Hi everyone. Had a cardioversion last Thursday, but it only lasted for 2 days so back into hospital and had anothercardioversion.
My question is I was stopped with my bisoprolol and put on sotalol. I looked on the knternetanditwas lassoed side by side with amiadrone and I’ve heard bad reports on these.
Has anyone had this sotalol pill please and opinions about it. I wasworried when I read about all the side effects of this tablet especially when it said that it was a potassium blocker and each time I have been taken into hospital they always have to give me magnesium and potassium as I am low
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Bear in mind, all of us are different. We are not labs and we aren't textbooks and it may be okay for you. I took it a week and had to go off - arrhythmias almost constant and heart rate too low. But then my HR tends to be low anyway. Try to be positive on it. I would recommend you have good access to your doctor or AF pharmacist.marcyh
I went back to propafanone - heart rhythm rather than heart rate. The reason my EP wanted to try Sotolol was to avoid the frequent AF. I'm quite symptomatic and have to take 2 propafonene right away with an episode, then a 3rd after an hour.
and do the propafanone work well for you when you have an attack? So did the sotanol not work with an AF attack then? I get a bit confused with the heart rhythm/heart rate and the different tablets
Yes, propafenone does get my heart back into normal sinus rhythm (NSR) eventually - after the 3rd pill. It solves the heart rhythm issue. The daily Sotolol slowed down my heart (heart rate) full time. I have a slow heart rate anyway, and it went too slow and gave me almost constant arrhythmia (rhythm issue). I got very short of breath and almost passed out at a lab. So for rhythm AND rate, it didn't work for me. I went off of it after a week and I didn't have an AF episode during that time so I don't know what it would have done with AF. The purpose of that trial was to see if it prevented AF from happening.
I’m even more confused now as since my ablation 2 years ago I have a slow heart rate 43-45 very occasionally up to 48-50 if I’m rushing about up and down stairs.
That's pretty slow. You might wonder what it does at night if it's that slow during the day. I don't know what more to say except to check with your doctor. You may need a pacemaker.
Yes I know and that’s my worry about sotalol. I have been put forward for a specific kind of ablation and before the beast raised its head again I received a letter from the hospital with 14 pages of the risks for this particular ablation. Another consultant suggested a pacemaker, but the two didn’t seem to agree which was the best way to proceed. Of course Covid is getting in the way of everything as well. Take care
An ablation is an ablation, so I do not understand what you mean by "particular" ablation. Just because you heart is in the forties does not mean that you automatically need a pacemaker if your heart is in the forties, especially since meds may be responsible for having your heart drop to the forties.
I have a naturally slow heart rate ( bradycardia) and was going into AF when my HR dropped below 40 I was recommended an ablation but the surgeon told me 30% success rate Two nurses also told me that I would be back for more ablation sand even my anaesthetist raised his eyebrows Decided pacemaker was for me Now over 12 months since pacemaker and no AF Pacemaker is set so HR doesn’t go below 50 was put on Sotalol for reasons I don’t understand fully as GP says I don’t need it with pacemaker Sotalol is causing me a great deal of breathlessness and am looking to come off it🤞
I have been on Sotalol for about four years now. I get a bit breathless sometimes but no other ill effects. Was originally on Bisoprolol which didn't control my AF and changed to Sotalol. Have also tried Flecainide but that didn't suit me so I keep with the Sotalol.
Hi. I was taken off flecanide as it was becoming dangerous for me and put on sotalol. I was also scared as it gets quite a lot of dodgy comments on here. Anyway, I have been absolutely fine and in fact it has kept my AF more or less under control. I get a shortish episode roughly once a month. I quizzed my EP as to its dangers and he said that all the anti arrhythmics have their different dangers it is just a case of being well monitored and which one works safely for you.One thing to be aware of is that at the lower dose it is just a beta blocker and not as effective as bisoprolol but at the higher doses it also has anti arrhythmic properties so then is more effective at actually preventing episodes. I wouldn’t put it in the same league as amiodorone which although extremely effective, can have some very nasty and long lasting side effects. Hope that helps. X
It is scary especially when it comes with terrifically fast tachycardia and can't breathe, etc etc and your heart is beating so hard and irregularly that the chair/bed/sofa feels as if it's moving and not yourself.
I’m on 120 mgs of Sotalol 2 X per day for Afib. I had Cardioversion last week and Afib free for 10 days. I have side effects and breathing issues with 120 mgs of Sotalol so Doctor wants to reduce to 60 mgs 2X per day. Could you tell me what dosage is considered a beta blocker and which dose is considered an anti-arrhythmic dose? I’m afraid if I go too low then Afib will return but I want to reduce the side effects. Thanks!
I’m on 120 mgs of Sotalol 2 X per day for Afib. I had Cardioversion last week and Afib free for 10 days. I have side effects and breathing issues with 120 mgs of Sotalol so Doctor wants to reduce to 60 mgs 2X per day. Could you tell me what dosage is considered a beta blocker and which dose is considered an anti-arrhythmic dose? I’m afraid if I go too low then Afib will return but I want to reduce the side effects. Thanks!
Hi ,as I understand it , sotalol doesn’t have any anti arrhythmic qualities at a dose of 40 mg twice a day. I was started on a dose of 80 mg twice a day as an anti arrhythmic and increased to 160 x2 before it started to work for me. This is only my personal experience as a patient . What does your doctor suggest? X
In the end I couldn't tolerate Sotalol so I was taken off them and now I'm on 1.25 bisoprolol and 50 flecainide twice a day. I believe that eventually I will be taking flecainide just as a pip. Hope you will be well.
Hi, I have been on Sotalol for about 2 years and my dad has been on it for 4 or 5 years, neither of us have had problems.
