Multaq Anyone Else Take It (Page 32) (Top voted first)

Okay I will start off by saying this drug scares me because it has not been out for very long. I have Afrial Fib which is not behaving I can be 70 beats one min and regular and the next I will be at 190 and in atrial fib and flutter. this is my last chance at a med I have tried all the others I usually end up in the ER two or three times a week. I have had one ablation so far. If anyone else takes it please let me know what it is like. I am starting it on Tuesday.

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Mary, I would NEVER suggest anyone stop taking their meds without consulting their physician first. Again, I emphasize that what does or does not work for me does NOT apply to everyone - we are all different in our responses to meds. foods, supplements, exercise - virtually everything. There are meds I absolutely cannot tolerate due to their reaction on me that are perfectly safe, have low side effects, and effective for others. Others I take fine.

One thing that may come from the human genome project might be testing that will allow drug companies and physicians to be able to find patterns of genetic makeup that will aid in prescribing drugs that are safer and better for individuals based on past results with individuals with the same makeup.

Gayle, I'm just a couple of years behind you. I too found it a real struggle to break through the fatigue and get my body moving. Once I reached a certain point, it became easier to exercise than not. I still remember back to when one doctor told me to ABSOLUTELY NOT exercise, and another told me to ABSOLUTELY get all the exercise I could stand.

But pay attention to YOUR doctor you trust for advice on the exercise! I hope you have one who communicates, listens, and takes the whole person's body, mind and spirit into account.

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Hi Mary R.
I am glad that Multaq is working for you. It seems lots of people in this blog swear by it - I wonder if anyone has read the warnings??
You mentioned about weight - there is an excellent book by Dr. Joel Fuhrman, MD called "EAT TO LIVE" - this book has so much good information as to what to eat if one wants to lose weight or just get the right nutrients in ones diet, I do not have a weight problem only A-Fib and some other stuff but I do refer to it quite often. My son got it for me this past Christmas and I have given a few books as a gift. It is inexpensive . Most bookstores carry it.
It is extremely difficult to follow his regimen but if you have a problem you want resolved I would think one would want to take the steps suggested.
This is just a thought. I don't consider this book as a "diet" book per se, just a book which gives so many good ideas how eat right and the right stuff to eat. Have a nice day!

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Tutsi, I think that is the book my wife just picked up. I'm anxious to read it, but I don't know if I can adhere totally to the regimen. Is that the one that basically stresses several pounds of veggies raw and cooked a day, and basically beans for protein and little or no grains?

I'll have to check with her after work. I know she's been reading it and starting a program like what I mention, but I cannot recall the name. I'll probably do it with her, but with some modifications.

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HI Trapper,

I don't think you have to eat pounds of veggies unless you are or want to become a vegetarian.

There are individuals in that book who have reversed their diabetes as well as some heart problems (he does address quite a few heart problems but I did not see much on arrhythmias unless I missed it between the lines).

It is an excellent book. Here in CT Dr. Fuhrman has appeared quite often on our Public TV with lectures - he is a very pleasant doctor to listen to.

Good luck to you both.

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Trapper is right on the money and I have been constantly posting the same words on here in the past.

Tutsi, I know you keep bringing up the dangers of Multaq but as I have constantly said on here, "all" drugs have some sort of dangers, some more than others and usually based on your bodies makeup which is unique to yourself, that is a fact (one usually doesn't know of a drugs dangers until they're actually on it, most are dangerous, that's why they're "prescribed"). Any drug can kill you if taken wrongly or your body will not accept it for whatever reason. Actually the odds of getting critically injured or dying in a car accident are astronomically higher than the dangers of Multaq. So does that mean you must now stop driving or traveling in a vehicle? I've been in car (one where the car was totaled, another where the car flipped when an older senior citizen was driving while on some potent meds, none were my fault) and motorcycle accidents and I'm still driving and riding, that's my choice. Looking at everything fearfully is damaging to the mind and body and can ruin your enjoyment of life, thinking logically brings things into a real perspective.

Multaq is obviously not a "one drug fits all" medication. I have been on it for a year and a half and I have never experienced "any" side effects at all and regular blood tests show it is not harming anything in my body at all. I also have had no Afib whatsoever since I've been on it and my life is just as it was before the Afib. My doctor is also well aware of the dangers that it doesn't work on most people, he always says at every 6 month visit, "so it's working well for you then, great". I have known people that have gotten much worse with ablation and a few have died or gotten strokes getting it done. Why? Because everything has dangers when ones body can't handle a certain situation. Again, everyone has a unique physical and mental makeup.

