Multaq Anyone Else Take It (Page 7) (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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starting multaq tomorrow 2/6/10 havie been battling a fib since the age of 38 and i am now 46 10 cardioversions and 1 ablation later have learned to live with a fib and have done and took all of the other medications keeping my fingers crossed to all of you just don't give up I always can look around the corner and find someone who is worse off I struggle at work but always manage to hang in there wish you all the best in what ever you try.........

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Hi Joe, I've had AFib for 5 years, one cardioversion, not tried ablation yet but been on Multaq for 3 months. I've had 3 AF episodes but they've been mild in comparison and haven't lasted as long. Good luck on it, just to let you know the first two weeks I was on Multaq I was in and out of AF constantly but the doctor said it needed a couple of weeks in my system to adjust and he was right. Good luck Joe.

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Thanks Suzanne thats good to know wish you the best and thanks again...joe........

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46 year old with lone Afib 3 times a week treated with pill in the pocket flecainide. Just started Multaq, 6 hours and ok so far .
Here In Vancouver, Canada it cost $450Canadian for 180 pills ($2.50 per 400mg) and Blue Cross covered it. Don't listen to those Republicans! Obama has some very good ideas and he got them all from Canada.

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My cardiologist recommened that I start on Multaq- I told him I'[m already on cardizem (sp) 120 mg and lipitor (10 mg) but he didn't think that to be a problem.Cardizem lowers blood pressure as does Multq- is that not danagerous? I had 'flutters' for a few years and was prescribed metoprolol which made me crazy. After going off it I had no a-fib incidents for 4 years. Last November I went into a-fin (150) and last week had a second incident (101) the latter lasting 2 hours and stopping on it's own in the ER of course.

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Have had AF for 30+ years and gone thru a number of cardiologiss and meds. Tambocor(raises BP too High), Lanoxin, etc. nothing works, Have problems with meds. Had an abllation for flutter but didn't do much. Got a pacemaker about three years ago that was supposed to have a feature that controls AF but it doesn't. Recently have been given Rythmol 325 but do not take it except when I go into AF . Concerned about side effects if it take too much. Saw a new cardiologist lasT week and he took me off atenolol because of my reduced kidney function because it is excreted thru the kidneys. Gave me Toprol instead as it goes out the liver. Have water retensive high bp. Want to try Multaq but am afraid of getting into a problem. Think the Docs kinda give up on me, Age 76.
Also had propblems with blood thinner med.and they took me off.

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Dave: I have found that any alcohol even near beer seems to be a trigger for me. Also any coffee- even decaf( just a sip. )Also believe candy with artificial sweeters may trigger me. It takesabout 6 hours after I injest that stuff before an episode of AF begins. I have to stay away from chocolate. Is not worth going into AF. Eating too much or too fast I suspect can also get me going . These are just cause and effect situations that I have tried to piece together over time for my case.. Perhaps everybody's different though.

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Rich - thanks very much for your reply. My cardiologist said it would take 2 to 4 weeks for the Multaq to really infuse itself into my system and have its best effect. He also has me take magnesium oxide with each Multaq. It has been four weeks now and my A Fib has settled down. I am still avoiding hard liquor, however. Two glasses of wine seem to work well. Amazing how much variability there is from person to person.

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My husband has A-fib. He had an agiosplasty in June and 3 days later he had a stroke. He has had cardioversion twice and is now on Multaq, coumadin and BP meds. He is so tired all the time he can hardly function. Until he was on these meds, he was so full of energy and now he literally has to sleep at least 13 hours a day. The doctor wants to try ablation, but his heart is enlarged and he is hoping that if he stays in normal rhythm with Multaq, it will reduce in size and he can do an ablation. I am so sick of these medications. I wish they would just put a pacemaker in him. He feels bad and a little better, but never good.

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Roberta -- is the BP meds that make your husband so tired? I've been on Multaq for five weeks now and it doesn't make me tired at all and I'm a grandpa in my sixties. I don't have blood pressure issues so maybe that is the difference. Best of luck to your husband.

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Dave,
My husband is in his 70's and has been on BP meds for years....prior to his angioplasty and stroke, he never had fatigue issues. I don't know what is causing this, but I doubt it is his BP meds. He takes Caduet and Micardis. I'm pretty much at my wit's end here. He went from the Energizer Bunny to Slow Mo so fast it made my head spin. He has very little deficit from the stroke, no speech impairment, no weakness or real memory problems. He sees his cardiolgist on Friday and I have lots of questions for him. Thanks for your posting.

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I can't compare ages and circumstances with any meaning; I'm almost 58 and in good health otherwise. I have been on Multaq since mid-November, got my CV on Dec. 31, and have been in NSR ever since. My energy level has been restored, the point being Multaq has had no negative effect on my energy level at all. I doubt Multaq is the culprit. Being in NSR has allowed me to get back to work (construction) with some gusto. Best of luck to your husband.

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Started Multaq 2/2110, have had ablation, depended on pacemaker, 2 attacks of AF since I started. So far side effects just tired feel like I could sleep all the time!!! Don't see Doc till end of March.

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Dave,
Did you feel tired prior to taking Multaq? I read in the side effects that fatigue and weakness are common, but many people on this thread seem to feel just fine on it. I hope you feel better soon.

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Roberta, I tried Multaq for about 6 weeks and finally got off of it 2 weeks ago. I was exhausted the entire time I was on it. I'm 49 and a preschool teacher with lots of energy but within 2 days of starting Multaq, I just couldn't function. I ended up having to take a leave of absence. I also had very bad leg weakness and pain. My doctors did lots of tests to rule out other things but everything is negative. I've been off of it for 2 weeks and I'm just now getting some energy back. I still can't prove it's the Multaq but don't know what else it could be. I would be interested in knowing if others have any side effects also.

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I have been waiting for response 106.
This was the experience that prompted my first entry. I have reduced the dosage to less than half, and I manage to forget to take it on occasion. I have not keeled over. Seeing the doc tomorrow to catch up. Defib unit scan last week reports normal activity. I have been
told that one may adjust to this one, but I am retired, 70, but a very
active classical pianist. I use a technique that would be acceptable to any Feldenkrais specialist, but you don't play classical music while sleep walking. So I very much understand the plight of a working
school teacher 20 plus years my junior. Let's keep all of us watching our progress as guinea pigs on this new drug, give our docs
hell about it if it is called for.

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Roberta, I felt fine before starting Multaq. I'm going to hang in there
for a couple of weeks. Tiredness is better than AF all the time. Who knows maybe side effects will wear off.

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Good Lord, Cyndin, I cannot say that I am happy that you had the same experience with Multaq as my poor comatose husband, but I am glad that he is not the lone ranger. It gives me some comfort to know that perhaps my suspicions are correct. He is 78 years old and I think his doctors think he is just an old guy with no energy. Prior to these meds and Multaq in particular, I could not keep up with him and I am 20 years younger than he is. He is getting very depressed, as well, which has NEVER happened before. He is the life of the party and truly one of the happiest people I have ever known. Now I have to figure out Plan B for him because this Multaq life is not living. Thank you for your post.

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PS.......sorry I misspelled your name!

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O.K. We have something pretty serious to talk about here. I'm copying
the relevant posts from 106 onward
and will present them to my cardiologist at a meeting tomorrow, check in with what he thinks. My team is centered on Stanford and U.C. San Francisco, is rated one of the best in the world. But there are no Gods with M.D.'s, and a
medicine that makes zombies out
of some its takers is one worth a deep inspection.

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