What Types Of Anti Arrhythmic Drugs Are Most Commonly Used?

Posted on Mon, 30 Oct 2023

Question: What types of anti arrhythmic drugs are most common for usage during the healing period after an ablation? I used to take propafenone before my most recent afib attacks, so they discontinued it about a month ago. Sotalol made by heart rate go down to the middle 40's bpm. So, now they are giving me amiodarone, which has many bad side affects. I am wondering whether it is common to go back to a drug tried before (like my propafenone), after an ablation? In other words, perhaps propafenone would still be effective for me after an ablation, even though it had been discontinued before the ablation.

Answered by Dr. Ilir Sharka (19 hours later)

Brief Answer:
I would explain as follows:

Detailed Answer:
Hello,

You may use propafenone or other same class drugs like flecainide. They have shown to be effective in preventing Afib recurrences even though not as much effective as Amiodarone, but with much less adverse effects.

Generally propafenone and flecainide are prescribed concomitantly with a beta blocker to prevent potential rapid ventricular rate atrial flutter or similar supraventricular arrhythmias.

But before prescribing such drugs it is necessary to exclude any important structural heart disease with impaired systolic function.

You have to discuss with your attending cardiologist on the above mentioned issues.

Hope you will find this information helpful!

Kind regards,

Dr. Iliri

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Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar