Amiodarone and sotalol.

[Ecki]

Thought it would be quicker to ask this on here than try to get an answer from cardiology.I've been in AF since mid January. Have been on sotalol 40mg BD since then and had a failed cardioversion about 3 weeks ago.

The cardiologist has prescribed amiodarone which I started yesterday. I can't remember if he told me to stop the sotalol.

Can anyone advise? Thank you

[Hidden]

I believe you will have to ask the prescriber, since we here cannot advise on prescriptions.

We are simply members of the public, non-medics, who have cardiovascular issues or support those who do.

You might possibly get some help from the cardiac nurses at the BHF. have a look at their website for contact details.

[Ecki in reply to Hidden]

I have asked the cardiologist's secretary but no response yet. I just wondered what other people's experiences were of taking these two drugs.

[Simon_P]

Hi I've been on Amiodarone for the past 5 weeks it seems to be a toxic drug but touch wood I've not suffered any side effects. I was put on it leading up to a cardioversion (in the waiting room as I type this) I was told it would give the cardioversion the best chance of success. I'm sorry yours didn't go as planned

[Gfern]

Please don’t take both without speaking to someone, I was on sotalol and was put on amiodarone after an ED visit in California, I won’t bore you with the story but i was told in very certain terms that I could not take both together as they definitely don’t mix. Best of luck.

[SuddenShock]

Try the bhf helpline, they are very quick to respond and, being fully qualified, know what they are talking about: bhf.org.uk/informationsuppo...

[Isobel1]

I've no experience with the latter drug. If your cardiologist's secretary isn't replying, try the Pharmacist at your Chemists or your GP

[Ecki]

Thanks for these suggestions. The cardiologist is away all week. The letter he wrote to my GP didn't mention the sotalol, just asked that I be prescribed the amiodarone.

I tried the bhf nurses but they were having staff training.

I phoned my GP surgery, which has an integral pharmacy, but you can't phone the pharmacy direct. I was given a phone appointment with the pharmacist today, but it was a pharmacy assistant who called. She didn't know the answer and said she would find out and call me back. She didn't.I haven't taken any sotalol since Monday morning. I started the amiodarone on Monday afternoon.

Tomorrow, I will continue trying to get a definitive answer.