I get Afib abt every 6 weeks, for which Dr prescribed Amiodarone to stop it (which it does eventually) then I take nothing for weeks. He says take Propafenone daily--anyone try this?
Have you read the warnings on it? Google brought this up. Propafenone has not been shown to improve the rate of survival in patients with an abnormal heart rhythm. For this reason, propafenone should only be used for certain life-threatening abnormal heart rhythms. Talk with your doctor about the risks and benefits of using propafenone.
Mind you Amiodarone says much the same.
Hi! k81655...I don't want to alarm You but Amiodarone is one of if not the most Toxic of all the Medications for AFib & I say this because I took it on & off. I had a Catheter Ablation back in Jan of '2010. It helped Pace me because I was told by the elctrophysioloigist who performed it that oftentimes people will still experience AFib after an Ablation shortly after it. I was Happy with it at first because it didn't bother me & kept me in Sinus Rythym for aout 6 mos. I stopped taking it & still remained in NSR for the rest of the 6 months of that year then I began having AFib Episodes again. I tried other Meds & nothing worked. I was admmitted to the County Hospital & put in ICU They were trying everything in an IV but nothing was working . I asked if they would give me a drip of IV as I was desperate to get out of AFib. They didn't want to give it to me but I insisited & not too long after I converted so they gave me a prescription & when I started taking I began having the worst side effects. First of all it discolored my skin on my right arm, then I began to get real weak & was walking on a slant. My gait changed basically. I thought I was dying. I stopped taking it. Please! Research Amiodarone. I was a little Younger & I think my body (maybe others can relate to this) when it is in certain modes of physicality can sometimes handle things & other times can not but then again this AFib is a REAL ENIGMA. Just be ProActive about any meds You're prescribed. I read posts all the time of AFibers who are so furstrated with being presribed Meds that dont work for AFib but add other problems. AFib in itself is the Worst to have to deal with along with the anxiety of anticipation of when the next one will strike, depression & overall lost quality of life. They don't know what causes it & it seems to have so many triggers both physical, mental & emotional. It's a difficult condition to juggle on Your won but Drs. are not certain either so it's a catch 22. I've been plagued with it for 20 years now. I have a stressful job but can't leave because I am trapped with this AFib. I'm a caregiver for a 74 year old woman with Dementia Early Onset Alzheimer's. That in itself is extremely Depressing & I've been having Episodes every 3 days for 28 hours. ;( My poor Heart is worn out, exhausted & sad. I know there are other people out there who suffer worse than me so I don't feel sorry for myself but I Cry everyday because I feel so doomed.
I'm 62 & I want to go out into the world & enjoy the rest of my life so I'm on a Quest to find an answer somewhere out there in this big World. I read a lot of posts on many sites of how people cured themselves so I'm hopeful. You're not alone. If You feel You are sometimes just get on here & go to other sites & People are Very Supportive & Helpful & impart Good Info. Be Strong, Stay Strong. I Believe together we can find an answer...
To EVeryone who reads this...PLEASE! Excuse my TYPOS. THank You!...
Never heard of it I'm sorry ?
Hi Derek , I take Betaloc 190 mg daily and they say that it prolongs life so who knows ???
Hi k8
First may i know how old are you? You say every 6 weeks you get afib? Seems like you have an internal alarm in your heart
Hahahaha. So you can schedule vacations in between? I envy you k81655. Im not a dr. But ive been taking amiodarone for ever. Im 56.until to the point my GP taken me off of it. Because instead of regulating my hb it triggered it flutter. Bummer may say. My point is you have to take amiodarone not once or thrice. This drug has to be taken in a certain time before it takes effect.. propafenone? Yes i guess you have to take it daily low dose.. It keeps your heart in check. Mind you. What i know is that there is no one drug fits all. Im my experience.. I had to switch to certain other beta blockers. Which suited me...
Hey happybeatz
What can i say? For a while i thought i was the helpless, desperate, worst scenario case here in this site.
Nothing compared to you.. I feel you man.. I'm 56. And can't afford an ablation. Or cardioversion.in short poor..cardio dr's here are expensive. Especially the best ones. And yes i talk to myself to keep up my spirits. I envy all the normal people i see. Sometimes. Asking myself i'd rather be. Blind or no limbs.instead of this ordeal. of course i still never loose faith. Im afraid my meds im taking presently will wear off. And my GP will prescribe with a new one. Ive tried several of the heart meds. And most of them works for a while and my afib. Comes back. And there are limited drugs left. Its a bummer. Getting a decent sleep is hard to come by.. Yes poor old heart of ours. Well, just do our best living , adapting one day at a time..
