Take flecainide exactly as directed by your doctor, even though you may feel well. Do not take more medicine than ordered.

This medicine works best when there is a constant amount in the blood. To help keep this amount constant, do not miss any doses. Also, it is best to take the doses 12 hours apart, in the morning and at night , unless otherwise directed by your doctor. If you need help in planning the best times to take your medicine, check with your health care professional.

Dosing

The dose of flecainide will be different for different patients. Follow your doctor's orders or the directions on the label. The following information includes only the average doses of flecainide. If your dose is different, do not change it unless your doctor tells you to do so.

The number of tablets that you take depends on the strength of the medicine.

• For oral dosage form (tablets):
  • For correcting irregular heartbeat:
    • Adults 50 to 150 milligrams (mg) every twelve hours.
    • Children Use and dose must be determined by your doctor.

Missed dose

If you miss a dose of flecainide and remember within 6 hours, take it as soon as possible. However, if you do not remember until later, skip the missed dose and go back to your regular dosing schedule. Do not double doses.

Storage

To store this medicine:

• Keep out of the reach of children.
• Store away from heat and direct light.
• Do not store in the bathroom, near the kitchen sink, or in other damp places. Heat or moisture may cause the medicine to break down.
• Do not keep outdated medicine or medicine no longer needed. Be sure that any discarded medicine is out of the reach of children.

In deciding to use a medicine, the risks of taking the medicine must be weighed against the good it will do. This is a decision you and your doctor will make. For flecainide, the following should be considered:

Allergies Tell your doctor if you have ever had any unusual or allergic reaction to flecainide, lidocaine, tocainide, or anesthetics. Also tell your health care professional if you are allergic to any other substances, such as foods, preservatives, or dyes.

Pregnancy Flecainide has not been studied in pregnant women. However, studies in one kind of rabbit given about 4 times the usual human dose have shown that flecainide causes birth defects. Before taking flecainide, make sure your doctor knows if you are pregnant or if you may become pregnant.

Breast-feeding Flecainide passes into breast milk. However, this medicine has not been shown to cause problems in nursing babies.

Children Studies on this medicine have been done only in adult patients, and there is no specific information comparing use of flecainide in children with use in other age groups.

Older adults Elderly people are especially sensitive to the effects of flecainide. Flecainide may be more likely to cause irregular heartbeat in the elderly.

Other medicines Although certain medicines should not be used together at all, in other cases two different medicines may be used together even if an interaction might occur. In these cases, your doctor may want to change the dose, or other precautions may be necessary. When you are taking flecainide it is especially important that your health care professional knows if you are taking any of the following:

• Other medicine for heart rhythm problems Both wanted and unwanted effects on the heart may increase

• Congestive heart failure Flecainide may make this condition worse

• Kidney disease or
• Liver disease Effects of flecainide may be increased because of slower removal from the body

• Recent heart attack Risk of irregular heartbeats may be increased

• If you have a pacemaker Flecainide may interfere with the pacemaker and require more careful follow-up by the doctor