Multaq Anyone Else Take It (Page 33)

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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REPORT

You need to get your own testing monitor and use it until you get a handle on your dosage. You can get a CoaguChek or Alere monitor. Your health insurance plan will likely cover it under "durable medical eqipment". You can buy them on the internet or eBay or whatever. You will have to buy the lancets which are cheap and the test strips which can cost $5-$6 per test. When you get up and running on your own, you should double check the results of your device with that in the doctor's office, just to make sure it i accurate (which it should be). Insurance should cover it all.

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Hi Carolann. I have been taking Multaq since August of 2010 my first episode with A-Fib. A few weeks later I had another episode. Then continued with Multax 400 mg twice a day. Tiazem 120 mg, Diovan 80 mg and a baby aspirin drugsonce a day and have not had an episode of A-Fib since a Sept. 2010. I do have slight palpitation runs that last about 20 seconds a few times a month but have been doing so well on these medications. I hope multaq does well for you.

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Hi Carolann. I have been taking Multaq since August of 2010 my first episode with A-Fib. A few weeks later I had another episode. Then continued with Multaq 400 mg twice a day but added Tiazem 120 mg, Diovan 80 mg and a baby aspirin all once a day and have not had an episode of A-Fib since a Sept. 2010. I do have slight palpitation runs that last about 20 seconds a few times a month but have been doing so well on these medications. I hope multaq does well for you.

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I saw my cardiologist today and he was concerned about my taking Multaq. I have posted here previously, and have been taking this drug since 2010 with no issues. Does anyone know if there are new warnings in addition to the PALLAS study a few years ago that would cause concern? I have looked online but haven't found anything. I'm going to see my EP about this also.

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Hi Debbie,

I do professional research for people on all kinds of subjects, as far as any warnings on Multaq, there are none that I know of. I also get updated medical newsletters on Multaq and similar drugs when anything new comes to light.

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Hi Gary,

I haven't put in my two cents worth in for a long while so here it comes. I appreciate what you are doing however, I believe most doctors do not really know the real side effects of many of these medications because they have never been on them - so it is trial and error when these drugs are prescribed and only time will tell if they hear from the patient the pros and cons. Spme patients might tolerate and others may not.

Multaq does have it's warnings - and one warning should be plenty "Multaq is the Cousin of Amiodarone which is an extremely dangerous drug" and can be very deadly and usually is not prescribed except as a last resort drug when all else fails. I heard this from my EP's. I had a print out of these warnings of amiodarone but cannot find it but when I do I will put a link in this blog. Side effects for this drug may show up years after stopping it's usage.

I had my experience with Multaq 2 years ago and was on it only 7 days and had so many side effects that they had to report them to FDA. I will never touch this drug or amiodarone with a ten foot pole.

That is it for today. You all have a Happy Holiday Season!

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Hi tutsi, great to see you posting again!

You are correct, it is trial and error. But if you do some in depth research you'll find that all the patients that had serious problems, were all related to some other factor that caused the problem.

I realize from your past posts that your fear of the use of Multaq is always a gloom and doom statement. But the fact is (which has already been established here) that any drug can easily kill you or cause serious problems if other factors come into play, it's the same with Multaq. There are continuous commercials on TV about new drugs for really simple ailments, they are always followed by 10 or 15 warnings of which some many say can cause death or permanent disability. That's why they're categorized as "prescription" drugs.


EP's opinions on Multaq vary greatly from one to another, there word is not gospel. My Afib was caused by a doctor 2 years ago because he did not look for the interactions of 2 drugs I was given for an MRI that if checked state they should not be given with a depression medication I was already on for the past 27 years with no problems (look up Nardil, that should frighten you maybe even more than Multaq, yet I'm completely healthy and very fit at 58).

I never had Afib until a few minutes after he injected the drugs that he should not have given me in the first place. This was also not the first time a so called qualified Dr. has caused problems for me because they thought they knew what they were doing and they had all the sheepskins to prove it on the wall.

I'll trust my own research and always research what I'm told by any physician. I've always been correct in my research and have corrected quite a few doctors on their incorrect diagnosis.

The fact is, if there were any new serious problems with Multaq it get published. Most people on this drug know of the dangers and if they had a serious problem, I seriously doubt they would not get it checked, unless they had a death wish of course.

