Flecainide

Conditions Treated

Flecainide is used to prevent certain types of life-threatening irregular heartbeats. Flecainide is in a class of medications called antiarrhythmics. It works by slowing electrical signals in the heart to stabilize the heart rhythm.

Possible Side Effects

What Side Effects Can This Cause?

Flecainide may cause side effects. Tell your doctor if any of these symptoms are severe or do not go away:

• dizziness
• changes in vision
• headache
• weakness
• uncontrollable shaking of a part of your body
• constipation
• stomach pain

Some side effects can be serious. If you experience any of these symptoms, call your doctor immediately:

• fast, pounding, or irregular heartbeat
• chest pain
• shortness of breath
• extreme tiredness
• nausea
• loss of appetite
• persistent cough with blood-tinged mucus
• swelling of the hands, feet, ankles, or lower legs
• confusion
• unusual bleeding or bruising
• pain in the upper right part of the stomach
• yellowing of the skin or eyes
• flu-like symptoms

Flecainide may cause other side effects. Call your doctor if you have any unusual problems while taking this medication.If you experience a serious side effect, you or your doctor may send a report to the Food and Drug Administration's (FDA) MedWatch Adverse Event Reporting program online [at http://www.fda.gov/Safety/MedWatch] or by phone [1-800-332-1088].

Usage Instructions

How Should This Medication Be Used

Flecainide comes as a tablet to take by mouth. It is usually taken once every 12 hours. Some people may take flecainide once every 8 hours if they experience side effects or if their condition cannot be controlled by taking flecainide every 12 hours. Take flecainide at around the same times every day. Follow the directions on your prescription label carefully, and ask your doctor or pharmacist to explain any part you do not understand. Take flecainide exactly as directed. Do not take more or less of it or take it more often than prescribed by your doctor. You may be hospitalized when you begin your treatment with flecainide. Your doctor will monitor you carefully during this time and for as long as you continue to take flecainide. Your doctor will probably start you on a low dose of flecainide and gradually increase your dose, not more than once every 4 days. Your doctor may also decrease your dose once your condition is controlled. Flecainide may control your condition, but will not cure it. Continue to take flecainide even if you feel well. Do not stop taking flecainide without talking to your doctor. If you suddenly stop taking flecainide, your condition may become worse.

What Dietary Instructions Should I Follow

Unless your doctor tells you otherwise, continue your normal diet.

Are There Any Special Instructions

Before taking flecainide, tell your doctor and pharmacist if you are allergic to flecainide or any other medications. tell your doctor and pharmacist what other prescription and nonprescription medications, vitamins, nutritional supplements, and herbal products you are taking or plan to take. Be sure to mention any of the following: acetazolamide (Diamox); amiodarone (Cordarone, Pacerone); ammonium chloride; antacids; beta blockers such as atenolol (Tenormin), labetalol (Trandate), metoprolol (Lopressor, Toprol XL), nadolol (Corgard), and propranolol (Inderal); carbamazepine (Carbatrol, Tegretol); cimetidine (Tagamet); clozapine (Clozaril); dichlorphenamide; digoxin (Lanoxin); diltiazem (Cardizem, Tiazac); disopyramide (Norpace); methazolamide; nifedipine (Adalat, Procardia); phenytoin (Dilantin); phenobarbital; quinidine; sodium bicarbonate (baking soda, Citrocarbonate, Soda Mint); and verapamil (Calan, Verelan). Your doctor may need to change the doses of your medications or monitor you carefully for side effects. tell your doctor if you have heart block (condition in which electrical signals are not passed normally from the upper chambers of the heart to the lower chambers). Your doctor may tell you not to take flecainide. tell your doctor if you have a pacemaker (device that is surgically placed under the skin to control irregular heartbeats) and if you have or have ever had a heart attack, heart failure, or any type of heart disease; low or high levels of potassium in the blood; or liver or kidney disease. Also tell your doctor if you follow a strict vegetarian diet. if you are having surgery, including dental surgery, tell the doctor or dentist that you are taking flecainide. if you are giving this medication to an infant, be sure to talk to the doctor if there will be any major changes in the amount of milk the infant drinks. Milk can affect how the medication is absorbed in the body.