sotalol vs sotalol AF Hello, I was recently tried on my first antiarrhythmic of propafenone which did not work out for me. I was sent to the ER by my cardiologist where they gave me IV drip of Cardizem & I converted to NSR. I was then started on sotalol 80 mg q.12 h. I was observed in hospital for 2 doses plus EKG & released on it. The 2-day hospital stay gave me a booklet of paperwork to take home, some to inform me of everything & some to take to my PCP eventually. I recently was looking at their information on sotalol & was surprised to see that there were some distinctions made on sotalol & sotalol AF, the latter which I knew nothing about until reading their paperwork. Following are some quotes: Sotalol is used in people with ventricular tachycardia or ventricular fibrillation. Another form of this medicine, called sotalol AF, is used to treat heart rhythm disorders of the atrium. Sotalol AF is used in people with atrial fibrillation or atrial flutter. Sotalol is not used for the same conditions that sotalol AF is used for. I have atrial fibrillation & flutter. I do NOT have any ventricular problems. I called my dr's office to relate what I had read from the hospital handouts & was told there was not much difference in the two & it was fine for me to take sotalol, but if I wanted him to call in sotalol AF, he would. I had already been using the sotalol about a week & did not feel like going to the trouble of getting a new prescription & throwing out yet another prescription (as I had to do with 90 days worth of the propafenone). Does this sound okay? I am doing fine on sotalol other than more tiredness in mornings & late afternoons. I also have a chronic dry cough, but not sure if that is from a URI that started 3/14/19 with lingering symptoms. We have tons of trees & flowers here with abundant pollen in the spring. Thank you for your insights. https://www.afibbers.org/forum/read.php?9,169040,169040#msg-169040 Sat, 12 Sep 2026 04:30:46 +0000 Phorum 5.2.23 https://www.afibbers.org/forum/read.php?9,169040,169092#msg-169092 Re: sotalol vs sotalol AF https://www.afibbers.org/forum/read.php?9,169040,169092#msg-169092 Pompon AFIBBERS FORUM Mon, 08 Apr 2019 06:17:50 +0000 https://www.afibbers.org/forum/read.php?9,169040,169084#msg-169084 Re: sotalol vs sotalol AF https://www.afibbers.org/forum/read.php?9,169040,169084#msg-169084
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Pompon
@ Madeline...
I'm living in Belgium,

Oops! Well, I was close. ;)]]> Carey AFIBBERS FORUM Sun, 07 Apr 2019 22:41:46 +0000 https://www.afibbers.org/forum/read.php?9,169040,169083#msg-169083 Re: sotalol vs sotalol AF https://www.afibbers.org/forum/read.php?9,169040,169083#msg-169083 Madeline AFIBBERS FORUM Sun, 07 Apr 2019 21:14:13 +0000 https://www.afibbers.org/forum/read.php?9,169040,169079#msg-169079 Re: sotalol vs sotalol AF https://www.afibbers.org/forum/read.php?9,169040,169079#msg-169079 I'm living in Belgium, so it's out of question for me going to Austin.
I've recently told about my last touch up in this post :
[www.afibbers.org]

I'm a difficult case, it seems some isolated ectopics points don't show up during the procedures.
The two last touch up ablations were extensive.

Now, I've mostly ectopics in resting positions. They may trigger afib, but it's not continuous. I may have a couple minutes afib, then some seconds in NSR, then back to afib... It doesn't last long.

I've recently noticed I can get rid of ectopics with some breathing techniques learnt during yoga sessions.

I've never seen Sotalol AF here. Just sotalol. I don't want to take it, it lowers my already moderate BP. I'm quickly out of breath with "cotton legs", even with 40mg.

Last time I took flecainide, I had a tenth hours of atypical flutter...

We're all different. I'm so used to ectopics and afib (270 episodes in 40 months) I can tell what's happening without using my ECG monitor. Sometimes, I may stick electrodes on my chest for a couple of days, but I don't really need to look at the recordings.
The last time I used it because I wasn't sure of the result is when I've had my atypical flutter. It was a new sensation for me. Flutter I had before the ablations was always coupled with afib. I emailed some tracings to my EP and he called me the next day to comment them.

I'm so happy now being free from disabling meds. Days are longer, better weather, I'm back to moderate biking.

