Multaq Anyone Else Take It (Page 4) (Top voted first)
UpdatedOkay 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.
Lara, I had 2 ablations and the first made my afib worse, and the second now keeps it for the most part under 200. I tried Multaq, I started this discussion to find out more about it. It did not work for me mainly because the side effects made me feel worse than the AFib. Ask your doctor if you could use Tikosyn it is very guarded and only certain cardiac doctors can dispense it, you even have to look around for an approved pharmacy, but I swear it saved me. It is kind of scary, but no scarrier than Multaq. Just a thought for you, have now been out of the hospital for 2 weeks, a record for me, I usually last 3 days at the most. Carolann
I forgot to mention, Tikosyn and Couamdin are the only heart related meds I am now on. I was on 5 before the Tikosyn.
My dermatologist said that I have eczema which is not related to my drugs. That's a relief. I am very pleased with Multaq.
These are the side effects listed by the FDA.
What are the possible side effects of MULTAQ?
•Slowed heartbeat (bradycardia)
•Stomach problems such as
◦diarrhea
◦nausea
◦vomiting
◦stomach area (abdominal) pain
◦indigestion
•feeling tired and weak
•skin problems such as redness, rash, and itching
Tell your doctor about any side effect that bothers you or that does not go away. These are not all the possible side effects of MULTAQ. For more information ask your doctor or pharmacist.
I've been on Multaq for five weeks for Afib. I'm taking it before I have a Cardioversion. My doctor thinks taking this will get rid of the Afib.
I never have a very high heart rate.
But I'm out of rhythm. Only side effect is indigestion. I'm 74
I've been on Multaq (400 mg 2x a day) since 10/8/09. It has been helpful - but not perfect. I will still occassionaly go out of rhythm - but I seem to convert back within 1 to 6 hours. That's a big improvement compared to not converting back on my own prior to Multaq - or going a couple of days before converting.
I recently had a skin infection also - not sure if it was related to Multaq though. Doctor diagnosed it as Cellulitus and put me 10 days of anti-biotics. I'm currently on day 5 and it is stating to clear up.
But overall, I'd say that Multaq is controlling my AF better than Metoprolol was - so so far so good.
Had ablation a week ago. Started Multaq in hospital that very night. Have some gastric distress but thats it. Concerned about its effect on creatinine levels. Was asymptomatic prior to the abalation.
Had 2nd Cardioversion. Was put back into rhythm. One week later had a EKG out of rhythm. Doctor told me to stop taking Multaq.
I will try and live with it. Wishing the rest of you the best of luck.
Ed B
I have been on Multaq for 2 months on and off. No bad side effects, but I have gone out of rhythm 5 or 6 times. Each time I go back to Flecanide for 1-2 days until rhythm is restored, then back to MUltaq.
a-fibing for 12 yrs, 2 ablations helped somewhat. taking multaq for 10 days, doing pretty good on it. only side effect is diahrrea which i'm hoping will abate completely.
I have been taking Multaq for 2 1/2 months and am very pleased with its control of my a-fib. Concurrently however, I have continued to itch and generate eczema patches. Anyone else have the itch?
I started on Multaq 5 days ago, 400 mg. twice/day, and am in and out of AFib since the second day. I was on 50mg twice a day then they took me off that to start Multaq. Does anyone know if you can just stop taking Multaq without any problems or do you need to come off it slowly? It's awful and I can't reach my doctor.
Sorry, I left out that I was on 50 mg. twice a day of Metoprolol, which they had me come of before going on Multaq. Usual AFib was once every 3-4 weeks.
Hi Suzanne, I was having 4 to 5 afib episodes a week when I first started taking Multaq, and they continued for about a week after taking it. I too was taking Metoprolol with it. I was taking 50 mg twice a day, and my doctor increased it to 100 mg twice a day.
I haven't had any afib for about 3 months now. No side effects either.
I know you're supposed to come off of metoprolol slowly, but I haven't seen anything one way or another regarding multaq. Good luck with your afib!
Just read my previous post and realized it may be ambiguous: I continued to take, and still do take, Multaq along with the metoprolol...
Eddie Y: thanks for the info, I did not come off Metoprolol slowly, just all at once before I started Multaq, so I'm thinking that might be why I'm AFibbing. I'll take heart that in a few more days the AFib will stop & the Multaq will kick in!
You all need to be consulting your doctors more.
Hi Harry, I would love to consult with my doctor, however have tried to reach him for 3 days to no avail. I'm in Canada, this doesn't say much for our healthcare does it? I appreciate anyone's feedback, it's helpful to hear how other people cope, thank you again.
Hi again, finally spoke to my doctor. I am to wait 3 or 4 more days and if I'm still afibbing off & on I'm to go back in to see him. He said absolutely do not go back on Metoprolol with Multaq as it may slow the heart down too much, however with my heart in afib I wouldn't mind! Thanks again for the helpful feedback.
I guess I have a stubborn heart, because not only did my doctor keep me on both, but he upped the metoprolol like I mentioned earlier.
I am younger than the average afib patient (I'm in my mid-40s) and have no other cardiac conditions, so I'm sure that factored into his decision.
In any case, it goes to show each individual situation is different. Good luck with yours, Suzanne!
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