- Overview of A-Fib
- Causes of A-Fib
- Find the Right Doctor for You
- Treatments for A-Fib
- Q & A: Coping with A-Fib
- Personal A-Fib Stories of Hope
- Directory Doctors/Facilities
- Patient Resources & Links
- Our A-Fib Support Volunteers
- 2023 AF Symposium: Reports
- A-Fib Videos & Animations
- Bibliography
- Glossary of Terms
- Free Offers & Downloads
- How to Search for Articles
Doctors & patients are saying about 'A-Fib.com'...
"A-Fib.com is a great web site for patients, that is unequaled by anything else out there."
Dr. Douglas L. Packer, MD, FHRS, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN
"Jill and I put you and your work in our prayers every night. What you do to help people through this [A-Fib] process is really incredible."
Jill and Steve Douglas, East Troy, WI
“I really appreciate all the information on your website as it allows me to be a better informed patient and to know what questions to ask my EP.
Faye Spencer, Boise, ID, April 2017
“I think your site has helped a lot of patients.”Dr. Hugh G. Calkins, MD Johns Hopkins,
Baltimore, MD

Doctors & patients are saying about 'Beat Your A-Fib'...
"If I had [your book] 10 years ago, it would have saved me 8 years of hell.”
Roy Salmon, Patient, A-Fib Free,
Adelaide, Australia
"This book is incredibly complete and easy-to-understand for anybody. I certainly recommend it for patients who want to know more about atrial fibrillation than what they will learn from doctors...."
Pierre Jaïs, M.D. Professor of Cardiology, Haut-Lévêque Hospital, Bordeaux, France
"Dear Steve, I saw a patient this morning with your book [in hand] and highlights throughout. She loves it and finds it very useful to help her in dealing with atrial fibrillation."
Dr. Wilber Su,
Cavanaugh Heart Center, Phoenix, AZ
"...masterful. You managed to combine an encyclopedic compilation of information with the simplicity of presentation that enhances the delivery of the information to the reader. This is not an easy thing to do, but you have been very, very successful at it."
Ira David Levin, heart patient,
Rome, Italy
"Within the pages of Beat Your A-Fib, Dr. Steve Ryan, PhD, provides a comprehensive guide for persons seeking to find a cure for their Atrial Fibrillation."
Walter Kerwin, MD, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles, CA
Side Effects of Flecainide: An A-Fib Patient’s Perspective
Carol, from Salem, Oregon, wrote me to share how taking the antiarrhythmic drug, flecainide, affected her.
Flecainide, an antiarrhythmic medication, works by slowing electrical signals in the heart to stabilize the heart rhythm.
“When I initially started taking flecainide for my A-Fib, I experienced annoying visual disturbances, especially when there was a difference between a light and dark environment such as a stage or when going from a light to a dark room. I would see afterimages, many of them. For example, in a theater I’d see my hands clapping, but I’d see many of them as if in a time lapse still photo. Over time that effect got better.
But other side effects developed.
…Here it goes again. I plan to call the Cardiologist as soon as the office opens. I have the following symptoms:
• Irregular heartbeat
• stomach discomfort (bloating)
• rash and hives
• hair loss
• anxiety (my shoulders are practically making contact with my ears)
• sleep problems
• increased sweating
• annoying visual disturbances
These are all listed on the package insert as possible side effects.
However, I am not ready to say they were caused by flecainide as I have had lifelong problems with allergies and digestive issues. Except for the visual disturbances…
I was on flecainide for 12 years―and it mostly worked well―until it didn’t anymore.”
Carol Baumann,
Salem, Oregon