Side effects of Sotalol increase

[Nan1]

Morning all. Hospital appointment last week due to increase in ectopics and AF frequency. I am being kept on Sotalol and told to increase from 40mg twice a day to 80mg in morning and 40mg at night. Have any of you been on thus dosage and did you experience more side effects. So worried about starting.

[jeanjeannie50]

I took Sotalol for a while, but it didn't really help with my AF. However, we're all different and you can at least just give it a try, after all it may be just the medication to help. If it doesn't work then at least you will have tried and can move on to something else that may.

Best wishes.

Jean

[Nan1 in reply to jeanjeannie50]

Thank you for reply. I'm ok on Sotalol it's just the increase that worries me but as you say give it a try.

[Alli58]

I took Sotalol 80mg twice a day from Feb this year dropped to 40 mg twice daily after a few weeks as they gave me bad side effects , this worked for me till last week when I ended up back in hospital again for a few days now on Flecanide and Bisoprolol but at least I had 4 good months and we are all different nothing ventured nothing gained 👍 Good luck

Allison

[Nan1 in reply to Alli58]

Thank you Allison for reply. What sort of side effects did you have. I have been told could feel faint, dizzy, lethargic. Doesn't make me want to increase. Keep well

[jeanjeannie50 in reply to Nan1]

I felt spaced out on them, like in a permanent daze when I first took them as a pill-in-the-pocket. The second time years later (last year) I felt fine, but they didn't hold off my AF. Some members on here have got on well with them. I think it depends on just what your heart is doing and how your body responds to the drugs.

[Nan1 in reply to jeanjeannie50]

Thanks Jean. I appreciate your reply

[Alli58]

Hi Nan

Yes breathless, dizziness, fatigue but when I went down to 40mg within days the effects had stopped or weren't as bad and easier to cope with .....fingers crossed for you I think it's just all trial and error to get the right medication for each individual

Take care and keep well

Allison 😀

[shorttail]

I was put on 80mg Sotalol twice a day by cardiologist and during the day feel good, but on waking in morning feel doped and difficulty to get out of bed. This is fairly recent so it may be other meds as just upped Ramapril

[Nan1 in reply to shorttail]

Thanks for reply. Good to know you are coping quite well

[Arveno]

My husband was put on Sotalol at May 2016, 80 mg morning and 80 mg evening, It worked for him except tiredness which could be consequence of his heart problem. After 6 month we asked for trying lower dose because his heart felt Ok but he was very tired. Cardiologist refused. At Mars 2017 we started on our own trying 40 mg at morning (80 mg evenings) and husband feels much better. I have still feeling (has rather low blood pressure and pulse at mornings) that he could anny feel better with lower dose at evenings. But we are afraid to try it as it could trigger afib. May be..,

[MarkS]

Sotalol is no longer recommended for AF. I was on it for 2 years and it really wiped me out if I exercised hard. I cycled round France on it and that was very hard.

Then I came off it and I couldn't believe how much better I felt. I think doctors (and maybe patients expect) to give a drug whereas a lot of time you'd be better off without one.

I would suggest you only stick to the sotalol if it actually stops the AF.

[Nan1 in reply to MarkS]

Thanks for reply MarkS. It worries me that the drug is no longer recommended by NICE but at my appointment I was assured that it is still widely used. I am starting to get more AF hence the increase. Keep well

[Hidden in reply to MarkS]

Hi how did you come off it? Did you just stop? I feel so ill on it I don't want to take it anymore but can't get a docs appointment till Thursday.

[MarkS in reply to Hidden]

Hi, yes I just came straight off it and started to feel better in a few days. I went on to a calcium channel blocker (diltiazem) which suited me much better. The sotalol never reduced my AF, just made me more breathless. I'm not sure I needed to be on anything as nothing reduced the AF and my AF was always at a relatively low HR.

[Diamondcat in reply to Hidden]

Hi there just seen your post here I’m new to the site. I too am on sotalol I’m exhausted it isn’t controlling my AF plus my bones ache and I ne er feel good anymore. I have had AF for 3 years and yet despite trying lots of different meds I feel rubbish and nothing seems to work. I’m 51 yet feel like an old lady. I had a cardio version which lasted for 1 week. I’m wondering if the medication is actually causing me more Problems.

[Nan1 in reply to Diamondcat]

Hello Diamondcat, I’m still on Sotalol twice a day. I still get AF and palpitations fairly regularly. I seem to get spells of perhaps two weeks of AF then months without. I do question if it’s the best drug to be on but consultant said if settled then stay on it. I wish you well and hope you settle down on Sotalol.

[azriverrat]

In the past I was.on 240 2x a day. Kept afib and flutter.in check for a few years but wiped me out. Then when they broke through it took 4 ablations to patch them.

[Nan1 in reply to azriverrat]

That's a high dose you were on. Perhaps I shouldn't worry so much about 120mg. Thanks for replying and I wish you well

[angiesuggs]

I was put on Sotalol at 80 mg twice a day - it slowed my heart beat too low. Then I was told to take 40 mg twice a day. Unfortunately, my heart beat remained too low even with half the dose. Doctor did an ablation so I could stop taking Sotalol. Since the ablation, after coming off Sotalol, i feel like a different person. I couldn't tolerate Sotalol. my heart rate was 39 bpm.

[Nan1 in reply to angiesuggs]

Thank you for replying. I tried one day of 80 mg and 40 mg and had a horrible night. Nose completely blocked and I had difficulty swallowing. Pain in chest as well. Back on 40mg twice a day but might try again. Glad you are doing well after the ablation.

[angiesuggs in reply to Nan1]

Thank you! Yes, I am doing so much better now.