Flecinaide Fatique

Updated

I have been on flecainide 150mg twice daily since about 2008 and i have had an Ablation in 2010 which did not work.
I have two questions first has any one had extreme almost abilatating fatique ?
After complaining to my doctor he had me run on the treadmill and did other test but can not explain the source of the fatique.
So I started researching it on my own.
My other question has anyone had a second ablation and it did not work ?
I have rhematiod arthritist but this suck so much worst than the pain.

15 Replies

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1

Hello, Phil! How are you doing? I'm very sorry about the problem that you're having.

Yes, fatigue is a known side effect of this medication and it is known to be severe, almost debilitating in some people that take it. You may also experience abdominal pain, visual disturbances and weakness.

Can anyone respond on the ablation question? Has anyone had such an issue?

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2

I have had afib for about 25 years or so...3 ablations...all unsuccessful...and have been on flecainide this time for about a year. The first 3 months I was so fatigued I'd end up having to crawl to the bathroom (no joke)...but then miraculously my body normalized or something to the medication because my fatigue is mostly gone. I consume no caffeine and try to limit any food with sugar as those are triggers for me.

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3

Thank you, Frankie! I'm glad you're doing better and that the side effects tapered off for you!

How are you doing, now?

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4

I have had open heart surgery and two ablations that worked for a while and then the irregular heartbeat came back. I had been on metoprolol and it helped some at first but the irregular heartbeat came back. The doctor prescribed flecanide and it helped again for a while but I still had some episodes of atrial fibrulation. I was on 200mg a day and it made me very tired so I cut back to 100 at night and 50 in the morning and that helped.
A little over a year ago my cardiologist put in a rate adaptive pacemaker. When it senses my heartbeat as irregular, it gives it a mild 6 volt shock and it returns to normal. I really don't feel much of anything when this happens except that my heart is now beating regular. I have now been able to slowly stop taking flecanide.-

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5

That's great, Jim! I'm very happy that your condition is now under control.

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6

I began Flecainide July of 2014 for atrial flutter. Already on Verapamil years for a-fib. Both these arrhythmias + replaced atrial valve replacement in late 2011 due to intense radiation RX in 1999 for esophageal cancer.

My debilitating response to Flecainide for a-flutter developed so slowly it wasn't until late March 2015 that I was sleeping to 18 hrs/day. First to go were thinking and energy, (they call it 'dizziness and tiredness'; key for me was inability to organize thoughts for day's tasks). But it all progressed at such a glacial pace I had no idea it was due to the med.

After stopping the Flecainide, I got about two weeks normal energy, brain and liveliness back until the flutter resumed. Next med trial was/is Propafenone since about a month ago. After a week or so, sure enough, the same symptoms arose. I cut back to one every other evening, but symptoms are still gradually worsening.

Cardiologist is today consulting within Kaiser re: a trial on Sotalol, a beta blocker, a class of med I've tried sometime since 1999 and didn't work for me re: side effects.

I'm feeling doomed to living with such SE's, and am even moving 28 May to a retirement community as a 65 yr old because I feel unable to care for my property any more with this fatigue and brain rot. I need help available when they get bad enough that I can't drive.

Complicating my picture are other meds I've taken a long time to manage chronic depression--Bupropion & Duloxetine.

It seems stupid to even ask, but if anyone knows of a relatively SE free med for a-flutter, I'd love to hear of it. 5-11-2015

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7

I have taken Flecainide for 4 years with no side effects. My 58-year-old husband started flecainide 100mg 2x day eight months ago for AF. He has recently developed extreme fatigue (sleeps 12 hours and can't get out of bed), mild memory loss and confusion. Two days ago he put his shoes on the wrong feet and didn't notice until I pointed it out. Cardio says it's not the flecainide. Metropolol didn't control the AF. Cardio has suggested ablation, but we fear the risk --- he told us he knows of 2 people who died during the procedure. Suggestions?

