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Dr. Andrew Rynne
MD
Dr. Andrew Rynne

Family Physician

Exp 50 years

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What Causes Fainting While On Ciprofloxacin For UTI?

I ve been on flecainide for several years and it changed my life. This spring I ve been fighting UTI infection and put on ciprofloxin. 2 weeks after I took one week/4x day perscription, I had a syncope episode that put me in emergency transport to ER. Fri. I returned to my family doctor as I felt the UTI had not cleared up. I left urine sample and put back on same antibiotic. When I went to pharmacy to pickup same antibiotic, my pharmacist told me why I should not be on it. I did not start on ciprofloxacin again.The very next day I had another syncope episode that required emergency transport to ER again. Went on 48 hr monitor. Tomorrow I m supposed to get a longer term monitor. Personally, I think my medication conflicts had induced these episodes. Flecanide has changed my life with no side effects! I was told if it didn t work or if it stopped working, I may need a pace maker. I m a very healthy, active 74 year old woman who is living life well until these episodes!
Tue, 11 Sep 2018
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General & Family Physician 's  Response
Hi,

Flecainide, as you may already know, is an IAR antiarrhythmic. Among the arrhythmias treated, are those in which the heart has a frequency above normal.

This medicine lengthens the QT interval, which means that it slows down your heart rate a bit, to try to maintain a blood flow adequate to the organs, among them; brain.

The use of Ciprofloxacin, although it is not contraindicated in people taking Flecainide, should be administered very carefully, since this medication can potentiate the effects of the other medication.

By enhancing the effects of Flecainide, probably instead of regularizing your heart rate; from a high heart rate to a regular or normal one, the use of these 2 drugs together would be producing a cardiac arrhythmia.

This will cause your frequency to go below normal (Bradycardia), which would be decreasing the cerebral blood flow and producing the syncope.

Hope I have answered your query. Let me know if I can assist you further.

Regards,
Dr Luis Alberto Urdaneta Arenas, General & Family Physician
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What Causes Fainting While On Ciprofloxacin For UTI?

Hi, Flecainide, as you may already know, is an IAR antiarrhythmic. Among the arrhythmias treated, are those in which the heart has a frequency above normal. This medicine lengthens the QT interval, which means that it slows down your heart rate a bit, to try to maintain a blood flow adequate to the organs, among them; brain. The use of Ciprofloxacin, although it is not contraindicated in people taking Flecainide, should be administered very carefully, since this medication can potentiate the effects of the other medication. By enhancing the effects of Flecainide, probably instead of regularizing your heart rate; from a high heart rate to a regular or normal one, the use of these 2 drugs together would be producing a cardiac arrhythmia. This will cause your frequency to go below normal (Bradycardia), which would be decreasing the cerebral blood flow and producing the syncope. Hope I have answered your query. Let me know if I can assist you further. Regards, Dr Luis Alberto Urdaneta Arenas, General & Family Physician