Having said that I did an Ironman last year, I had to walk the 42km run as my heart rate doesn't go high enough anymore for me to run. I took around 16 hours, at the end my blood pressure dropped to about 80 over 40 or something and ended up in hospital.
By the time I got to hospital my blood pressure was normal, They still did all types of blood tests and the only thing they said was my potassium was quite low, I didn't think anything of it till you just mentioned it .
I told my cardiologist about my blood pressure episode and he said what did I expect I am on Sotalol. He wasn't at all concerned.
Yes every time I'm taken into hospital I have to have magnesium and potassium through a cannula as it is always low so when I read on the internet about sotalol being a potassium blocker and can cause different types of arrhythmia I wrote to my GP last night and received a reply which was sotalol was made the same way as bisoprolol, but a different manufacturer and he wasn't concerned about me taking it. However I am still worried.
Agreed. Sotolol has a bad press but it is in no way as dangerous as amiodarone. Tools are limited for AF, and this is one tool I am glad to have available, especially for those who cannot cope with flecainide. Any doctor who keeps an eye on the usual blood suspects like Potassium, Urea etc should be able to advise you. I only came off it when it was no longer working for me.
I too have been on Sotolol for a few years. No side effects. Just had dose upped as been having nasty episodes in clusters. Out of interest which drug are you taking now? I’m thinking flecinaide may control mine better. Due to see my cardio in January
I read on the internet that sotalol was equivalent to amiodarone so after reading all about both of them I am still worried about taking sotalol despite receiving a message from my GP this morning that he didn't have any concerns.
I was worried too, and needed my bum kicking to start taking them after my last visit to A & E. I had stopped taking anything. Anyway I also started taking riberoxoban at the same time. That was a few weeks ago and so far I'm ok and feeling better than I was. Bisoprolol and Flecainide made me feel awful. Even when I was told to just take the Flecainide on it's own and stop taking Bisoprolol I still felt dreadful. So it's worth trying and not worrying too much. Good luck.
Thank you and glad you feel OK. I was on flecainide and I thought it a miracle drug and I felt great on it, but my EP insisted on stopping it and having an ablation as he said it could cause other arrhythmias. I'm glad solatol is good for you so I will take it after all it's all you can do is try to believe what the medics say I guess
I'm the world's worst at not wanting to take medication of any kind. I avoided anything until age 65 so I am probably fortunate. As you say, we just have to trust in the advice we are given. Really hope you get on well with the new medication.
You do well to be concerned. Sotolol and Amiodarone are different drugs. The safety profile of Sotolol is much better than that of Amiodarone. But, as every drug has "effects" these need to be identified and addressed. When I looked at drugs.com/sfx/sotalol-side-... I see that the main problems concern initiation, in particular the problem of "ventricular tachycardia associated with QT interval prolongation". Which is why it is usually initiated under supervision. As far as I can see, the other effects once you get going are either temporary, can be treated, or reversed once you stop the treatment.
So you do well to remind your doctor of your concerns. I routinely do that. Doctors cannot remember everything. They do not know you like you know yourself and the way you know your case history. These are difficult decisions and I feel for you.
I know that's when I looked up on the internet I was concerned about it especially as the reason the hospital gave me sotalol was for Afib and tachycardia and from what I could read it actually seems to sometimes cause that.. I know I couldn't very well carry on with bisoprolol as it was lowering my heart rate to sometimes 39-43 and the diastolic BP to about 45 although the systolic was OK ranging from 115 to 117. Oh dear decisions decisions!!!
Amiodarone is known to have serious side effects - like all drugs these only affect some people, but after experiencing several myself, I had to be changed to Sotalol. The only side effect I have experienced with that is reddening of skin on my feet, and it has kept me in normal sinus rhythm for several years after a cardioversion.
There are two kinds of Sotalol - one fo the atria and one for the ventricles. They are not to be mis-prescribed. Be sure to get the right one. My cardiologist did not know this and did not specify which kind. And two out of three pharmacists did not know either. If you have a long QRT interval, then you should be closely monitored; or as stated on the drug sheet, you should be in the hospital for three days in case you flatline. My doctor said this is not usually done since it is expensive and this only occurs for a very few people. And now Covid does not help the decision to be put in the hospital. I have a left bundle block which lengthens the QRT interval and the first beta blockers given to me put me in intensive care for two days. They did not kill me but close. So I won't take Sotalol since they won't put me in the hospital for the three days and coming close is really no fun.
Drugs are powerful. Ask lots of questions and keep becoming knowledgeable. Doctors are busy and sometimes are not your best advocate. Be comfortable that yours is. Patients with AF, all being different, are always an experiment. This is what makes treating AF such a challenge for doctors.
If the cardiologists are not all aware of which sotalol which one should we ourselves know which is right and whether it should be for the atria or ventricles. I don’t even understand those words. Confused that’s me !!!!
I was on Sotalol for many years and it didnt really do anything but slow my pulse down , I still went into AFIB while on it and after five cardioversions I changed cardiologists as I didnt see the point of just taking Sotalol and having a worse QOL.
The whole time I was on Sotalol I felt nauseous, lethargic and my metabolism was not working ( could not loose weight ) my pulse was 46 / 48.
I was switched to Flecainide and Diltiazem which much improved my QOL.
This is just my experience if you trial it and it works for you thats good.
I was put on amniodarone but my cardio didn’t like it because of side effects so now on Sotalol Have been on it for about 9 months but now getting very breathless even panting at times My GP wants me to come off it Seeing Cardio in a couple of weeks. GP says why am I on any medication as I had a pacemaker to correct bradycardia and AF! I like this GP😊
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