What are the side effects of sotalol 80 mg twice a day?
The main side effects of sotalol are feeling dizzy or sick, feeling tired, having diarrhoea or a headache. These are usually mild and short-lived. You’re more likely to have side effects if you’re on a very high dose of sotalol. Sotalol is used to a treat life-threatening heart rhythm problem called ventricular arrhythmia. It is also used to treat heart rhythm problems called atrial fibrillation or atrial flutter. Sotalol is a beta-blocker. It works by affecting the response to nerve impulses in certain parts of the body, like the heart.Unlike metoprolol, starting sotalol usually requires a hospital stay for monitoring due to the risk of serious side effects. Both medications can cause dizziness and tiredness, but sotalol has a higher risk of causing breathing problems and requires careful monitoring of heart rhythm.Sotalol is a safe and effective agent for control of heart rate in digitalized patients with atrial fibrillation. Sotalol is superior to metoprolol at submaximal exercise, resulting in better rate control during daily activities. Topic: atrial fibrillation.Sotalol administration resulted in a significantly lower HR at rest and during exercise. A 13–25% reduction in HR occurred after treatment.
Is sotalol bad for the kidneys?
For people with kidney problems: Sotalol is primarily cleared from your body through your kidneys. If you have kidney problems, the drug might build up in your body, which can lead to side effects. If you have kidney problems, your dosage of this drug will need to be lowered. Sotalol hydrochloride should be taken preferably 1-2 hours before meals. Sotalol hydrochloride should not be taken with meals since absorption of the active ingredient can be affected by the simultaneous ingestion of food (in particular, milk and dairy products).Sotalol oral solution is usually taken once a day in adults and three times a day in children. Take sotalol consistently, either with food or without food each time. Follow the directions on your prescription label carefully, and ask your doctor or pharmacist to explain any part you do not understand.
Can sotalol damage your heart?
Sotalol may cause heart failure in some patients. Check with your doctor right away if you are having chest pain or discomfort, dilated neck veins, extreme fatigue, irregular breathing, an irregular heartbeat, swelling of the face, fingers, feet, or lower legs, or weight gain. If you have any of the following symptoms, stop taking sotalol and call your doctor immediately: chest pain, rapid pulse or increase in irregular heartbeats. Skin rash. Difficulty breathing.If you suddenly stop taking sotalol, you may experience serious heart problems such as angina (chest pain) or heart attack. Your doctor will probably want to decrease your dose gradually over 1 to 2 weeks. Your doctor will watch you carefully and will probably tell you to avoid physical activity during this time.The usual dose of sotalol is between 80mg and 320mg a day. If you get irregular heartbeats several times a day, your doctor may prescribe a higher daily dose of up to 640mg. If you are older or have kidney problems, your doctor may give you a lower dose.Using sotalol together with bisoprolol may have additive effects causing significant bradycardia (low heart rate) and hypotension (low blood pressure). