What medications are used for atrial fibrillation?
Your healthcare provider may consider treating your atrial fibrillation with medicines that help prevent blood clots from forming and medicines that work by slowing your heart rate or by restoring your heart’s normal rhythm. We encourage you to discuss with your Doctor for further information.
Types of medicines for atrial fibrillation
Your healthcare provider may consider treating your atrial fibrillation with medicines that help prevent blood clots from forming and medicines that work by slowing your heart rate or by restoring your heart’s normal rhythm.
The list below here is not intended to be comprehensive. We encourage you to discuss with your Doctor for further information.
- Purpose: These medications help control the heart rate, ensuring it doesn't beat too fast. While they don't correct the irregular rhythm of AFib, they help reduce symptoms and improve heart function.
- Benefits: Rate control medications aim to slow the heart rate and lower blood pressure
- Common Medications:
- Beta-blockers (e.g., Metoprolol, Atenolol)
- Calcium channel blockers (e.g., Diltiazem, Verapamil)
- Digoxin
- Purpose: Once your heart rate is under control, the next consideration is to treat the abnormal heart rhythm with medications that restore and maintain a normal heart rhythm. They are particularly useful for patients who experience symptoms including palpitations, shortness of breath, fainting spells and night sweats.
- Benefits: Antiarrhythmic medications are used to prevent and reduce the amount of AFib episode a person experiences and helps the heart rhythm to return to normal rhythm following an AFib episode
- Common Medications:
- Sodium channel blockers (eg Flecainide)
- Potassium channel blockers (eg Amiodarone, Sotalol)
- Purpose: AFib increases the risk of blood clots, which may lead to a stroke. Anticoagulants reduce this risk by blocking blood clotting factors, increasing the time it normally takes for a clot to form preventing clot formation.
- Benefits: Anticoagulants reduce the ability of your blood to form clots
- Common Medications:
- Warfarin
- Direct Oral Anticoagulants (DOACs)
What are the risks of medications for atrial fibrillation?
All medications have side effects, including drugs to treat arrhythmias. It is important to speak to your doctor if you experience any side effects as everyone responds differently to medication.
Effectiveness and outcomes following medications
Medications are used to try and improve the symptoms of atrial fibrillation by decreasing heart rate, lowering blood pressure, decreasing the chances of clots forming, and shortening the length of an AFib episode. Lifestyle modifications may help improve your medication effectiveness. It is important to take all medications as prescribed and talk to your healthcare professional if you experience any types of side effects.
More questions about medications?
Learn more about medications in the management of atrial fibrillation.
