect is not observed. Intriguingly, this side effect (namely long QT interval greater than 450 millisecond that can lead to a ventricular tachycardia) can only be ruled out when you are in normal sinus rhythm. Note also that sometimes electrical cardioversion is needed to generate the normal sinus rhythm for the drug to maintain. If you are being cared for by a doctor who is taking the extra precaution to hospitalize you for Rythmol loading, you can be sure they will also take every precaution for an electrical cardioversion should that be needed. Hopefully you are already in NSR! Are you in Columbus by any chance?

SEAN
Please tell me about your cardioversion?
I sent you a message on your profile page!
I am having one done tomorrow with Versed a Fentanyl.
I am scared, so any info you can give me would be helpful?
Hope everyone can get an answer to problems. Happy NSR.

Just wanted to provide an update.

I went into the hospital Tuesday and got my first dose of Rythmol at 9:30 AM. At 1 the nurse came and I told him I think I'm back in rhythm. (When I'm in afib for multiple days I barely notice I'm in it.) He told me I'd been in NSR since 11 am.

Wednesday they cancelled the electric cardioversion since I was still in NSR and basically told me to hang out in the hospital room.

Yesterday they put me on a treadmill to get my HR up to make sure it was reacting okay under the Rythmol and it was.

So far it's working great. I haven't noticed any side effects although my mind I was a little foggy this morning. Every time I feel tightness or anything in the heart area I start stressing that the Afib is back, but hopefully over time I'll stop doing that. It was very odd being in the hospital for 3 days not feeling bad and being told to just hang out. But I guess if I had the bad side effects that's where they'd want me to be.

On some of the questions asked above. I was having Afib 3 or 4 (or more) times a week, so PIP wasn't a good option. My cardiologist said Rythmol is his go-to drug for patients like me (healthy heart with paroxysmal Afib) because we typically tolerate it well. The really bad side effect is what Sean mentioned (long QT interval), which is why they monitored me for 3 days to make sure I didn't have it.

As for why they would use electrical cardioversion, they told me that it's possible the Rythmol could keep me in NSR but may not get me into NSR. So they were going to shock me on day 2 if I wasn't in NSR before that.

So far so good...I'm hoping that it will last forever, or at least a few years. My plan is to start walking and lose more weight than the 30 pounds I lost 2 years ago. I'm still technically obese according to the BMI so while I did lose a lot of weight, I'm still not at a healthy weight. So hopefully this will buy me some time to accomplish that and maybe that will help prevent the Afib instead of having to rely on Rythmol or ablation to do it. It certainly can't hurt.

Happy for you .. Sounds like you have a plan - please keep us updated - it is so good to hear the positive results of AF medicine

Charlene

I was Rythmol for 1 month. The regular type verses the long acting one worked better. It didn't work for me so I had to discontinue it. I hope it works for you!