How to control side effects of flecainide/metoprolol?

Posted by gja @gja, Jul 16, 2023

Male , 75. Have pvc’s that have run rampant, 18/min. Ablasion didn’t work. Taking 125 mg flecainide and 25 mg metoprolol daily. Has reduced frequency, but side effects horrible—light head, fatigue. Any ideas what to do?

Interested in more discussions like this? Go to the Heart Rhythm Conditions Support Group.

Be very careful if you have flecainide symptoms. It caused my husband to pass out while driving and he crashed into a telephone pole and totaled the car. It absolutely was due to flecainide for him, so be careful.

REPLY
@r0secrane

Before and after my cardiogram procedure (a procedure to treat AFIB) I was put on Flecainide. . I recently discontinued taking it but am experiencing severe muscle weakness in all my joints and arthritis in both hands. Has anyone had the same experience?

Jump to this post

Hello there,
I took flex abide for two month and discontinued due to my blood sugar dropping and other bad side effects.
I felt really weak and had mild joint pain for about one week. After that it slowly got better. Took about three weeks for me. I now take the flecanide off and on as needed because everything I have tried causes me even more problems. Hope this helps. Be well!
I am female, 64. Had PVCs for three years now.

REPLY

Flecainide almost killed me causing an erratic heart rate and low BP. It took two days to clear it out of my system. My heart paused 6 to 9 seconds several times one day. At the low, my BP was 40 over something.

My choices then were either another anti-arrhythmia drug (No thank you) or a Pacemaker. I choose the latter.

This is a horrible example of doctors at a major university hospital system not following procedure and not listening to the patient. I always had chronic AFib, which a Holter Monitor would have discovered. Flecainide is contraindicated in those cases, and neither ablation or Cardioversion will make it disappear.

REPLY
@vmwjbc

I have been on Flecanide for a year now .
Why did you stop taking the medicine?
Since you stopped you have this problem????

Jump to this post

It has been 3-4 months since I stopped taking Flecainide . It was just this past week when I noticed my fingers were no longer swollen. I couldn't believe it! I can now wear my rings again .
Then I realized that my joint swelling was also gone,
I had read some info on possible side effects of Flecainide and a 3-4 month recovery time once off of it. ....They sure were right !!

REPLY
@r0secrane

It has been 3-4 months since I stopped taking Flecainide . It was just this past week when I noticed my fingers were no longer swollen. I couldn't believe it! I can now wear my rings again .
Then I realized that my joint swelling was also gone,
I had read some info on possible side effects of Flecainide and a 3-4 month recovery time once off of it. ....They sure were right !!

Jump to this post

How were you able to get off flecainide

REPLY
Please sign in or register to post a reply.