I don't fear ablations, but I hate drugs for afib...]]> Pompon AFIBBERS FORUM Sun, 07 Apr 2019 15:44:19 +0000 https://www.afibbers.org/forum/read.php?9,169040,169077#msg-169077 Re: sotalol vs sotalol AF https://www.afibbers.org/forum/read.php?9,169040,169077#msg-169077
You know you have ectopics because you feel them. An ectopic beat is just a beat that's out of place. They feel like a skipped beat, or a particular strong one, or quite often both. They'll feel like a skipped beat followed by a strong one.]]> Carey AFIBBERS FORUM Sun, 07 Apr 2019 15:11:06 +0000 https://www.afibbers.org/forum/read.php?9,169040,169076#msg-169076 Re: sotalol vs sotalol AF https://www.afibbers.org/forum/read.php?9,169040,169076#msg-169076
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Pompon
After my PVI, back to sotalol, but side effects were then unbearable. Still afib 2x/week and thousands of ectopics.
Switched to flecainide+bisoprolol. Far less ectopics, but still afib.
Had 3 touch up ablations, 1st one useless, 2nd & 3rd more efficient.
Free from rhythm drugs and BB now, and feeling far better taking supplementation...
15 days since my last afib episode (30min). Fingers crossed...

Did you have any of your ablations with Dr. Natale? How do you know when you have an ectopic and I need to look that up to see what it is again.
When was your last ablation since itโ€™s only been 15 days since your last afib?]]> Madeline AFIBBERS FORUM Sun, 07 Apr 2019 14:16:44 +0000 https://www.afibbers.org/forum/read.php?9,169040,169074#msg-169074 Re: sotalol vs sotalol AF https://www.afibbers.org/forum/read.php?9,169040,169074#msg-169074 I then switched to sotalol 2*80mg. Less afib (1-2 times/month) but very tired. Lowered to 2*40mg. Same afib recurrence, but less heavy side effects.
After my PVI, back to sotalol, but side effects were then unbearable. Still afib 2x/week and thousands of ectopics.
Switched to flecainide+bisoprolol. Far less ectopics, but still afib.
Had 3 touch up ablations, 1st one useless, 2nd & 3rd more efficient.
Free from rhythm drugs and BB now, and feeling far better taking supplementation...
15 days since my last afib episode (30min). Fingers crossed...]]> Pompon AFIBBERS FORUM Sun, 07 Apr 2019 07:51:52 +0000 https://www.afibbers.org/forum/read.php?9,169040,169073#msg-169073 Re: sotalol vs sotalol AF https://www.afibbers.org/forum/read.php?9,169040,169073#msg-169073 Nancy]]> Nancy2 AFIBBERS FORUM Sun, 07 Apr 2019 01:13:51 +0000 https://www.afibbers.org/forum/read.php?9,169040,169071#msg-169071 Re: sotalol vs sotalol AF https://www.afibbers.org/forum/read.php?9,169040,169071#msg-169071 Carey AFIBBERS FORUM Sat, 06 Apr 2019 19:52:51 +0000 https://www.afibbers.org/forum/read.php?9,169040,169070#msg-169070 Re: sotalol vs sotalol AF https://www.afibbers.org/forum/read.php?9,169040,169070#msg-169070
From my first book:

"Sotalol (Betapace, Sotacor)
Thirty-eight (22 vagal, 3 adrenergic, 11 mixed and 2 permanent) afibbers had tried sotalol. Not one (0%) had found it beneficial although one vagal afibber thought it might have reduced severity, but not frequency of episodes. Twenty-nine (76%) of all users reported side effects with 11 actually reporting heart palpitations or fibrillation as the main side effect. Another 7 reported increased fatigue. The most common dosage was 80 mg twice a day. With a success rate of 0% and side effects occurring in 76% of users, sotalol is easily classified as the most useless drug for lone afib. Unfortunately, it is the most frequently prescribed one."

Hans]]> colindo AFIBBERS FORUM Sat, 06 Apr 2019 18:46:43 +0000 https://www.afibbers.org/forum/read.php?9,169040,169057#msg-169057 Re: sotalol vs sotalol AF https://www.afibbers.org/forum/read.php?9,169040,169057#msg-169057
I changed plans and saw a cardiologist connected with the EP department at the Cleveland Clinic and based on my symptoms, mainly a great deal of fatigue - was prescribed the antiarrhythmic, flecainide. It was a huge improvement relative to the side-effects. This new cardiologist told me that many people do not tolerate betablockers, esp. if they already have relatively a low heart rate, which was my case. My AF events in those early years were very infrequent and I did seem to get along somewhat better with flecainide.

Jackie]]> Jackie AFIBBERS FORUM Sat, 06 Apr 2019 12:38:19 +0000 https://www.afibbers.org/forum/read.php?9,169040,169055#msg-169055 Re: sotalol vs sotalol AF https://www.afibbers.org/forum/read.php?9,169040,169055#msg-169055
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Carey
Whether it works for you is another story.

AIn't this the truth. If Forest Gump had afib, it's a certainty he would have been quoted saying something to the effect of

Quote

Life is like a bottle of anti-arrhythmics - you never know what they're going to do to you.


