Sotalol

[Gulmarrad]

Hi there. I saw my specialist last week and he took me off Sotalol 80mg morning and night. My pulse has been low ever since CHF. My heart pulse is generally between41 &46, Today when I took my blood pressure & pulse my pulse is upto 98. I waited awhile and took it again, 91. I will wait and see the reading for tomorrow before I probably have to resume Sotalol.

[Nezzera]

Hi Gulmarrad,

Did you wean off Sotalol slowly or just stop?

[Gulmarrad in reply to Nezzera]

Hi there, no I weaned off it slowly.

[Nezzera in reply to Gulmarrad]

How are you doing now? Has your heart rate settled down a bit?

[Ppiman]

I suppose you might just need an ordinary beta blocker if you don’t need the antiarrhythmic effect of sotalol?

I wonder whether, if you’ve been taking that for some time, the current higher heart rate might not be a temporary occurrence while your heart’s beta-receptors re-attune themselves to life without sotalol?

Steve

[Gulmarrad in reply to Ppiman]

I had a fast heart beat before I went on Sotalol. I was to stop taking them for a month, if everything hoping well. I pulse shot up from low 40s to 118 rate. Felt terrible. So dr said go back on and see him on next appt.

[Ppiman in reply to Gulmarrad]

It might be worth drying what your doctor says to trying a simple beta blocker to see if that works? All of the anti-arrhythmic drugs carry extra risks, in comparison, I gather.

Steve

[Sixtychick]

I’m on Sotalol and have been for many years, after they changed me onto it from Atenolol, which I had been taking for SVT, after I had an episode of it, which wouldn’t stop.

When I was diagnosed with AFib, they kept me on Sotalol, but gradually kept increasing the dose to 80 mg in the morning and 120mg at night. I had an ablation on 19th September, for my Afib, not sure whether they did the SVT as well, but they’ve dropped my Sotalol to 80mg at night now and the copy of the letter they sent my GP, says I will be on anti- coagulants for life, but it looks like they’ll be taking me off Sotalol, which is worrying me, as I’ve been on it for so long now, I don’t know how my body will re-act.

When they stopped my Sotalol for 2 days before my ablation, it started my Afib off. I will have to stop it very slowly over several weeks, 20 mg at a time,I think, no matter what the Drs say. Luckily, I do have about 6 weeks tablets in reserve, so if they won’t prescribe it any more, I’ll still be able to keep taking mine, till I’ve stopped taking them , at my pace.!!

Hope things will settle down for you. It will be good not to be on Sotalol anymore, as there are so many inter- reactions with other drugs and over the counter medicines, you have to be very careful what you take, or what you are prescribed. I always refer to the N.I.C.E. list of drug interactions with Sotalol, before I take anything new, as some reactions can be serious. There are 260 drug interactions on the list and also you can search on there, if you can’t find the drug you’re looking for. Best wishes.

[Gulmarrad in reply to Sixtychick]

Thank you for your response. I hope you are ok.

[BaileyC57]

Pulse41 to 46 is very low ! Mine runs about 80's and 90's and I am in AFIB all the time! I take 25mg of Metropolo twice a day! I took Sotalol a few week ago and I had shortness of breath so they took me off from it!