I base my findings on fact and logic, not fear or what people say and EP's are after all just human, not walking medical encyclopedias or medical gods with infinite knowledge. They make the same errors and mistakes as anyone else does, most see so many patients that their advice and practices many times turns into a memorized scripts. Everyone should also question everything a physician says if it's not completely understood. Not to do so is just foolish.

Over zealous fear mongering is not needed. What's needed is positive reinforcement (even if it's a warning) for others based on real current facts and continuous research and monitoring.

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I am 81 and I am on Coumadin 1mg, Multaq400mg and Koreg 125mg. I am doing OK.
I HAVE A COLD RIGHT NOW WHAT TYPE OF MEDICINE SHOULD I TAKE THAT WILL BE SAFE FOR MY CONDITION?

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Gary: Thanks for the reply. I don't think my cardiologist knows much about Multaq. I've been having good luck with it but I only take it once per day. Otherwise I have issues with it. I haven't had any afib even using it once a day rather than twice. I'll see what my EP thinks.

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Hi Debbie,

I know what you mean about the Miultaq dosage. I have many times missed the second dose (sometimes 2 days in a row) and have had no problems. The reason for the 2 a day dosage with Multaq is because it works its way thru the system extremely quickly and leaves the body. But I know that with many drugs the dosages can be brought down safely without any problems, probably even Multaq. Since we all have different physical makeups, drugs will obviously work differently from one person to the next. As it has many times been discussed on this forum, Multaq will work or not work for some people, also the side effects can vary widely, but all this is true for most drugs.

When you check with your EP about taking the lower dosage that you're taking now (and seems to be working), I hope he/she agrees to your one-a-day dosage. If not, you can just say that going by your own results, you're going to stay on one a day and see what happens. They can't make you do anything and you probably know your own body better than anyone. Doctors will usually base their recommendations on a drug manufacturers stats and test trial findings but that does not mean it applies to everyone taking that drug.

I don't like taking meds and if I must I'll try after some time to drop the prescribed dosage down to where it still works without any problems. I've already started this with the Nardil I've been taking for so many years. I was on 5 a day, now I'm on 3 and still feel great. My Dr. is also in favor of this and has even recommended that I try to slowly go of it completely, time will tell. I'm staying on 3 right now until after the holidays though.

I'll be seeing my Cardio doc in Jan. and I will also, like yourself, see what he says about lowering the Multaq to once a day or maybe one and a half a day. I was fortunate to find him after the few hacks I had been seeing previously. He specializes only in Afib and takes all the time needed to personally talk about things. When I question him on anything he answers in detail or will look up the answer if he's not sure right on the spot. I'm very intolerant when it comes to physicians not doing what they should be doing to help. It's my life and I'm the only one responsible for finding the proper help when I need it.

I wish you all the luck with your dosage change! Keep us informed on your progress with it.

Gary

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Gary: It is wonderful to have you on this forum. My father was a pharmacologist. He taught pharmacology at the University of Vermont Medical School. He always knew (or could find out) everything about each new drug that came out. He passed away a few years ago, and I sure miss his knowledge.

I am so thankful for the information I can find on the internet now.

I have been only taking one dose just about ever since this drug was prescribed for me. I can't tolerate two doses--I would have to stay home close to a bathroom all day. And I work so that's impossible.

Debbie

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I have been taking Multaq for 6 months now with no bad side effects. I also take Xarelto (blood thinner) The Multaq seems to calm down the a-fib. I still have it , but not as often and not nearly as bad as it had been.
Hope this helps

