sotalol

[mandy72]

ive been on this for a while

i didnt look at side affects because of health anxiety and i knew if i looked id get them

anyway last night i looked them up

mood swings

anxierty

palpitations

eye trouble (dry eyes)

indegestion

nausea

muscle cramps

depression

chest pain

breathing difficulties

[shaws Administrator]

Mandy72 I would have a chat with the pharmacist. Also not all people get the side effects stated.

I assume it is a prescription med the GP has prescribed.

This is the main reason for prescribing:

Sotalol is used for:

Maintaining a normal heartbeat in patients who have atrial fibrillation or atrial flutter (certain types of abnormal heartbeat).

Sotalol is an antiarrhythmic medicine. It works by helping the heart beat regularly for a longer period of time.

[mandy72 in reply to shaws]

yes dr prescribed them a while ago because i was having trouble with meds and very undermedicated

they did help at times but some days my pulse would be very slow its got as low as 49 but allso went as high as 90

im at drs later so will see what she says

thirst is another side affect that ive had but i put that down to borderline diabeties

[shaws Administrator in reply to mandy72]

Mandy72

A pulse of 49 is far too low as you are aware - obviously undermedicated. When I was taking levothyroxine my pulse shot right up 'out of the blue' so much so that amublances had to be called several times. I also learned how to lower/control them myself but it's not easy at first because you have no idea what's going on.

Once T3 was added it was extremely helpful but on T3 only I have none.

I hope you have a nice sympathetic doctor who can help you as you definitely need someone who knows how best to treat you.

[mandy72 in reply to shaws]

yes way too low

im on 62.5mcg T3 split in 3 doses

ive held at that allthough i have many hypo symptoms

i asked my dr if i can add T4 to see if it will help but he wanted to wait for bloods to come back first

i allso know my high cortisol is not helping matters too

[shaws Administrator in reply to mandy72]

I note you are taking T3 separately. You may have answered this query before.

If you are thyroid hormone resistance you may need a much higher dose of T3 than is usual. Dr Lowe has stated that a once daily dose is required so that all cells are saturated and he found that best for himself as well as his patients.

The first two questions may be helpful.

web.archive.org/web/2010103...

[mandy72 in reply to shaws]

im too scared to take the dose all at once in case of fast heart rate

i dose 25mcg 25 mcg 12.5 mcg

i could do a test and try 31.25 dose and see how that affects me and increase by 6.25mcg every few days until im taking one dose

[abby3216 in reply to shaws]

Dear Shaws

Is there any chance you could share how you learned to slow your fast heart rate?

[shaws Administrator in reply to abby3216]

I didn't realise it was levo initially and it is pretty scary if you've never had it before. I had heart checks at hospital several times and was told there was nothing wrong. So I knew my heart was o.k.

I also bought a monitor for blood pressure and heart which I had bought previous, so could also check and take a record.

So, if I felt the palpitations rising and I am sure many know the feeling, I relaxed and remained calm and sipped ice-cold water - if it was really severe I also wrapped an ice-cold towel round my neck either or both brought my pulse down.

I haven't had palps on T3 only. I also didn't have palps on NDT. I must state that everyone is different and what works for one might not for another.

If you think your meds might be affecting you, try taking an anti-histamine 1 hour before levo. (I have read this) and if you aren't affected as usual then try another make of levo and if happens again tell your GP you are having a sensitivity to levo.

[abby3216 in reply to shaws]

Thank you so much Shaws. I really appreciate your help and your caring!

[shaws Administrator]

The first question in this link may be helpful.

web.archive.org/web/2010103...

[jimh111]

I used to take sotalol, it regulates the heart beat rather than slowing the pulse. Other medications work by slowing the heart. There is always a long list of side effects in the drug leaflets but most people have no problem, especially those on low or moderate doses.

I take my liothyroine in divided doses. I'm aware of John Lowe's comments but I think it is safer to split the doses, to mimic the natural process as far as possible. I have found that it is more important to have sufficient T3 at night than during the day as this helps with effective sleep, deep sleep which helps with cognitive function (and produces more growth hormone which reduces muscle pain).