I was only on sotalol for 5 weeks, and it had no effect on episode frequency or length, but it did cause conversion pauses of up to 4.5 seconds, and zapped my energy. It was a dangerous, worthless drug for me, and others report short-term to intermediate positive effect on frequency and duration, if not all out submission.]]> AB Page AFIBBERS FORUM Sat, 06 Apr 2019 12:28:12 +0000 https://www.afibbers.org/forum/read.php?9,169040,169054#msg-169054 Re: sotalol vs sotalol AF https://www.afibbers.org/forum/read.php?9,169040,169054#msg-169054
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Madeline

I was on Sotalol and it was not AF as far as i know. Initially on 80mg 2x/day but i kept reducing it over time. Even the 80mg didn't make me tired like the metoprolol i was given initially.

Hi Joe,

How much metoprolol were you on? .
Sorry Madeline, i forgot, it was in 2016 but at a guess i think it was 120mg 2x/day??? Whatever it was, it reduced my HR by about 20 to 30/min - so was still at about 100 and very tired]]> Joe AFIBBERS FORUM Sat, 06 Apr 2019 10:07:45 +0000 https://www.afibbers.org/forum/read.php?9,169040,169045#msg-169045 Re: sotalol vs sotalol AF https://www.afibbers.org/forum/read.php?9,169040,169045#msg-169045
Bottom line: Sotalol is a long-standing proven antiarrhythmic and rate control drug commonly used in afib patients. There's no reason to be concerned that they prescribed something incorrectly. They did not. Whether it works for you is another story.]]> Carey AFIBBERS FORUM Sat, 06 Apr 2019 01:45:56 +0000 https://www.afibbers.org/forum/read.php?9,169040,169042#msg-169042 Re: sotalol vs sotalol AF https://www.afibbers.org/forum/read.php?9,169040,169042#msg-169042
Quote
Joe
I was on Sotalol and it was not AF as far as i know. Initially on 80mg 2x/day but i kept reducing it over time. Even the 80mg didn't make me tired like the metoprolol i was given initially.

Hi Joe,

How much metoprolol were you on? I do find that I don't seem to have as many issues as I did on even just 6.25 mg a day of carvedilol twice a day. I felt a change in balance, and normally my balance is excellent. Sometimes it seemed tinnitus was more prevalent too. I did not tolerate metoprolol well & was switched to carvedilol which was easier on me. Other than the tiredness on sotalol, I feel my balance is back, but my exercise endurance is not as strong. Look forward to being off medicines after an ablation. Other than AF and atrial flutter, my heart is sound & I do not have high blood pressure. While on the sotalol my pulse is running 61-62 unless it is after exercise or something slightly stressful & it may go up to 73-75. Even though I did not have high BP, I usually would easily run a higher than normal pulse before all these meds.]]> Madeline AFIBBERS FORUM Sat, 06 Apr 2019 01:05:45 +0000 https://www.afibbers.org/forum/read.php?9,169040,169041#msg-169041 Re: sotalol vs sotalol AF https://www.afibbers.org/forum/read.php?9,169040,169041#msg-169041 Joe AFIBBERS FORUM Sat, 06 Apr 2019 00:47:29 +0000 https://www.afibbers.org/forum/read.php?9,169040,169040#msg-169040 sotalol vs sotalol AF https://www.afibbers.org/forum/read.php?9,169040,169040#msg-169040
I was recently tried on my first antiarrhythmic of propafenone which did not work out for me. I was sent to the ER by my cardiologist where they gave me IV drip of Cardizem & I converted to NSR. I was then started on sotalol 80 mg q.12 h. I was observed in hospital for 2 doses plus EKG & released on it. The 2-day hospital stay gave me a booklet of paperwork to take home, some to inform me of everything & some to take to my PCP eventually.

I recently was looking at their information on sotalol & was surprised to see that there were some distinctions made on sotalol & sotalol AF, the latter which I knew nothing about until reading their paperwork. Following are some quotes:

Sotalol is used in people with ventricular tachycardia or ventricular fibrillation.
Another form of this medicine, called sotalol AF, is used to treat heart rhythm disorders of the atrium. Sotalol AF is used in people with atrial fibrillation or atrial flutter.
Sotalol is not used for the same conditions that sotalol AF is used for.

I have atrial fibrillation & flutter. I do NOT have any ventricular problems. I called my dr's office to relate what I had read from the hospital handouts & was told there was not much difference in the two & it was fine for me to take sotalol, but if I wanted him to call in sotalol AF, he would. I had already been using the sotalol about a week & did not feel like going to the trouble of getting a new prescription & throwing out yet another prescription (as I had to do with 90 days worth of the propafenone).

Does this sound okay? I am doing fine on sotalol other than more tiredness in mornings & late afternoons. I also have a chronic dry cough, but not sure if that is from a URI that started 3/14/19 with lingering symptoms. We have tons of trees & flowers here with abundant pollen in the spring.

Thank you for your insights.]]> Madeline AFIBBERS FORUM Fri, 05 Apr 2019 23:23:57 +0000