Ok, since I have been asked to join the conversation, I will chime in here. In August of 2009 I was diagnosed with Paroxysmal Afib. I awoke at one AM in the morning with my heart beating rapidly and erratically. I had no idea what was happening. I tried to calm down, but nothing happened. I called 911 and was taken to emergency. There they tested my blood, and said both my potassium and magnesium levels were very low. So first they gave me potassium in a drink, and put me on an IV drip with Magnesium. This evidently got my levels up to where they wanted. The afib did not stop, and they gave me a blood thinner. In the morning, they sent me for an echo. They said my heart was healthy, but I was in afib. Scheduled me for cardio conversion, but first said they would like to try a med as it it was preferable if it worked. I agreed and had to sign a waiver. ( I knew nothing about these medications at the time) They gave me a 50mg tab of Flecainide Acetate. Within twenty minutes my afib stopped! They kept me in the hospital for a few days, and then released me. I was taking the Flecainide twice daily along with Digoxin. After about a week, I was feeling very dizzy and weak. My cardiologist ( who originally saw me in the hospital ) took me of the Digoxin and gave me Metoprolol 25 mg instead. I took these along with one 325 mg of Asprin daily. I felt better, but my heart rate went down to around 45BPM and I said that scared me. He then told me to take the Metoprolol in halves twice a day. I gradually started feeling normal again. I took both those meds all that time. Then last year, I started having brief episodes of afib, they were happening almost weekly, so the doctor upped my flecainide to 100mg twice daily. Both my afib and pvc's ( which I have had as long as I can remember ) stopped! Then I moved to North Carolina and had to find a new Cardiologist. He said he saw no signs of afib at all. He continued to keep me on the same meds, although he told me the Asprin did nothing to prevent a stroke. Suggested down the line that I take something else. However, he didn't really seem to believe me that I even felt occaisonal PAC's. He had me wear a monitor for a month. The results he said, showed not one single PAC! I did have some PVC's though which he said were nothing to worry about. He did not like the fact that my heart rate was too low. He took me off the Metoprolol. That was a roller coaster ride. I was having constant PVC's and it was very scary. But within a week they subsided. For what it matters they stopped entirely! I have only had a few since then. He recently had me do another echo. and said it did show a leaky Mitral Valve, but said it was not a big concern as yet. Scheduled me for another in six months. I am currently still taking Flecainide and Asprirn. That is my story.

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