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8

1st ablation was in April 2014 for a-flutter. It was successful but a-fib developed and the 2nd one was last May (2015). Also successful, at least so far. Doc put me on 100mg flecainide 2x/day plus 120mg dilitiazem (Cardizem). Side effects prompted doc to drop the diltiazem to 30mg 2x/day but then on June 4 I dropped it altogether. Side effects continued to worsen and I dropped the flecainide on June 13. Six days later side effects got much worse and continued to worsen. The worst ones were dizziness and fatigue, which were completely debilitating, to the point where I could do nothing but the most basic things like make simple meals and do laundry. My life came to an almost complete standstill. Currently, the dizziness and fatigue have decreased, but I've been getting sleepy to the point where I can't keep my eyes open. I'd call that passing out.

My cardio doc says there's no more flecainide in my system, but that makes no sense. I have the identical set of symptoms as when I was taking it, although they vary a little more than they did before.

How long does it take for these demons to go away?

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9

You poor woman - poor all of us! Two years ago I had my first episode of Rapid AF! Pretty uncomfortable and very, very, exhausting. I was put on Verapamil and Flecanide - then had another episode only a month ago - so they doubled the medication!! Like everyone else I feel very tired and mentally impaired. Worse still - my flutterings continue, with mild angina - but no rapid AF. I am also on Monoplus and have been since my early 30's - very poor genes. I don't smoke, have stopped caffeine altogether (more than 15 months ago) and used to be a big walker -too tired these days so very counter productive. Worse still, my brother has had several cardio-versions and ablation and still gets AF. The really depressing thing is that most of these drugs have the potential to kill you as well as save you. And the medical profession really don't seem to have any answers - maybe a pace maker is the only solution? Apologies but no answers for you - but sympathy. I am feeling depressed about the whole thing - I am in my late 40's.

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10

My neurologist ran blood tests and did an MRI - everything's normal. He says I have a drug-induced autoimmune disorder - and doesn't seem to think there's anything else to do. I'll be asking him about doing and fMRI when I have strong symptoms in the hope of seeing where any dysfunction is happening.
Symptoms continue. Some days are good, some are bad, and others are in between.

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11

I a a 41yo woman. I have Long QT and after two episodes where my defibrillator fired (due to rapid heart rate) I've started suffering from a frequent heavy PVC load. In June '14 I had my first ablation and it resolved all symptoms. In January '15 I had that second defib shock and PVC's started again, so in March '15 I had my second ablation. This time it was only 75% effective and I've been dealing with the fatigue and shortness of breath from PVCs since. I've been on beta blockers since the LQT was diagnosed in 2008. I started Flecainide 100mg 2xdaily a week ago and I am feeling quite off today - like I'll pass out at any moment and the exhaustion that normally accompanies PVCs is creeping into fingers, jaw, joints. I have an EKG scheduled for Tues afternoon, but I'm worried about taking any more doses. The only other thoughts for relief right now are a potential 3rd ablation in May. So, should I stop and wait to talk to my doc? Keep at it til Tuesday and see the impact on the EKG? I can't imagine dealing with this for any longer than I've already have - there's so much I want to do and staying in bed doesn't help that.

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12

I mentioned an autoimmune disorder. What I failed to mention is that flecainide suppresses the brain's immune system. If there's a pre-existing infection of some kind in the brain - whether a spirochete or a virus - when the immune cells fail to activate the infection can flare up, damaging neurons and causing what we call side effects. Stopping flecainide enables the immune system to come back on line and deal with the infectious agent. It's possible that the immune cells see the damaged neurons as foreign and attack them. This is what happens in multiple sclerosis, and it's why flecainide is used to treat that disorder.
My neurologist thinks this is a reasonable theory but says there's no way to test it because a brain biopsy can't be done on a living patient.
Onward .....

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13

Muscle pain neck low back butt and back of thighs sweats of head and weak

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14

Well, I was wrong about flecainide being the cause of my neurological issues. I have mast cell activation syndrome (or disorder) - MCAS/MCAD. It's more than I want to write here. This is a pretty good description:

ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3069946

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15

Hey in Jan 15 I went into afib and did cordio revert through iv with cordrone in the hospital.. I was 41 at that point...and since then I was on cordrone till Jan 16...once in a day. And then with so many ecgs and 6 holters I was put on flecinide from Jan 16...till a weak ago...all medicine stopped as Dr. Got irrigated and told me that you should consult ......for brain as you are having pvsc and PACs but you are hypersensitive so its better let the problem come if there is any ..without medicine....since last week I am not OK ...waiting for another Holter ....to watch how my heart beats without all medicine...

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