Happy New Year all.
My question is, do I have Bradycardia, my pulse rate is 51 to 54. I take 80mgs of Sotalol twice daily and have been in NSR since August 2013. I feel very fatigued but my GP is quite happy with my pulse rate. I would value your opinions.
Hi and Happy New year. I am on a low dose of bisoprolol and also flecanide. My pulse is the same as yours. My G.P. and E.P. are happy with that but tell me to contact them if it is regularly lower than 50. I am having an exercise stress test in a week and have been told to take the same meds before having the test. I may find out a bit more then and will let you know if I do. It's all very confusing but at least these meds are keeping me A.F. free at the moment so I hope they let me carry on taking them! X
No. You do not. Or maybe a little. I had / have a rate of 50 and my EP said 'not low, not low', and left me to it. The fatigue prob due to meds.
That's what happened to me anyway.
Pip
Hi - I believe any pulse under 60 is classed as Bradycardia, but not considered serious unless under 50. I've taken Sotolol in the past, but didn't really get on with it - made me feel so strange! I can't see why your Dr doesn't reduce the dose slightly, as you are so fatigued, that's certainly what I would want to do.
Hi Phyllis. Technically Bradycardia is any rate less than 60 and by contrast tachycardia is anything over 80. I tend to agree that the fatigue may well be the dugs. It has been said that when the symptoms from the drugs are worse than the symptoms from what the drugs are supposed to be treating then stop the drugs. You might like to discuss this with your GP when you demand to be seen by an electrophysiologist!
Bob
Bob, at the present time I have been discharged from the cardiology clinic and, should I revert back to AF then I must see my GP, who will refer me back to the clinic.
I have never been made aware of an option to see an electrophysiologist or even if Coventry have such a person/service.
Sadly I bleat on about this fatigue but it may be purely coincidental and might just be my age!
I have spoken to the arrhythmia nurse about possible side effects of Sotalol but I get the impression that while I am in NSR we must not to rock the boat.
I am so grateful to everybody for their opinions re:Bradycardia and it does seem that I am not on the danger list with my 50+ pulse.
Phyllis, there is a list by area of electophysiologists on the main website and you do have the right to be treated by whoever you wish..Treatment should be a balance and when the treatment is worse than the condition then something should be changed.in my view. There may be other drugs you could take which will not affect you so badly..
Bob
They've got a good EP dept at the New QE in Birmingham Phyllis. Not too far from Coventry. I've had 2 ablations done by them and their advice is miles better than GP's. My GP put me on exactly the wrong drug.
Bob is right, although there are many people who have Brady Cardia who are fit and well; many of thee being sporty types of course. I come into this bracket with a RHR of around 44-50 - but it's been this way for decades now. I think the meds may be making you tired, this is not uncommon and my Mum has been in a similar position. My EP in Leeds is very good and he tells me everyone is different and you can't pigeon hole people easily. all the best. 
Sotalol has two effects - it acts as an anti-arrhythmic and a beta blocker. I was on sotalol for 2 years. I didn't get on with it as it slowed my heart rate too much (down to 40) and I got easily puffed when exercising. It also had other effects which would only concern men...! It also didn't stop the AF though it tended to mask the symptoms.
I hadn't realised how bad an effect it was having until I came off it and I was bouncing around like a duracell bunny. I then went on to diltiazem, a calcium channel blocker, which I got on with much better.
Then I had my ablation and everything's been fine since, touch wood!
However it sounds as though the sotalol is stopping your AF. I would suggest you need to weigh up the improved AF against the fatigue induced by sotalol. And also make sure you are not actually in AF.
Mark
Do you feel sometimes we are all one big experiment. It said on my Flecainade packet, take your first dose under medical supervision. I was just given it and told to take 150mg if I had an AF and left to my own devices. It's frightening how the doctors are so blasé about metering out these potentially
dangerous drugs. Reading your stories shows me how rife it is. It's not just GP's either.
Thank you all for your comments, I agree with MarkS and, perhaps due to the medication should be thankful that it is holding my AF.
But I also agree as always with Bob's comment and am now going to explore the possibility of seeing an EP purely because I would like to cancel out the chance that the medication is making me feel worse than the condition.
Once again thank you all.
Hi, Sotalol can make you feel tired and fatigued, and if the dosage is not right it may also make you feel light headed and dizzy. My GP and the Hospital revised my dosage quite often, as it was causing me a great deal of problems.
At one stage they put my dosage up to 240 mg a day, this had a terrible result as I passed out on returning home, and an emergency Doctor was sent out to me, who was in know doubt the hospital had made a bad mistake.
I was Taken off Sotalol, and put on Bisopropol 7mg, big difference. If at any time you feel your medication is not right for you, you must see your GP and tell him, A/F is not the same for everyone, and each of us has to be tailored according to our own needs. Most GPs will refer you to a Cardiologist for tests and medication checks, just ask.
Hello fibril98
Thank you for your reply to my query.
Since posting my question I have been advised to lower my daily Sotalol and, if my AF remains stable perhaps try Flecainade as a 'pill in the pocket' approach.
I have also discussed the possibility of meeting an EP but, the procedure in Coventry, is to be referred to an EP only if I should need an Ablation.
Once again many thanks and good luck in your AF journey.
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