Sotalol

Hi everyone, I am the new kid.  I am 68 years old and had a Medtronics PM installed May 2017.  Then I was dignosed with Sick Sinus Syndrome (Tachycardia and Bradycardia) .  A month after the PM was installed it was read and I was told I had Afib.  The Afib lasted only a few milliseconds according to the PM tech.  My cardiologist put me on Sotalol 80mg every 12 hours. I am on my 2nd day with Sotalol and my cardilogist will do a ECG on me in a month.  My problem is I feel like I am walking around in a fog, does it ever end?  My heart paces when it gets below 60 bpm.  Now, my sitting BPM is 60 and before it would be in the 70s or 80s.  It almost seems like the cure is worse than the problem.  Any one have  problem like this?  Does the fog ever go away?

9 Comments

anticoagulant

by marylandpm - 2017-08-23 21:11:59

   If you have afib you need to be on someting like eliquis.

Thanks for your Comments

by Otto - 2017-08-24 10:58:18

Thanks for the comments.  I have sleep apena and use my BiPap every night as I should.  I am also diabetic and starting Sotalol had startling affect on my blood sugar.  Also, my blood pressure is way lower than it has ever been.  I don't know if this medication is going to be forever but right now my cardiologist will evaluate it wih a ECG in a month to see if the Afib is supressed.  I am just living day to day, this is the start of day 2 with Sotalol.  

Sotalol

by Artist - 2017-08-24 20:07:54

I have taken several different medications to help control my AFIB.  I am currently taking the same medication that you are. It was prescribed for me after Bisoprol failed to control my AFIB and I ended up in the ER with a HR of 234 BPM. My cardiologist then switched my medication to Sotalol and I have also had a heart ablation to deal with the AFIB.  My AFIB is much better  now, but I have the same symptoms that you do as a result of taking Sotalol. I have been on it approximately one year and still have periods of weakness and low energy.  Usually it helps me if I just make up my mind to not succumb to the weakness and get up, move around and be more active. I asked my doctor to prescribe a different medication and he will not do that without hospitalizing me.  I said no thanks.  There are only so many types of beta blocker medications available, so if they run the gamut then what?  I suggest you stick with Sotalol for awhile to see of you do adjust to it.  We are all different and have different severities and types of arrythmias.  Beta blockers lower your blood pressure and HR so that is a common reason to have a PM implanted, so that your heart rate will not fall to low.  My PM is set at a lower limit of 60 and I can tell my  PM is working a lot since I commonly have a HR of exact,y 60. If you have given yourself time to adjust to the Sotalol and still have trouble with weakness, then discuss a switch in medications with your doctor.  I also have sleep apnea and know that even though it gets somewhat tiring to keep using a CPAP machine, it is definantly necessary.

Sotalol

by TAC - 2017-08-25 07:36:27

The first few days of taking a new meducine are the worst for side effects. Gradually you body will try to adjust and the side effects will diminish.

Sotalol

by Otto - 2017-08-25 12:53:05

Thanks Artist and TAC.  This is day 3 with Sotalol.  Yesterday I went to the ER when I thought my beats per minute was going nuts.  I have a large display meter that shows O2 levels and heart rate with a sinus display, nothing expensive but my BPM was bouncing 60-65-62-60 and the sinus wave shape had two humps in one trace.  My cardiologist office is 70 miles away so I have been calling them for advice.  When did this start?  When I started taking Sotalol!  Well, you can stop taking it if you are having problems or cut the dose down.  I know I am being a pain in the butt but if I get spooked, who is there for me?  Long story short, I was in the ER for 4 hours, they did a ECG and blood work and everything came back fine.  I was told my heart rhythem was fine.  The only problem they found is I was dehydrated, but I drink water all day long.  The other problem was I read the data sheets which didn't give me a warm fuzzy about Sotalol.  When death is mentioned, it gets my attention.  I took the recommended dose of Sotalol 80mg last night and again this morning.  The ER doctor told me maybe I was checking my blood pressure too much and quit reading the data sheets.  I have no sensation of pacing but my BPM is constantly on 60 BPM.  If I get up and walk, it will show a faster heart rate then drop to 60 when I sit.  As for CPAP, I started with a full face mask,  I would pull it off during the night and wake with no mask.  My neurologist, also a CPAP user suggested I try a one with nose pillows only.  I did and have been using that type for years.  After I had my initial 2 week PM check, it had only paced 0.02% of the time.  I'll be going back mid Sept for a month checkup with the Sotalol.  Thanks everyone for your comments.  It's nice to know that I am not a lone rider in this storm.