Yes I'm on Propafenone , and usually take it 1-3 times a day, it works ok but I'm tired of taking medication!
So sad to read your email ... I was on Amiodarone and can identify with the dreadful effects it had .... Have your doctors considered Flecainide ? Although it also has side effects, they are minor compared to Amiodarone.
All the best,
Zena
Hi zena, how are you? Yes after my dreadfull bout with amiodarone. My cardio. Prescribed me ASAP with flecainide Tambocor. . my cardio insisted to take this drug. As needed, if ever my regular daily meds dont work.. I may call it last hope meds. And the time came i was driving . I had a sudden episode of afib.tried to collect myself. Since i knew i had flecainide to control it.. My afib was really baf and i had to drink flecainide. Actualy nothing happened. It made my afib much worst. I had to pull over. And rest. Tried to nap a little." sometimes it helps" got home late. Went to see my cardio the next day. And told me. Thatt was the best effective drug he could prescribe me. " said to myself are you kidding"
He said ok ill give you. Bisoprolol. Locally known here in manila sa concor. 2.5 mgs Told me to take it twice a day . i just said to myself. Ive been taking expensive drugs but to no avail. What could this 25 peso drug do to help me. Well i had nothing to lose
So i took the meds my Dr. Gave me.. Praise god.. It worked. Not 100% but 85%. My life. Went to dead to living again. A would do anything in Moderation. Just not the heavy ones. I hope meds work for me for ever... I just want to share to others that some meds work and dont work. Just trust your dr....
GARRY I have been taking Amio for 3 years now, 200 mg once a day. I have no problems so for this year I cut the pills in half, Doc says "on your own head be it" NO one on here ever says what actual dose of Amio they take??? Do you know?
I suppose anything that reduces your BP will do that.
Hi jay.
May i ask how old are you and whats the reason for taking amiodarone? Co'z the first time i took amiodarone was 20 yrs ago. 3 times a day for 1week. Then once a day for 2 yrs. I never got the chance to read the literature about the meds and its side effect. Coz i trusted my dr. Now after 20 yrs. My afib came back. And done the routine all over again.. But this time. It did not work anymore. Guess my heart was resistant to this med "lol" yes to my experience
I was allowed to cut my amiodarone in half.. Until i asked my Cardio. If he could change it.. Remmember my friend ...one Medicine doesn't fit all.
You should Google the history of Amiodarone.
Hi Gary, Thanks for asking .... my discussion with the doc resulted in a referral for an appointment with a cardio to discuss my meds. These things move quite slowly over here (UK) unless you are a private patient, so I am now waiting for the referral letter ... will let u know what happens then. Hope all is as good with you as can be, best wishes, Zena
Hi Zena
Oh is that so? At least your country has a system
Thats why things work out there. Here in manila as long as you pay cash. Referals is easy. Gp here dont even give reciepts lol. Ah well nice to hear that you are going to check with a cardio...your'e going to be alright. Oh by the way. My only daughter is a registered staff nurse going to work there in u.k. in a months time.. Im just happy .. My work is done... Take care Zena.. Please update me of the good news
.
Were it not for girls from your county our NHS would come to a halt.
Our local hospital sent people out to interview potential staff.
My next door neighbour is a specialist wounds nurse from Poland. He first worked at a hospital in Wolverhampton. He looked around and said This s not the England that I know from books and movies.
He soon moved to Sussex that is more like that England.
I hope that your daughter does well here and likes our country. When my wife was a nurse she used to help a lot of the foreign nurses with their English.
Propafanone is a terrible drug. I was on it for nine months and it did nothing to regulate my heartbeat. I finally told the doctor I wanted to get off it. Once I was off it all of the terrible negative side effects disappeared. I would never go on it again.
for those of you that have seen my post before, I have now been told that my ablation surgery done in March did not work. I just spent five days in the hospital having a pacemaker implanted. This will not cure my afib. It will only pace my heart so that it does not pause or stop. They want me to have a second ablation surgery once I have recovered from the pacemaker surgery since they think a "touch-up" ablation with stop the afib. I a so sick and depressed from all of this. It seems when they say the doctors are practicing medicine, they are practicing on Me!!
Another actual ablation or an AV Node ablation to make you pacemaker dependent ?