anyone on sotalol for afib?

[thoms]

I've had paroxysmal afib for seven years and now dr. advising I go on sotalol to hopefully stop the afib's coming and going. I go in hospital this Monday for 3-5 days of monitoring while starting the drug. Just looking for opinions and experiences anyone has to share ... especially regards side effects, drug interactions and exercise tolerance.

Thanks,

Thom

[Lenin]

thoms,

I have a friend who went on sotalol after getting sick and scared of running to the hospital for painful cardioversion after daylong bouts with A-fib.
He claims he is doing VERY well on sotalol.

[thoms]

Thanks, Lenin! Well, there's one vote for ...

[mnmnmnmn]

I took sotalol for almost two months but not for a-fib but rather atrial tach and SVT. I tolerated it well in the beginning and seemed to work good. However I then ran into problems with too low of blood pressure and passing out so I had to stop it, but I had other health problems going on as well. I thought Sotalol was a good drug, as I had no side affects that I was aware of other than the lower blood pressure.

[Fizzickle]

I've been on Sotalol (80 mg twice per day) for about four years. Had to start it while monitored in the hospital, after having paroxymal afib for several years. Had two electric cardioversions and neither lasted for more than a month. The last cardioversion lasted two weeks, and my cardiologist put me in the hospital to start Sotalol..

Like other beta blockers, it will slow your heart down. My resting heart rate has always been slow, and the new medicine slowed it to about 48 bpm. If I really exerted myself, I might get my heart rate up to 95 - 100. So nuclear stress tests are done chemically rather than on a treadmill.

Do you take coumadin for your afib? I have been on coumadin now for several years and of course have to have my INR (prothrombin time) checked monthly.

I had a severe MI in 1974, 6 bypass surgery in 1981. I also have high blood pressure, high choloresterol plus a number of other problems including congestive heart failure. I take Vytorin, Cozaar, Norvasc, Sotalol, warfarin, Flomax without apparent interaction problems.

I am just grateful as can be that my cardiologist put me on Sotalol HCl, because it has really done a good job on my afib. Another possibility would have been amiodarone, but that has huge and serious side effects.

Be glad to try to answer questions you may have about my experiences with Sotalol.

Bill