Doctors & patients are saying about 'A-Fib.com'...
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“I think your site has helped a lot of patients.”Dr. Hugh G. Calkins, MD Johns Hopkins,
Baltimore, MD
A-Fib Drug Therapy: If We’re Sick, Just Take a Pill, Right?
In the US, we’ve been conditioned to think, “if we’re sick, just take a pill”.
When you have Atrial Fibrillation, anti-arrhythmic drug (AAD) therapy is certainly better than living a life in A-Fib. It can be useful for many patients.
And according to Dr. Peter Kowey, Lankenau Heart Institute (Philadelphia, PA), while anti-arrhythmic therapy is not perfect, it can improve quality of life and functionality for a significant percentage of A-Fib patients.
P. Kowey MD
Dr Kowey is an internationally respected expert in heart rhythm disorders. His research has led to the development of dozens of new drugs and devices for treating a wide range of cardiac diseases.
He cautions, though, that A-Fib anti-arrhythmic drugs are just a stopgap measure. The problem is they don’t deal with the underlying cause. And are seldom a lasting cure for A-Fib.
The Trade-Offs of Anti-Arrhythmic Drugs
In our article, Eleven Things I Know About A-Fib Drug Therapy, Dr. Kowey writes:
“An anti-arrhythmic drug is a poison administered in a therapeutic concentration. Like most meds, anti-arrhythmic drugs, (AADs), are a trade-off between the unnatural and possible toxicity with the power to alleviate our A-Fib symptoms.”
Did “an anti-arrhythmic drug is a poison” set off alarm bells for you?
In general, anti-arrhythmic drugs are toxic substances which aren’t meant to be in our bodies―so our bodies tend to reject them.
For more, see our full article with Dr. Kowey’s insights, Eleven Things I Know About A-Fib Drug Therapy. It’s based on his 2014 American Heart Association (AHA) Scientific Session presentation.
Look Beyond the Typical AAD Therapy
Today’s anti-arrhythmic drugs have mediocre success rates (often under 50%).
Beyond AAD Therapy
Many patients often experience unacceptable side effects. Many just stop taking them. And when they do work, they tend to lose their effectiveness over time.
According to Drs. Irina Savelieva and John Camm of St. George’s University of London:
“The plethora of antiarrhythmic drugs currently available for the treatment of A-Fib is a reflection that none is wholly satisfactory, each having limited efficacy combined with poor safety and tolerability.”
These drugs don’t cure A-Fib but merely keep it at bay. Most Atrial Fibrillation patients should look beyond the typical antiarrhythmic drug therapy.
See our Treatments page to learn more about Medicines or ‘Drug Therapies’ for A-Fib.
Answering Your Questions About A-Fib Drug Therapies
Since the beginning of A-Fib.com, we have answered thousands of patient’s questions—many times the same questions. Perhaps the same questions you may have right now.
For unbiased information and guidance about medicines and drug therapy treatments, see our page of questions and answers. You’ll find explanations, resources and advice for the most frequently asked questions by patients and their families. Go to FAQ A-Fib Treatments: Medicines and Drug Therapies.