anticoagulant

by Otto - 2017-08-25 13:20:25

I was on Plavix for about 15 years because of a heart stint.  When I started Sotalol my cardiologist took be off Plavix and started me on low dose aspirin. 

BPM

by Artist - 2017-08-25 17:03:51

Otto,  I know the whole subject of a pacemaker and heart arrhythmias is a new experience for you,  but I do sincerely believe that you are overdoing it by monitoring your HR so much.  Most of the people here would be delighted if their heart rates were varying from only 60 to 65 BPM. Many, including me, would consider that to be excellent. One thing to consider is the fact that heart arrhythmias are often hard for monitors to accurately detect and can affect the accuracy of the monitor. A 5 point variance is really virtually insignificant.  Before I got my PM when I was wearing a 30 day monitor, my HR rate was varying from 20 to 179 BPM.  Now after receiving my PM and taking Sotalol, I can have brief periods when my HR fluctuates, but that quickly subsides.   Does your monitor have a symbol that shows when your heart is in AFIB?  Regarding the warnings about Sotalol,  almost every drug has a long list of possible side effects so that the manufacturers cover themselves from law suits.  Many of those side effects are extremely rare.  You mention that Sotalol even lists the possibility of death.  I am not a doctor, but feel as though that is mostly a concern for people that do not have a PM and then a doctor prescribes a beta blocker ,Iike Sotalol and the HR then can fall dangerously low.  That happened to me.  I had no pacemaker,  I was prescribed a  different medication than Sotalol and the pharmacist recommended that I take it at night so I would not feel the side effecfs.  Well,  my HR was already in the 20-40s at night, and then went down to only 7 BPM.  Now that is indeed near death.  Luckily, I was wearing a 30 day  monitor at the time and the monitoring agency phoned me at home waking me up and alerting me to the problem.  So, please consider lessening the frequency of your BP checks and know that the variance that you mentioned is not alarming or in my unprofessional opinion, any reason at all to be concerned. Your PM follow up appointment should include an interrogation of your PM and will show any areas of concern and will probably result in a tweaking of your PM settings.  

Sotalol

by TAC - 2017-08-26 21:29:26

The heart is one of those organs that creates the most concerns because you  can't forget about it easily. If you had a problem with your spleen or your kidneys you would't worry too much because you can't feel them and also because if they fail you won't die instantly. Because of these reasons any person with a heart related health problem can become a hyponchondriac easily, because it's hard to forget the heart, since you can feel it ticking at all times and you are aware that if the ticking stops, you're dead. However, worrying  too much about your heart can be harmful. Our constant watchful worry and chronic obsession release chemicals in our body that affects the function of  heart. We all know that fear and anxiety cause palpitations, rapid heartbeats and raises the blood pressure. Regarding the use of an anticoagulant when you have atrial fibrillation, it depends on how long the episodes last and how frequent they are. If they are sporadic and the episides are very brief, anticoagulants are unnecesary or just a baby aspirin will sufice. Don't forget that using anticoagulats involves certain risks and it should be used only when the risk of having a stroke is really high.

 

Artist and TAC

by Otto - 2017-09-28 12:27:23

Thanks for the info.  Yeah, I figured that out my cardiologist said "don't believe everything you read" and "didn't you know that everything you read on the internet is true".  He basically said, if I perscribe it for you, it may not work but it won't kill you either.  Trust is the answer.  I have had this cardiologist for 15 years.  He took me off the Sotalol after 3 weeks and I feel like my old self.  Another problem I was having was when I took my pulse, I would feel a double beat every 3 or 4 heart beats.  After I quit the Sotalol, I don't have the double beats anymore.  He stopped the low dose aspirin and put me on Xarelto and so far no problems there.  Thanks again for your input.

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