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[Rustysmum]

Hi,
Cardiologist has recommended trying Flecainide to ease the heart palpitations which are a daily occurrence now and stopping me from sleeping. Having read the accompanying leaflet I am terrified of taking them, but also desperate to get my life back. Has anyone tried this medication and what was your experience of it please?

[Taz2]

Hi Rustysmum - I don't have experience of this drug but I would think that if you have been advised to take it then you could give it a try to see if you can get the palpitations under control. It can't be good for your heart to be out of sync a lot of the time.

Is it the side effects you are worried about?

Taz x 

[Tinkerbell]

I take atenolol for palpitations, prescribed by cardiologist, I would certainly take what you have been prescribed, being kept awake by them is certainly not fun!
What tests have you had done by cardiology?
My son, had to wear an event heart monitor for two weeks to see what was causing his, he collapsed at school and paramedics picked up irregular heartbeat, he got the all clear after tests.
I had ECG and Echo, but I do have a mild congenital heart defect.

[Rustysmum]

Hi Taz,
Yes , side effects listed are quite scary (death is listed as one , which you don't get on many leaflets! ) and also worried if my heart will become dependent on them and will not be able to ever get off them.
In America and Australia you are kept in hospital when you start them they are considered so dangerous in some people.
Tinker bell yes I have had a 24 hour monitor, echo and MRI so very thorough. Just this class of drugs is a big step up from beta blockers which did not help me.

[Taz2]

It may be the case that you will always have to take them but your cardiologist is really the only person to be able to answer that. The point seems to be that your heart isn't coping the moment and this drug should help. I didn't see death listed on the information leaflet I had a look at but I can see that this would be worrying. Did they give a percentage of people this happens to and have you been given a name for your heart condition?

Taz x

[Rustysmum]

Yes Taz, I have PVCs and SVT. Both of which are considered benign but very uncomfortable and when severe do make me feel very unwell. I have tried to cope without medication but it is really affecting my life and my family so have to do something. Had been hoping I would be through all this by now (am 57 ) but just keep getting new symptoms as I go through it. Hoping there is light at the end of the tunnel one day but tired of it all now.

[greenECLECtus28]

Hi

I went through  similar thing to yourself about 10 years ago I was getting palpitations sometimes constantly like thumps and also sort of fluttering ones as well I also had many tests plus a week in a cardiology unit being monitored. I was diagnosed with SVT and possibly short runs of AF my cardiologist put me on Tildiem LA 300 it is a calcium channel blocker it basically slows things down as I can't take a beta blocker because I have Asthma. It definitely did help he thought that they could be hormone related as well as anxiety/stress they did settle down for a while and I only got the odd ones however recently they have been starting again and I've got a holter monitor thing coming up but knowing my luck as it's only a 24 hour monitor they might not catch them I seem to remember the last time I needed a week holter and obviously I'm hoping it's just the same thing as before.

I totally understand where you're coming from they can be really scary even though you are told they are benign especially at night when it feels as if they won't stop and I know what you mean it feels as if we have endless things to deal with going through the menopause certainly for me this last year has been a nightmare I've gone from a fairly independent woman admittedly with a congenital spinal issue but was fairly independent none the less with few health issues to now having to walk with a stick to get around been off my work since May with continuing UTI issues! It just feels like one thing after another and I feel my family are sick to death of listening to me  I feel as if I'm 154 instead of 54!

Did you notice if your palpitations are worse at any particular  time during the month I have started making a diary to see if there is any pattern to mine again also if they are really bad I just try and do something I'll get up and move around or try and read or something to distract me just try and find something that works for you if you're not sure about the medication then make an appointment and discuss with your GP. These leaflets can be terrifying! I'm always phoning about one thing or another for example I've been prescribed Vagifem to try and see if that helps the UTI but one of the things on the leaflet was if you've had any LFT testscome back with issues to speak to your GP and of course recently I had a set of blood tests which were all fine except for a slightly raised ALT but my GP has just come back to say they have reviewed my notes and it's ok to take it always ask if your not sure if only for your own piece of mind I can't think that your Cardiologist would put you on a drug if he thought it might do you serious harm a lot of these heart type drugs need to be used with caution in people who already have serious heart conditions or heart disease which I'm sure would have been discovered at the time when you had all your tests.

I am the worlds worst worrier myself and I think the menopause definitely enhances our worries as so many issues seem to come out of nowhere!

Take care 

[Rustysmum]

GreenECLEctus thank you for your very understanding reply. Sorry to hear your heart issues are returning and hope they are also benign again.
When I was having fairly regular periods I always had heart issues at ovulation and again two days before I started to bleed. Only started getting this though once I started skipping the odd month so very clearly hormones for me. Now I have gone ten months twice without a bleed so more difficult to work out what is happening when!
Totally understand what you say about feeling 154!
Thank you for your reassurance and advice - all much appreciated.

[greenECLECtus28]

That's no problem 

Please feel free to post if there's anything else your worried about the gals on here are amazing with their advice or if you want to PM me because I've had/have similar issues that's no problem

Take care