Tambocor is the brand name of an antiarrhythmic medication called generically flecainide. It is used in the treatment of arrhythmia, which is the medical term for having irregular heartbeats. This prescription-strength medicine is used, according to the Mayo Clinic, only when there are heart rhythm difficulties that are severe because it has been known to cause serious problems in some patients. It is a pill or capsule that works to slow the impulses of nerves in your heart. It also decreases the sensitivity of heart tissue.
After a Heart Attack
Tambocor has been implicated in approximately 5 percent of the deaths following a heart attack in a clinical study, according to RxList.com. This was seen in people after they had heart attacks and received Tambocor as part of their recovery therapy. They experienced rapid heartbeats, called ventricular tachycardia (VT), and premature ventricular contractions that did not display symptoms. The study compared people who were receiving Tambocor to those who were receiving a placebo. The death rate for those who did not receive the drug was a little more than 2 percent.
Heart Arrhythmia
Although flecainide is designed to fix irregular heartbeats, it also has had the opposite effect and made the condition worse in some people. The percentage of patients who experienced this varies widely depending upon the study, according to RxList.com. It also depends upon the kind of condition the person had. For example, in a study of people with paroxysmal supraventricular tachycardia---a condition in which your heart occasionally beats rapidly---approximately 1 percent of patients experienced a worsening of their arrhythmia. In patients who suffered from paroxysmal atrial fibrillation, approximately 7 percent of those in the study had an increase in arrhythmia. Another group of patients, with VT, showed a 13 percent incidence of exacerbated or new arrhythmia.
Other Side Effects
Other side effects are associated with the drug but are not associated with the cardiovascular system. According to the Mayo Clinic, they include serious side effects such as pain in the chest, breathing difficulties, leg swelling, trembling, foot swelling, shaking or yellowing of the skin or eyes. Tell your doctor immediately about any of them. Less-serious side effects are reported to go away as you continue the medication. They include seeing spots or other vision disturbances, such as blurriness, abnormal tiredness, dizziness, uncommon weakness, anxiety, decreased appetite, depression, abdominal pain, constipation, a rash on the skin, headaches or nausea. Report any of these to your doctor if they bother you. Others that were reported in studies, according to RxList.com, include fatigue, tremors, diarrhea, anorexia, vertigo, insomnia, dermatitis and flatulence.
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