Pulse

[yorkie]

I am was diagnosed with AF two years ago. It has been under control with Soltolol . For the last few months it has been coming a lot more. On my last attack my pulse was 136 (which is high for me) but within 20 minutes my pulse had gone down to 26. First time this has happened to me. Has anyone experienced this & what did you do. Thanks for your time .

[BobD Volunteer]

I think you need to discuss this with your doctor to be honest. Sotalol can do this and is no longer recommended for treatment of AF in UK.

Bob

[yorkie in reply to BobD]

Thanks BobD I have spoken to my doctor already. She refuses to make changes but has sent my back to see a cardiologist (appointment soon).

[BobD Volunteer in reply to yorkie]

I despair sometimes!

[sann in reply to BobD]

Hello Bob I had the same problem with my Dr as regards Sotolol, ALSO when I said about it to my cardio he just dismissed the idea of it,so what do you do , if he won't do anything about it you are stumped? Take care Bob Sann

[BobD Volunteer in reply to sann]

Refer him to 2014 NICE guidelines and ask him if he will put in writing why he wants you to still take it so that you can sue him when things go wrong. Note all conversations with times and dates. That usually wakes them up. . My understanding is that sotalol can affect ventricular rate which can be detrimental.

[Annaelizabeth in reply to BobD]

Bob, it may be useful to get in touch with Prof Schillings department at the London Bridge Hospital. He sat on the NICE committee which dealt with Sotolol. I believe he may feel it still has a place, as he is happy for me to use it as PIP. It seems this subject comes up fairly frequently.

[BobD Volunteer in reply to Annaelizabeth]

Done and waiting his reply.

[BobD Volunteer in reply to BobD]

OK--- from the oracle. Sotalol is generally thought to be safer than flecainide but it isn't .(no other explanation). Also it is seldom prescribed at an anti-arrhythmic dose so at 80mg twice daily it really is just a beta blocker so not really much point. He sometimes uses it apparently.

That's all folks. Maybe we have been overly anxious but I do recall an EP at HRC last year saying is was a "nasty drug".

Bob

[barnes12 in reply to BobD]

Hi bob safer than flecanide I didn't realise it wasn't safe karen

[BobD Volunteer in reply to barnes12]

Nothing is safe if abused. Drink enough water and it will kill you. That's what kills the ectasy kids. It makes them thirsty and they drink till their brains swell up.

Safe is a relative term as in safer than not doing something.

Bpb

[seasider18 in reply to BobD]

after a few unsatisfactory hospital consultations and conflicting advice I suggested to my GP that in future I would record the conversations on my phone. He assured me that many people do and they should have no objections to me doing so.

[Hidden]

Sometimes when in wild episode my HR will be quite irregular on blood pressure/HR machine or HR/O2 monitor, just doesn't register accurately. Don't know if this might apply to you.

[BobD Volunteer in reply to Hidden]

Quite right. Few BP machines can cope with AF

[seasider18 in reply to BobD]

Same has happened to me at GP and hospital appointments as well as my first morning ones at home.

[Hidden]

I had a bit of a panic thinking my pulse, normally 60, had gone to under 30 on leaving the pub after just half a pint - I am on 200mgs/day Flecainide. I was blue lighted to A&E.

My cardio said sometimes it is difficult to pick up the lower beats of the pulse in between the stronger ones and if I had been that low I would have felt faint if not out for the count.

[seasider18 in reply to Hidden]

As an orchard worker I take it that you drink Cider?

[Hidden in reply to seasider18]

BAF - Before AF!

[seasider18 in reply to Hidden]

I don't know if sales are up but the Cider and Cidre market seems to be going through an advertising phase just now.

We once had a house that was on the site of an old orchard and had five of the huge original trees left but not cider apples.

[Hidden in reply to seasider18]

Those large old trees are fantastic and often tasty varieties that are not in the shops.

I lived in Jersey some while back and virtually no cider orchards left but many years ago the island was covered to such an extent their parliament had to pass a law banning new plantings.

[seasider18 in reply to Hidden]

One came down and hit our back door and I cut two of the others down. The previous owner had planted more apple trees and I added twelve dwarf trees of old varieties some supposedly Tudor/Elizabethan but my favourite tree was my Victoria Plumb.

[Geoff70]

I have been on Sotalol for a few years now. When you read the leaflets inside the packet it does highlight the side effects which includes a quicker heart rate. I do sometimes wonder whether they contribute to my occasional outbreaks of AF. Your post has certainly prompted me to raise the point when I see my cardiologist at the end of August.

Geoff

[kakapo]

Sotolol was very pro-arrhythmic for me but it took a six day stay in hospital before I was changed to rate control. Rhythm control seems like the sensible way to go but for me rate control was a lot easier to live with.. A successful ablation has been even better. If the effects of the medication are worse than the condition you should be on it.

[Jock68]

2 months post Ablation and on no medication. On Sunday heart rate went up to 149 while watching TV, went to bed and it went after 90 mins. Had the same experience two weeks ago, looks like I will have more treatment. Normal rate is around 62 for me, I do feel headaches and loss of energy and then I take the reading, usually the Blood pressure is ok during these events.