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My "Bertram Clinical Pharmacology" book says about Disoopyramide page 230: "Therapeutic Use Although disopyramede has been shown to be effective in a variety or suoravetricular arrhythmias, in the USA it is approved only fir the treatment of ventricular arrhythmias." I am vagal afibber and was sent home with Disopyramide (Durbis Retard 250 mg) in extended release pills aftby Gunnar - AFIBBERS FORUM
Carol - a few hits from various google searches on Norpace. You'll have to read through them to see if they are relevant to your situation. Jackie Norpace, Disopyramide phosphate, side effects, drug interactions ...Your doctor should check your potassium levels before starting you on Norpace. Low potassium levels may make Norpace ineffective; high levels may increase ... www.pdrhealth.comby Jackie - AFIBBERS FORUM
Gordon - A quick google search on Ace Inhibitors says if kidneys function properly, there is no contraindication. But as you know, if patients are taking other drugs, it is certainly important to be aware of all the contraindications for supplemental potassium. That's why it's helpful to try to get most potassium from food sources as there is little chance to overdose on foods. Jackie ACEby Jackie - AFIBBERS FORUM
Sorry Kathleen, I am very serious about this. I agree to that beta-blockers should be contraindicated for continous use by vagal afibber. But they are a blessing when the afib sets in. I am talking from personal experience. I get worse from beta-blockers but when in afib they protect my heart from damage and help my heart to go back to sinus. It is an enormous difference with and without a beta-by Gunnar - AFIBBERS FORUM
You do sound like your AF might be vagally-mediated (food & body position triggers) so a beta-blocker may not be the best idea as it's contrindicated for vagal Afib. The typical picture of Vagal AF is : Typical age - young (45 +/- 10 years) at onset Generally fit individual No underlying heart disease Classical times for episodes: at night, during rest, after large meals Other notby Kathleen - AFIBBERS FORUM
I am a typical vagal afibber. About 65 afib situations 2005 and 7 this year. Low pulse at night gives rising bp and ectopic beats followed by afib or afib directly in sleep, after a meal, alchol or just watching a movie at night. I have had bp under control since 1988 but after a fall on the tennis court in July 2002 with a broken rib and a crack in the cartilage where the ribs join I got into thby Gunnar - AFIBBERS FORUM
Claire, I seem ta have siimlar problems. Do you get low pulse and high bp at betdtime? Have you ever tried an anti-inflammatoy drug to control the problem of laying on your left side? I take 50 mg of Diklofenak and can then sleep on my left side for weeks and the bp also stays mormal, but eventually the problems comes back and cause Afib. I do not take any anti-arrythmic drugs. My cardiologist trby Gunnar - AFIBBERS FORUM
Rick, Sotalol (Betapace) is fairly useless for most afibbers and would tend to make things worse if you have the vagal variety. So you are probably better off without it. Rythmol (propafenone) is also not very effective for most vagal afibbers. I don't know if you are vagal, but since you are into heavy physical exercise and fairly young I would assume that you probably are. In that casby Hans Larsen - AFIBBERS FORUM
Hello everyone its been a while. Im a lapsed contributor to this board; my story and subsequent ramblings 2003-2004. To cut a long story short Afib since 2001 various beta blockers, anti arrhythmics including pill in the pocket Flecainde. Best success Disopyramide 600mg with 25mg Atenolol (mid 2004 until 2wks ago) pre ablation. Decided to have ablation cos episodes where getting more frequeby Chris H - AFIBBERS FORUM
Peggy: On my computer using Windows XP, the article comes up inside a box in the window containing the advertisments. You might highlight the whole article without the ads, copy it and paste into a new word processing window then change the font to a type and size that pleases you. Unfortunately we can't post attachments here or I'd do that for you, but here's the article in toto: Gordon Arrby Gordon - AFIBBERS FORUM
Hello all, I recently contracted a prostate infection. A urologist prescribed the antibiotic "Levaquin (Generic: Levofloxacin). I naively assumed an antibiotic would probably not have much in the way of implications for someone with heart rhythm issues. But when I looked at the notes that came with the medication, I was wrong. The drug can "cause arrythmias." It should NOT beby BillB - AFIBBERS FORUM
Does any one here have any experience with either Catholic Medical Center (CMC) in Manchester NH or Dartmouth Hitchcock Clinic in Lebanon NH? Insurance requirements are going to dictate one of those locations for some kind of procedure to attempt to eliminate afib. I am concerned about the amount of experience present in smaller venues such as this. I am still working my way through meds to avoiby Mike - AFIBBERS FORUM
Ben, Flecainide (Tambocor) and disopyramide (Norpace) are the preferred antiarrhythmics for vagal afibbers. The official AC/AHA/ESC Guidelines for the Management of Atrial Fibrillation states (on page 2127): "Propafenone (Rythmol) is not recommended in vagally mediated AF because its (weak) intrinsic beta-blocking activity might aggravate this type of paroxysmal AF." You can find thby Hans Larsen - AFIBBERS FORUM
According to Hans's first book it appears Norpace (disopyramide) is "better" than Rhythmol for vagal afibbers. Can anyone speak to this issue from personal experience or study to further substantiate Hans's findings? My cardio and I have a great relationship and I want to present him with alternatives based upon real cases and not a package insert. Thanks, this all so veryby benj - AFIBBERS FORUM
This was written on the Afib Q & A page: Prevention of vagal type LAF Flecainide and disopyramide can be quite effective in preventing vagal LAF episodes. They are both powerful drugs and can have very serious adverse effects so they should only be used by afibbers with structurally sound hearts. "Beta-blockers and antiarrhythmics with beta-blocking properties (sotalol, propafenone) aby David - AFIBBERS FORUM
