Pacemaker and sotalol

My mother, aged 87, has just had a pacemaker fitted. She had an irregular heartbeat, but the sotalol dose she needed to correct it was causing her pulse to drop (to 50) and also lowered her blood pressure. Now that she has her pacemaker we're puzzled why she's still being prescribed sotalol. We haven't yet had chance to quizz the consultant or her GP and wonder of anyone can explain to us why she still needs beta-blockers.

2 Comments

Fix One Create Another

by SMITTY - 2010-10-18 12:10:29

Hi Valerie,

Your mother's is in a situation where treating and controlling one problem (with Sotalol) another is created and then something (implanting a pacemaker) must be done to control the new problem.

Sotalol is used to treat irregular heartbeats. Sotalol is in a class of medications called antiarrhythmics. It works by acting on the heart muscle to improve the heart's rhythm. Sotalol controls the condition but does not cure it. So as bad as all of this sounds, uncontrolled arrhythmias can be deadly which makes Sotalol followed by a pacemaker a workable treatment

Smitty

me also

by Binky - 2010-10-19 06:10:53

I am 62 and have my Pm for 4 1/2 months now . was on one med for irregular heartbeat but it wiped me out. Now on sotalol. This was working fine for about 1 month than my heart went crazy and was beating irregular again doc doubled the meds to 160 mg a day and now all seems ok. The PM only keeps our rates from dropping to low I've been told so we need meds to control the irregular and to fast beats. Hope you mom makes out ok. It is quite an adjustment after you receive a PM but it is your life line. Take caare
Binky

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