Atrial fibrillation or AFib is an issue with the electrical activity of the heart. When AFib occurs, the heart skips beats, beats too rapidly, or even quivers. The heart cannot pump blood to the body via the chambers in the ideal manner. Sometimes, the blood tends to pool in the heart and form clots, which could end up leading to a stroke. While treatments such as surgeries and lifestyle alterations with nonsurgical procedures can treat AFib, medications can also slow the heartbeat down and get it back to a normal rhythm. AFib medications also help in keeping the heart healthy and even prevent clots.
Medications for treating AFib
Medications can prevent strokes and clots, slow down the heart rate, and even control the rhythm of the heart. Medications for AFib are listed below:
Blood thinners
Blood thinners are medications that thin the blood for lowering the chances of AFib and other problems. However, in certain cases, blood thinners can raise the danger of bleeding, so one might have to avoid indulging in certain activities which could lead to wounds and injuries. Hence, doctor’s advice is recommended always. Some of the most common blood thinners are:
- Warfarin (Coumadin, Jantoven)
- Rivaroxaban (Xarelto)
- Heparin
- Enoxaparin (Lovenox)
- Dabigatran (Pradaxa)
- Clopidogrel (Plavix)
Heart rhythm medicines
Heart rhythm medicines slow down the electrical signals and bring the heartbeat into what is known as a regular sinus rhythm. Such treatments are known as chemical cardioversion at times.
- Potassium channel blockers: Potassium channel blockers slow down the electrical signals which cause atrial fibrillation. These include Sotalol (Betapace, Sorine, Sotylize), Dofetilide (Tikosyn), and Amiodarone (Cordarone, Nexterone Pacerone).
- Sodium channel blockers: Another kind of heart rhythm medicines are sodium channel blockers. These slow down the heart’s ability for conducting electricity. These include Quinidine, Propafenone (Rythmol), Flecainide (Tambocor), Aspirin, and Apixaban (Eliquis).
Heart rate medicines
The most prevalent method for treating atrial fibrillation is with medications that control the heartbeat. These medications slow down the rapid heart rate so that the heart can pump better. A majority of the people who suffer from atrial fibrillation take a medication known as digoxin (Lanoxin).
- Calcium channel blockers: The other kind of blockers for treating atrial fibrillation are known as calcium channel blockers. These slow down the heart rate and even tone down contractions. Some of the calcium channel blockers prescribed to people include Verapamil (Calan, Calan SR, Covera-HS, Isoptin SR, Verelan) and Diltiazem (Cardizem, Dilacor).
- Beta-blockers: One might even require other medications for treating their atrial fibrillation. Certain specific ones are known as beta-blockers. Beta-blockers are also known to slow down the heart rate. Some examples of beta-blockers are Timolol (Betimol, Istalol), Propranolol (Inderal, Innopran), Metoprolol (Lopressor, Toprol), Carvedilol (Coreg), Bisoprolol (Zebeta, Ziac), and Atenolol (Tenormin).
Those who are suffering from atrial fibrillation need to consult a doctor immediately. These medicines can be gotten either at the hospital or at the doctor’s office, with the doctors monitoring patients to make sure that the medicine is working.