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Four years I didn't know my speed racer episodes with my heart were Afib. My heart would go into Afib maybe once every few months the episodes would only last 10 to 15 minutes at the longest. In March 2012, I had a very frightening experience with my Afib that lasted hours. I believe it was triggered by a couple of glasses of red wine I drank that night. This is when I was diagnosed with Afib and put on Multaq, and it has been a nightmare ever since. In 2011, I was informed that my blood work showed I had RA. Never had any RA symptoms but occasional light morning stiffness in my feet. Less than 30 days on Multag and I was experience significantly increase stiffiness everytime I got up to walk. Also experiencing inflammation in my legs and feet. I ran out of the Multag and the symptoms went away within 24 hours. The doctor's office finally got around to refilling the prescription and I took 2 pill and the symptoms immediately came back. Then I start noticing that out of the blue my body would just gasp for air almost like a breathing spasm. Then this started happening in my sleep, but more aggressively like the multaq was triggering sleep apnea. The gasp were so wild it would jolt me from my sleep. Next, start the GERD/Acid Reflux. I never had GERD before. All I know is that I got the difficulty swallowing, wheezing, bring food back up etc. My doctor didn't want to hear any of it, so I got a new cardiologist and she is worked to safely get me off this drug.
Curently, the stiffiness in my feet is gradually subsiding. My body has almost ceased randomly grasping for air during the day and at night. And the acid reflux is almost completely cease. I had a glass of orange juice this morning.

I feel that my Afib is manageable, and that low dose aspirin will help to stop the real danger (blood clots and stroke)

I know that Multaq is helpful to some but after my experience it really makes me wonder if this drug resolve one problem but creates 20 other problem and I feel the pharmaceutical companies know this.

Those of you who are on this drug, please be careful

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Hi guys. hope your new year started out better than mine.

Unfortunately, after a year and a half (post cardioversion) and a year off of Multaq, my friend came to visit in the middle of the night after an episode of GERD, bloating and diarrhea. I always contended that with me there was a vagal connection - never quite believed by the docs - perhaps now they will listen.

Anyway, a cardioversion yesterday was unsuccessful, so I'm back on Multaq for a trial. I'll let you know how it goes.

I hate this afib - I'm back feeling awful again. After losing all that weight and months of swimming myself into shape, now I feel 20 years older today than last week, and in no way can I swim at this point.

I'm severely bummed and feel all my efforts were a waste.

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Hey Trapper, good to see ya but sorry to hear about your dilemma. It really sucks when it comes on, drains the life right out of you and makes you lose hope.

I had a couple of slight episodes during the holidays, one on Christmas Eve. Eating the wrong foods and stress from the holidays. But now I'm feeling great again and back to normal. Hopefully it will be the same for you and you'll be back to being yourself in no time.

Hang in there Trapper, think positive!

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Hello all saw my cardio doc this week and he wants to get me off Multaq in the future he said it has some bad side effects if taken to long. I'm just happy to hopefully be taken off a few of these meds I feel fine but with all the scary commericals out there about meds it does freak me out. Everyday I see one about Paradaxa which I'm on, hopefully I can come off os it also in the future. My coreg was upped to 25 twice a day hopefully this will aid in my meds being reduced. Coreg is a miracle drug and my cardio was one of the researchers who got his drug on the market Cincinnati Cardio Tri Heath doc I'm so greatful my friend Shelly got me to him the other cardio doc was a whack LOL

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Gary, I'm sure the holidays were the tipping point for me. There's a lot more to it, but not for publication here. I think it was 4 months in coming, following a problematic non-related medical procedure.

My wife and I have now dutifully plowed through 5 seasons of Stargate SG-1 in order, though, so there is some good news :-)

I had almost forgotten how lousy this afib can make you feel, and the meds ad to the misery.

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By the way, the Multaq has not converted me back to NSR - just changed the rate and pattern of the afib.

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Trapper, I hope the rate and pattern change were at least a positive one.

I hate taking meds, I hope they find another way that really works (not more drugs) or better yet, a cure! But I'm going to keep taking it as long as they keep working, it's better than living in misery. Most drugs are or can be dangerous/deadly but then again I can just as easily get killed by a car just crossing the street. Rather have 20 good years than 30 in misery.

Well, at least you had Stargate SG-1 to take your mind off it for awhile!

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Trapper, I did not convert on Multaq until after I had taken it a while and then they did a cardioversion on me and I popped back in with that. I have been on the Multaq since 2009 and I have been in rhythm since 2010. I agree with you that Multaq can make your joints hurt and I would love to get off it. I take 1 and 1/2 pills a day (not on the advice of my doc). I do see the doc in March and I will ask him at that time. I was sorry to hear you were having problems, as you seemed to be doing so well! Good luck and I hope you slip back in again soon! Also, I appreciate you letting us know what is going on. Any information regarding this problem is helpful to all of us. Take care. Gayle

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