On weight loss: I have lost 45 lbs in the last 2-1/2 months without any special or hard to follow diets and I am at my normal healthy weight again. I mainly just stopped eating junk food and remained very active. I only drank juices before but cut out half of their intake and started drinking mostly filtered water. I also do not drink alcohol or soda and I don't smoke. I started heavy body building again and I am feeling like I'm 30 at 58 and I feel fantastic.

I don't care how many special diets one goes on or how many books you read. If there is no hormonal problem a person can easily lose weight. There are many good diets but nothing and I mean nothing is going to work without the needed "willpower" to stay the course and do what's needed. Reading and knowing what to do is one thing, actually "doing it" is totally another.

A good or bad lifestyle is highly related to ones illnesses and other physical and mental problems. We do make our own choices in life (consciously or unconsciously) whether we like it or not.

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For increased vegetable intake, try low sodium V8 juice. A can of that is 2 servings of vegetable. I add a littl low sodium salt and dash of hot sauce to mine, and keep it cold. It is both refreshing and healthful. Surprisingly, it also helps me get past hunger pangs at work if I have to skip lunch. I don't feel hungray after wards and keeps hunger at bay longer than expected. JMHO...

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Gary,

Your are absolutely right that I am and have been harping on Multaq - perhaps it is the info I have gotten from some of the cardiologists as well as from Electro.., and it being a cousin of Amiodarone. and on top of that I had a bad experience with it.
You are also right that our bodies are so different and reactions to one med might be horrible whereas someone else it might be a blessing they got it.
As far as weight gain I do believe it all depends on what you input that is what you are!! Sorry, quite blunt. And we all have these excuses hormonal and glandular problems when we put on a few extra pounds but that is not so. If you have hormonal problems you are put on some pill as well as gland problems - I never was on any hormone pills and my thyroid was killed with RAI as
I mentioned before.
I will let Multaq rest for a while. All I can say that as a woman to admit that a guy ir right it ki...ls. me!! Just kidding.
Have a great evening.

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Absolutely Tutsi! You are what you eat. That's why even just stopping the junk food made a tremendous difference in my weight loss.

Thanks for giving me credit, even though I'm a guy, LOL! But I'm surprised you didn't get on me for something I forgot to mention. I believe, and I think this has been proven, that it's much easier for men to control/lose weight than it is for a women (actually my wife can vouch for that when she gets ticked off at my fast weight lost). I believe it has to do with hormones and ones metabolism (like testosterone etc.). I haven't totally researched it but here's a quick snippet:


"The body composition, metabolic rate, hormonal makeup and brain pattern all seem to skew the weight loss battle in favor of males. It is easier for men to lose weight, but women can lose weight by being more conscious of their caloric intake. Eat less than you burn and the pounds will start to come off, even without the natural advantages that males enjoy."

Have a great weekend Tutsi!

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Gary,
When I am wrong about something I usually do admit, and I erred in harping at this drug too often.
About the weight loss you are probably right that men can lose faster than women.
You are also one of the men who does a lots of research like Steve and Trapper - sorry I missed your name a few write-ups before. It is always a pleasure to read write-ups form you guys. Don't let it get to your heads now!! Fact is a fact.
My weight loss happened gradually due to the over-active thyroid - lots of unnecessary test were done, to find out why I was losing weight and all came out negative, until a new endocrinologist said it was due to over-active thyroid.

Note to Trapper:
If your wife bought this book "Eat to Live" - on page 136 Dr. Fuhrman states: "nuts and seeds do not just lower cholesterol and protect against heart attacks. Components of nuts and seeds also seem to have ANTI-ARRHYTHMIC AND ANTI-SEIZURE effects that dramatically reduce the occurrence of sudden death". A few lines down the page: "Sudden cardiac death is not a heart attack but rather a life-threatening arrhythmia called VENTRICULAR FIBRILLATION OR VENTRICULAR TACHY-CARDIA".
I have been taking about an ounce of almonds every day for some time now.
Have a nice day you all!!
PS This book has so much info it is unbelievable- just changing the nutrients that we take in has a lot to do to maintain your weight as well as lose the weight we want so desperately to lose. Good book to buy.

