I'm already on meds for heart disease. Do I really need more meds for atrial fibrillation?

Dear Ask The Doctor: I am a 51 year old man. My BP is under control, and so is my cholesterol, through drugs. Last month I had my second ever episode of atrial fibrillation, the first one was in 2003. On both occasion I had to go to an emergency room, and was hospitalised. The Afib was very fast, did not respond well to drugs, and was eventually resolved trough electric cardioversion. My heart works very well otherwise. The holter test did not reveal anything wrong. The cardologist says that we need to try to prevent further episodes, and prescribed 100mg flecainide and 2.5mg nebivolol. I have never taken drugs for the heart before, and am a bit concerned. Can I start taking these medications with confidence? Will they give me more trouble than benefits? Thank you in advance.

Dear Salvatore: Your doctor is being cautious so nothing serious will happen to you again. Atrial fibrillation, when not treated promptly, can have life-threatening consequences. It will also predispose an individual to form spontaneous clots and can potentially clog blood vessels to vital organs (intestines, heart, etc). You are one of the lucky ones, I should say. Flecainide decreases the heart rate when it starts to increase while Nebivolol controls the blood pressure. Nebivolol is a cardio-selective drug which means it mostly affects the heart, barely affecting other organs. These are drugs used to normalize heart rhythm disturbances (like atrial fibrillation). Yes, it is true that all drugs have side effects. In your case, I think taking these drugs will be more life-saving than harmful. Since you also have problems with blood pressure and cholesterol, you should also incorporate dietary and lifestyle changes into your daily living. Ask your doctor or cardiologist what kind of moderate exercise is healthy for you. I do hope I have answered your question and take care always.