Atrial fibrillation (AFib) and medication side effects

Hello @bjanderson and @2752,

You may notice that I moved your discussion and combined it with this existing discussion on atrial fibrillation. I did this as I thought it would be beneficial for you to be introduced to other members who have discussed much of what you are experiencing.
If you click on VIEW & REPLY in your email notification, you will see the whole discussion and can join in, meet, and participate with other members talking about their or their loved ones' experiences.

Here's a very informative video Q&A with Dr Carol Warnes and Dr. Joe Dearini which you may wish to view:
– https://connect.mayoclinic.org/webinar/webinar-topic-challenges-in-adult-congenital-heart-disease-what-the-patient-needs/

Besides members in this group, I’d also like to introduce you to a few members who’ve discussed problems with tricuspid valve and/or heart surgery; please meet @lyndylou @frande @mikkeleo @grandma47 @jackj @thankful. You can view their posts in these discussions:
– post tricuspid valve replacement https://connect.mayoclinic.org/discussion/post-tricuspid-valve-replacement/
– Mitral Valve & Tricuspid valve regurgitation: when to see a cardiologist? https://connect.mayoclinic.org/discussion/i-was-just-diagnosised-with-mitral-valve-and-tricuspid-insufficiency-i-have/
– mitral/tricuspid valves https://connect.mayoclinic.org/discussion/mitraltricuspid-valves/

@2752, I'm glad to know you are doing well despite a leaky valve; has your cardiologist outlined any next-steps? @bjanderson, how have you been successfully controlling your heart rate? What concerns you about trying another antiarrhythmic?

Well, I was just to Mayo and found that tricuspid valve surgery is not for me, at the moment. Right now we are trying to control my heart rate. The flecainide wasn’t working so I’m hoping the metoprolol will do the trick.
The anti arrhythmic drugs have so many side effects and I don’t like the idea of using such potent drugs
I may not have a choice about that, in the future, but for now rate control will be the ticket!!

I've had A-Fib for about 4 years, take Metropolo & Pradaxa. They seem to work fine with me. I once was late in ordering Metropolo, didn't take it for a week & all the A-Fib symptoms reappeared. That convinced me that I needed the med. These meds make me tired (I think) so I take them with lunch and take my nap. I'm 76 yrs. Don

I take flecainide for afib. I started on 1 tablet morning and evening and found that the afib was controlled but my mood was moe grumpy. My doctor suggested I lower the dose which I have been doing. I have had an afib episode about every 3 months, but my mood improved. Has anyone else experienced this mood effect with flecainide?

C@karenarmayo To the REPLY offered ... Do ... Please let us know the name of your AFib pills that seem to cause you little nausea by taking them. DILTIAZEM 240 mg morning and 120 mg at night to treat high pulse rate while my INF number is, today, happily 107/71 WARFARIN 4-6 mg weekly on varied days. This regimen is as a result of DIGOXIN 24 mg with the night pills was causing nausea, dishes, and a general feeling that I was indeed sicker with this extra boost . CARDILOGIST did not want a plan that would keep me only on DILTIAZEM for long lengths of time. So I feel more a less contained but for some dizziness when getting up out of bed for a while. My CARDIOLOGIST Has recommended that I see another (cardiologist) Doctor Electropysiologist for a second opinion about my pill plan and if this doctor can recommend yet another catheter ablation procedure to get things stablized. I understand that if this time the Cather ablation is successful the need for strong drugs would be unnecessary. My problem of today is learning about SECOND OPINION quest for alternate diagnosis and plan.

After almost 3 1/2 years of dealing with nausea from the medication I take for my a-fib I am still frustrated that I don't have an answer. I think the one that causes me the most problem is Carvedilol. I feel if I change from what I am taking, that the effects will be the same. The Dr. gave me something to help with anxiety and nausea, it has helped some, but I feel I am just taking more pills to help the side effects of other medication. I have a-fib all the time so know I have to take something. Any suggestions what to do. It gets hard dealing with this.

Hello. Please note that my earlier notes above are from May 2017. In 2017, I had tried dofetilide, dronedarone, propafenone and flecanide, one after another while in the hospital last year. None worked except flecanide but it made me ill so I did not continue In June 2017, it was then recommended to have an AV node ablation with pacemaker but I did not do that because I needed to first find out why I had anemia. After a visit to Mayo in Rochester in June 2017, I saw a hemotologist and was finally diagnosed with advanced breast cancer so I am now in treatment for that so don't want to do a pacemaker right now with all I am dealing with. I am suffering now with on-and-off a-fib and PVCs and only taking metroprolol and Xarelto so no nausea or appetite problems. We will wait and see.

I am 71...take diltiazem 360mg.... Eliquis 10....and flecainide 200 for atrial flutter...controlled quite well.....for the last 4 months. .......
I have noticed an increase in hair loss . Is that a complication of any of those drugs??

Welcome to Connect, @braves04
I'm going to invite @predictable @lawsonsa @thankful and others participating in this thread to help answer your question about drugs for aFib and hair loss.

Here are some related articles:

> Drug-induced Hair Loss https://www.webmd.com/skin-problems-and-treatments/hair-loss/drug-induced-hair-loss-2#1
> Rivaroxaban, dabigatran and apixaban and possible risk of hair loss (alopecia) http://www.medsafe.govt.nz/safety/EWS/2016/RivaroxabanDabigatranAndApixabanRiskofHairLoss.asp

Braves04, how long have you been taking the medications? Did you change anything else in the last 4 months?

I haven’t noticed hAir loss but that’s because I was laready largely bald before taking flecainide and Eliquis. I am still taking them and have increased my dosage of Flecainide after advice from my cardiologist. This seems to have reduced the frequency of episodes of AFib to one in last 6months.