sotalol and cardio

[Monomono1234]

I’m 58. I’ve had afib constant for 5 years. I cardio workout heavily. My resting heart rate is about 70. It rises to over 200 during exercise. I’m hesitant to take sotalol as it may inhibit my ability to exercise heavily. Anyone have experience with this?

[CDreamer]

Decrease your exercise and then you won’t have to take Sotolol. Of course it will decrease your ability to exercise - that’s what it is designed to do. Moderate exercise is good but exercising whilst in AF with a HR going to 200 is in my layman’s view - Death wish.

Recommended Reading:-

The Haywire Heart: How too much exercise can kill you, and what you can do to protect your heart - Chris Case, John Mandrola, Lennard Zinn - leading specialists in the field.

[wilsond]

You are risking your heart health,and probably your life by exercising so much,so hard in AF.

Sorry to be blunt but heavy cardio workout in AF is suicidal.

Paradoxically too much is as bad as too little!Your choice,limit your high heart rate by taking the rate control medication or not and risk serious consequences.

[Buffafly]

You’re joking, right? 😂

[mjames1]

200 bpm while exercising. Yikes! Is your doctor onboard with that? Not a medic, but sounds like you need to have an effective rate and/or rhythm control strategy. Soltalol is just one of several drugs that may be suitable. Uncontrolled afib can sometimes lead to bigger issues, for example heart failure. An electrophyisologist (ep) or at least a cardiologist well versed in afib, is the person to see about this. There is also catheter ablation to consider, which if successful, could get you off these drugs.

Jim

[Silky57]

Hello. I see you’re new to the forum. I also note you’ve had your AF for 5 years so I assume you are under the care of a cardiologist? Without wishing to alarm you, I agree with others here. Please stop exercising to this level and seek medical advice before resuming. I’m sure you realise 200 is way past your recommended maximum heart rate of 162, even before taking the AF into account.

[Monomono1234]

I’m under the impression that Sotalol is for irregular heartbeat rhythm. Not rate. True?

[Silky57]

I don’t take sotalol personally (I take bisoprolol) but a quick google says it’s a beta-blocker to slow the heart but also an anti-arrhythmic.

[MarkS]

If sotalol is not returning you to SR then I would drop it, I found it a horrible drug. I got on much better with diltiazem which lowers heart rate without that feeling of running out of air. I used to exercise quite hard but after my successful ablation, I moderated my exercise and now do about 90 mins of cardio a week with several hours of lighter exercise such as walking and Pilates.