What are the side effects of medication for Atrial Fibrillation

All medication can have potential side effects. We start with medication with less side effects and we move to stronger medication which could potentially have more side effects. The first line medication, for example, to control the heart rate in atrial fibrillation are drugs called beta blockers. These are very common drugs used for a wide range of conditions and so known to be very safe. However, the commonest side effect from these are tiredness and so some people feel very tired on these drugs. If that happens, it can be moved on to different drugs and see if they can work better for you so you have less side effects. That balance will be managed with your doctor to try and see what is the best medication for you. But the stronger medication, the anti-rhythm medication, they can have more potential serious risk long term and you'll need closer monitoring of things like your ECG, an electrical tracing of your heart to see what your rhythm is and your doctor will look at different signs on that depending on what medication you're on.