Quote from vickikt:

I am unsure if any of you could answer this but, I was wondering what medication they prescribe for atrial flutter?

The situation is this: I was born with a congential full heart block (due to mother having Lupus). Last year they put in a pacemaker. When they were running test they found I was in atrial flutter. When they did the pacemaker surgery they also did ablation for the atrial flutter. When I went in for my yearly exam about a month ago they found the ablation did not work and I was back into atrial flutter or basically never went out of it. Since I have a dual lead pacemaker they activated the 2nd lead to help pull me out of atrial flutter when I go into it. The other lead is for my slow heart rate. My doctor said in 3 months when I have my over the phone check they will analyze how things are going with the pacemaker and atrial flutter and if it is the same they will put me on medication. My question is what medication is most common for this problem?

This is a weird situation because your ventricles are already being paced. The biggest risk that I'm sure you're aware of with atrial flutter is that you eventually can go in to atrial fibrillation. While that's not immediately life threatening, you're at risk for forming a clot in your L. atrium and throwing emboli towards your brain--i.e. stroke. Now, normally, for atrial flutter, they can do the ablation surgery, which unfortunately failed for you.....you can try to have the procedure again, 'cause you definitely have reason for it.

You can also get medications to slow down your sinus rhythm like beta-blockers or calcium channel blockers....the weird twist in your story is the fact that you have the heart block. I'm not totally sure what they'd do for that other than symptomatic treatment with the drugs I mentioned above and prophylactic warfarin anticoagulation.

The other thing is, even if you did go in to atrial fibrillation, it would be weird because of the AV block. Normally, with patients in afib, you can opt for rate control or rhythm control (amiodarone, or procainamide)... In Canada, at least, we go with rate control...the evidence is better. SOOOOOOOOO, I'm thinking that at the very least they can give you some symptomatic treatment with a beta blocker...they should consider recathing you too.

DJBlod, do know much about this situation? (I'm asking seriously)