Sotalol

[cambo11]

I have been taking Sotalol for approx. 2 weeks now.  My heart rate hasn't felt this calm in years, and I thank God my Afib attack (out of nowhere, never had before) is controlled.  I have a V-Tach history and had a very bad scare, ER visit, heart rate to 220, in Afib. and hospitalized. Converted to normal sinus after about 45 min and has been placed on Sotalol, not Sotalol AF.

I have read extensively about this drug as I have never had to take medications in the past for my heart.  Had an ablation 30 yrs ago when it was virtually unheard of and no problems till this.  Have always known that bloating, low Potassium (I take daily) overeating and position changes can bring on my PVC's but for the most part, problem free till now.  

This medication has my heart calm, however I am tired, the heartburn is slightly irritating and believe it or not I am having weird dreams.....crazy stuff.  Has anyone experienced crazy dreams?  I am also having problems sleeping.  I am waiting for my body to adjust and feel positive that it will, I refuse to stress however I am monitoring my reactions and Potassium and alerting my cardiologist.  Being that this came out on nowhere I am hoping I can gradually be tapered to a lower dose, IN THE HOSPITAL.   I will not have this med decreased without being hospitalized and monitored.   I thank God for this site.  I need a lot of support now and will join a support group soon with other hearties!

[Parisshel]

Hi all,
I saw my cardiologist on Friday and had in hand a list of all the side effects the Sotalol was giving me:
--Extreme fatigue
--Significant memory loss.  
--Chemical depression brought on by the Sotalol
--Hunger, craving for sweets, weight gain (4 kgs in three months)

He instantly said"let's try something else--your quality of life is important."  

(I like that I didn't have to lobby my wish to change beta blockers.)

So I stopped (instantly, despite what the package insert says for Sotalol) those and the next day went on 2.5 mg of Bisoprolol in the morning plus 150 mg of Fleicainide at night.  The package inserts in the latter state to NEVER take these two medications together but the pharmacist says that they can be associated, you just need to be aware that the side effects may be increased with the two being used together.

I noticed a difference within 24 hours.  I'm much more alert (still a little tired but nothing like the zombie state I was in with Sotalol) and my brain is clear.  I'm not having trouble remembering things (like where the light switch is...seriously...I couldn't find it in my own house!  That was scary!).  My dreams are a little wierd but again, that's a side effect that I can live with.  My hunger/appetite has returned to normal and I'm no longer craving sweets/thinking about eating all the time.

On the heart level:  I would say that Sotalol was a tad more effective in keeping me in perfect rhythm...it is very strong stuff, after all.  But the small blips I have I can live with.  Really...it's like one off beat/day.  That's ok.

Keeping a watch on this, as at this point I'm still building up the new meds in my system.  But I'm glad to be off the Sotalol...I spent three months in a complete fog and was a horrible person to be around.  Thankfully it was all due to the meds, and not my true personality :)

[tom_h]

I took Sotalol briefly for SVT.  It scared the hell out of me.  It was prescribed with any monitoring as indicated for patients starting out on it.  I cold turkeyed the Metoprolol that I was on, and started the Sotalol.  I was only on it a few days when I had a very difficult episode of SVT.  I could not convert it no matter how hard I tried. After about 45 minutes at 240bpm, and ready to leave for the hospital for conversion, I got it.  I took the pills, and immediately flushed them away.  I got back Metoprolol.  This event was key in leading to my electrophysiology procedure and ablation.  I can understand what your going through.

[cambo11]

Hi Parisshel,

The Sotalol side effects are horrible.  My crazy dreams have stopped, and are replaced with insomnia altogether and the worst depression......awful.  My heart has this quivering feeling and my PVC's are worst, especially at night.  I am slightly dizzy and the energy is completely gone.  All I want to do is sit, wherever I am.

I emailed my Cardiologist today regarding decreasing the dosage and possibly weaning me off, or trying another medication altogether.  I am concerned with developing QT syndrome so I am monitoring this medication carefully.  I have a V-tach history that was controlled after my ablation 28 yrs ago so this entire ordeal is very frightening and depressing. After having this A-Fib attack at school, and calling 911 myself, because the parking lot was virtually empty, I find myself sitting with my cell or landline out near me wherever I am to be sure I can get help.  I am so terrified and my anxiety is through the roof.  A friend, physician and colleague of mine informed me that I was suffering from PTSD and she is correct. I thought I was going nuts!!  I start a cardiac support group next week and I am so grateful.  

I got rid of my new PCP after she coldly told me to quit my job instead of her having my duties modified. In her assessment I was "fine" even though she never asked what my duties were and my side effects (which she knew of) are off the charts.   A job I love!! No resources offered, words of encouragement or comforting demeanor.  She lacked, compassion and understanding.  COLD AS ICE. The physician's tend to have a textbook knowledge of our conditions, but some of them lack the compassion piece and fail to understand that we are more than a medical record number in the healthcare system.  It is so different for us who live with this daily.  The good news is that I have every faith that God will heal me again.

Thanks for letting me vent, this is an emotional day for me.

[Parisshel]

I was put on Sotalol in early December after experiencing my first attack of AFib (arrythmia and accelerated heart beat in my case).  My arrhythmia is under control (a couple of odd beats each day but nothing that doesn't correct itself) and my heartrate also.  However, the side effects are intolerable and I feel I've given it a fair chance, so I'm going to see my cardiologist and look at other options.  For the past 2.5 months, I've been a complete and utter zombie...extreme fatigue (I'm usually a very energetic person), depression (I've never been depressed in my life before), no interest in anything, overeating (especially sweets), and--the oddest side effect of all--my perception of the passage of time is completely off.  It's a bit of an "unreal" feeling.  Yes, vivid and strange dreams, too, but that I can deal with.  The rest...not so much.

So hopefully my AFib can be treated with a different beta blocker and/or an ablation.  

[itdood]

Crazy dreams are common for non selective beta blockers like sotalol.  Like you said there will be some adjustment, fine tuning over the next several weeks/months, and you're doing it right by working through your doctor with those issues.