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Tutsi,
I know exactly what you mean about the Thyroid. Between Hypothyroidism and Hyperthyroidism it can cause more problems than one could imagine. My mother always had problems with it all her life and I know so many people that have various problems arising from their Thyroid. It seems to be quite a common problem these days and I believe doctors should routinely check it during regular checkup visits as a precaution. Here's just a small list of what it can do.

Hypothyroidism:
-fatigue, mental fogginess and forgetfulness, feeling excessively cold, constipation, dry skin, fluid retention, non specific aches and stiffness in muscles and joints, excessive or prolonged menstrual bleeding (menorrhagia), and depression.

Hyperthyroidism:
-excessive sweating, heat intolerance, increased bowel movements, tremor (usually a fine shake), nervousness; agitation, "rapid heart rate", weight loss, fatigue, decreased concentration, and irregular and scant menstrual flow.

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First of all, to "Deb CIncinnati Ohio " - I waved to you over the weekend when we were in the area, but I wasn't sure which direction to actually wave to, so I might have missed you :-)

tutsi, even some well known and respected cardiologists harp on Multaq, so don't worry - keep a sceptical mind. I failed to mention that when I saw the cardiologist last, I asked him "so, if I should go into afib again, should I start on Multaq (I have some left) immediately, along with Pradaxa (my other "favorite" poison) and then come see you?". His answer was Pradaxa yes, Multaq an emphatic NO. Not sure if that was due to his rethinking concern about the drug in general, or whether an evaluation was necessary of the afib type was necessary before determining if the Multaq would be appropriate. I will ask him when I see him again.

Gary, I have seen so many people have success with weight loss, and so many struggle (apparently with both doing the same things), that I truly wonder if pure genetics make up a great deal of the weight differences, and each of us are blessed with different body "set points" that are very hard to fight against. Willpower certainly does play into it, but it's not the whole answer. A doctor told me one time that he has observed that people who were overfed as babies develop extra fat cells for life, and absolutely nothing can be done to get rid of them, everything you eat goes directly to them, He said he's seen that in preemies whose mothers were told to "stuff them" to get their weight up. However, I'm constantly aware of people who claim they are trying to lose weight by "eating light", but I observe quite a different story. On the other hand, I have friends that constantly eat the most amazing amount of junk, never exercise, and yet are skinny as a rail, and have perfect cholesterol levels. . . . . Sigh. Some of us constantly struggle.

Perhaps I haven't found the foods my body processes more efficiently, I don't know. My wife eats cereal and milk for breakfast, and it energizes her for the day. If I eat cereal and milk, I drag around all day and want to go back to bed. I need protein in the morning. I have found some higher protein cereals and soy milk that are better for me. The ultimate for me is eggs or egg beaters and some fruit. That shows me that our bodies respond to food differently. Yes, calories in vs calories out is the equation, but somewhere along the line, something in our makeups hijack the equation and it becomes no longer linear, but instead contains some type of logarithmic or inverse logarithmic function.

I forgot to ask my wife about the book title, as we were on the road all weekend, and concentrating on other concerns, but I will do so when she gets up.

Sorry I got so far off from the Evil Multaq topic.

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Trapper

I agree that many are predisposed to hereditary factors involving weight and body shape, this is not a new discovery. I quoted Hormones, body composition and metabolic rate, all of these and many more factors can be hereditary. But most can be changed these days (unlike in the past) and weight loss or gain can be treated in many different ways that may be unknown to most.

Some people will never be thin, some cannot gain weight. But both can be helped and therefore can maintain a healthy life. That's the main goal, is it not?

There are many programs (diet and exercise etc.) that are specifically made to help those with with hereditary weight problems in this day and age, gene testing is usually done first to isolate which genes are causing the problems.

Although everyone cannot have their ideal weight or body shape, even those with predisposed hereditary causes and/or other hormonal problems affecting their weight can be helped towards weight control and body shape. My wife took after her mother and grandmother with her body shape but she was able to make significant changes thru specific exercises and diet designed for her problem.

Things have changed drastically today in health, diet and exercise than they were years ago in helping these problems. The fact is that "no one" has to accept being the way they are and thinking they can't change, that was yesterdays problem. The problem today is finding the right doctors who have knowledge in the many new treatments and not just taking the word of one or two un-knowledgeable or less caring doctors (which seems like the trend these days).

Yes, it can be done to various extents where a person will see and notice a difference but it will naturally be much more difficult to achieve. So no matter which end of the the spectrum one is one, in the end it is willpower and determination that is a main component no matter what. I've found that today too many are dependent on others for the answers and the needed help. Self sufficiency, learning and research is not a big part of today's thinking for many (especially the younger generation) that want changes in their lives.

