Have been on Flecainide for about 10 years now - and one of the lucky ones who has no side effects. I have atrial fibrillation, and am not a candidate for ablation. Flecainide pulled my heart rate from bursts of 185 down to normal rate. Not everyone is this lucky, but I would listen to your doctor and give it a try, requesting that your doctor (or most likely his or her nurse) check in on you frequently at first.