Hi Little Miss, Here's an excerpt from ____________________________________________ Common Causes of QT Prolongation Drugs Type 1A antiarrhythmic agents (i.e., quinidine, procainamide, disopyramide) & tricyclic antidepressants/phenothiazines "Lytes" Hypokalemia, hypocalcemia or hypomagnesemia CNS catastrophes such as stroke, seizure, coma, intracerebral or brainstem bby Bob K. - AFIBBERS FORUM
Hi Carol: the drug classes refer to the "Vaughn-Williams" classification system, which classifies antiarrhythmic drugs based on their mechanism of action. Some drugs such as sotalol, which is Class II and Class III are "multi-class" drugs: ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Vaughn-Williams Classification for Antiarrhythmic Mby Doug Symonds - AFIBBERS FORUM
Hi all, It seems the propafenone has stopped working. Today will be day 10 of afib. Initially propafenone would improve (shorten ) my afib episodes but that isn't happenning now. In fact it is worse. I was aware that it could happen being as that I'm primarily a vagal afibber. A couple of questions. I am wondering if I should just quit the drug cold turkey or should I diminishby Adrian - AFIBBERS FORUM
Have you tried Disopyramide, it has made a huge difference for me. No Afib, just the odd missed beats. If these build up, I can eliminate them by gentle exercise such as a short walk. Apart from its effect on the conduction of nerve impulses in the heart, disopyramide is also a vagalytic (it depresses vagal tone). My cardio said that he believed that this was the drug of choice for vagal afibbersby Bill - AFIBBERS FORUM
Erin, I too have (had) SVT. No more thanks to disopyramide, the strongest vagolytic antiarrhythmic on the market. SVT and AF are very much related. Often times my AF episodes would start and end with tachycardia. Vagal tone, enhanced during the times you describe, creates cardiac conditions that enable reentry (conduction in a small closed loop). Whether this manifests as SVT (single loopby PC - AFIBBERS FORUM
Got it in one. The first entry on a google search for drugs causing long QT. The format didn't come out too well though. Generic Name Brand Name Sotalol Long Qt Syndrome, Lqts, Atrial Fibrillation,Qt Interval,Arrhythmia Betapace Clarithromycin Long Qt Syndrome, Lqts, Atrial Fibrillation,Qt Interval,Arrhythmia Biaxin Quinidine Long Qt Syndrome, Lqts, Atrial Fibrillation,Qt Inteby Fran - AFIBBERS FORUM
Mike, No question! Propafenone, flecainide and disopyramide are all nasty drugs that should not be used lightly. However, their nastiness usually only expresses itself in afibbers with underlying heart disease, heart failure or a tendency to ventricular arrhythmia or tachycardia. I have never come across any medical evidence to the effect that they are dangerous for lone afibbers with structuby Hans Larsen - AFIBBERS FORUM
Mike. I believe, on the basis of evidence layered against published symptoms, that I am a primarily Vagally Mediated AFfer. I am 53yrs old with no disorder of the heart, non smoking non caffeine non alcohol, very healthy diet. ( because of their non stimulant advantages) I have concerns about Propahenone/Flecainide:- 1/ I am aware that 450mg bolus dose of Propaph gets me back into NSR in underby David - WiW - AFIBBERS FORUM
Joe, You sound like a vagally-mediated AFr - you state that you always wake up with AF. You then say that your pattern as at present has been in place for about 9 months.......... which is just a little less than the time you have been taking sotalol................. My understanding FWIW is that vagal AFrs do NOT do well on beta-blocking drugs, and the sotalol could well be causing your dramatby Mike F. V43 - AFIBBERS FORUM
Mike, As far as I know propafenone works equally well for all types of LAF if used in the on-demand mode. Propafenone of course, should not be used by vagal afibbers on a continuous basis due to its beta-blocking properties. If you are a vagal afibber and is "cleared" for flecainide then that can be used in the on-demand mode as well. However, propafenone has a sligthly more favouraby Hans Larsen - AFIBBERS FORUM
Jackie, I don't think I can contribute much here. I supplement with potassium gluconate, a little less than a gram per day. After your high profiling of taurate I also take magnesium potassium taurate twice a day (90 mg Mg total). As I've stated before the only form of K that comes in tabs containing more than 99 mg requires a prescription. It's called K-Dur and comes as KCl.by PC - AFIBBERS FORUM
Richard, Thank you for your advice. I will be very careful when I switch medications. I think that when I switched from Sotolol to Norpace I may have had some probems caused by the change. I will also look into taking the supplements that you mentioned. Anything that I can do to help liver function is a plus. Dave BTW - Great Smokies Diagnostic Labs is close to where I live in Westernby Dave C - AFIBBERS FORUM
Dave, I stopped Norpace, without weaning, which probably wasn't the best idea. I then went out of rhythm, and stayed that way for 1.5 mths. I decided to try some flec that I had leftover, and by the second day, had converted. That was on a Sat, and I called my doc on Mon, as I was out of town. The EP said to immediately come in, as my chances of stroke were great. I did the Coumadin/Heby Richard - AFIBBERS FORUM
Richard, Thank you for your advice. I have seen many of your other posts and they have provided me with a lot of good information. I saw my EP today and we discussed various alternatives to the Norpace. I am going to have some tests done next week to make sure that my heart is still structurally all right. It has been three years since the last ones were done. After that I would like to tby Dave C - AFIBBERS FORUM
Dave, Have you considered getting off meds altogether, and taking only on demand, for conversion. I would bet that the sotolol contributed to the worsening of your condition, as it's a beta blocker, and that would not have been good for a vagal AFer. Beta blockers were disasterous for me, in particular Toprol and labetalol, and caused me to go into AF rather than flutter. I currently amby Richard - AFIBBERS FORUM