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Great words, Gary.
I'd love to respond further, but I'm now at work.

Take care all.

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"even some well known and respected cardiologists harp on Multaq, so don't worry - keep a sceptical mind."

Absolutely, to not be skeptical is being foolish. Unfortunately there are many others that are just plain stubborn and believe what they want because it's on the net (not in any way meant towards you, Tutsi).

This all boils down to either Multaq working for you or not. I happen to be one of those that it flawlessly works on with no side effects whatsoever and no underlying problems, there are many more just like me out there that are not on this board although a few have posted in the past maybe once. Why Multaq works for me I cannot explain exactly why but obviously my body composition is one that can except it without any problems. As we all know by now by the constantly true postings, we all have different physical and mental makeups.

So I suggest some of you stop constantly harping on how dangerous it is to anyone trying it. This is obviously not true in some cases. If someone who can take it like myself is scared off because of these rantings, that person may not enjoy the positive benefits of the drug as I do. Maybe if it's kept in perspective and both the good and bad about Multaq were stated then there wouldn't be so much fear involved if one wanted to try it. Try and be sensible in your comments, not horrific. It irks me to no end that someone can be benefiting from the drug but is not because of some of the unbacked comments on here.
Yes, I agree it has side effects on many and it seems it works or does not work to various degrees on different people and with varying side effects, but vilifying it because of your own personal experience is wrong

I've also personally talked to and have been treated for a few ailments by some of the supposed best in their field and have found that many should not even have a license to practice medicine based on their methods, treatments, mannerism and constantly flip flopping on their diagnosis. So Trapper, I really have to take your comment about "some well known and respected cardiologists" with a really big grain of salt based on real experience.

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Gary, I am one of those it seems to work on. I am now on 1 1/2 pills a day and on an aspirin for a blood thinner.
When I first began multaq, I was very tired and I would take a 60 or 90 minute nap everyday and then I was fine. After about 2 months the tiredness subsided and I was really almost back to normal. I have my blood checked every three months to see how my liver is doing and after almost three years on multaq it is still fine. They did tell me that since I am on aspirin that if I did go back into Afib, I have 72 hours to be cardioverted before I might have a stroke. Since I live in an area with several trauma centers that is not a problem for me. And, I can always tell if I am out. I will say that I do have strange dreams, but I realize what is causing them and I do not let them bother me. Since I am in my 70's I don't think I am doing too badly. If folks get put on multaq I think they need to give it a chance! I do believe that diet and exercise are a good thing for any heart patient. Thanks for everyone's post on this website. They are very informative and really make one think. Gayle

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"So Trapper, I really have to take your comment about "some well known and respected cardiologists" with a really big grain of salt based on real experience."

I really got a chuckle out of that - it's my take on "well known and respected" politicians also.

I also fired a "well known and respected" MD once who never seemed to hear what I was saying.

Devil's advocate question. Have you ever stopped taking Multaq to see if it truly is helping, and/or perhaps you are now in NSR on your own?

Gotta run . . . there's one of them "Bad Drug" lawyer ads on right now, and I gotta gets me the phone number.

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Gayle,
Your lucky your strange dreams only started after Multaq. I've always had very strange dreams most of my life.
When I have dreams they are 3D full featured technicolor cinematic movies and I remember them all. Even when I awaken and happen to go back to sleep again, the "dream" continues where it left off, kinda like an intermission to get some popcorn, LOL! Last night was a really weird one, a combination of 2 sci-fi movies I watched on TV during the last 2 days.

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Trapper, you read my mind! On my next visit to my cardiologist (Jan. 2013) I planned to question him about reducing my dosage and the possibility of weeding myself slowly off it as I've done with other meds in the past for other unrelated things. I've only been on Multaq for about a year and a half and I don't believe in rushing into things without knowing exactly what I'm doing.

Politicians? I worked for local county government in law enforcement (retired now). Wife still works for the city, over 30 years.
I don't trust the government at all and I trust politicians even less. I want them out of my life. I know exactly where you're coming from and couldn't agree more!

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Gary, please tell me you like Stargate SG1

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Gary,

Don't tell me you have second thoughts about Multaq??

Anyway, you and Trapper made my morning - I laughed my head out. With your dreams, politicians etc - need that in this blog.

Nothing else to report for now. You all have a nice day.

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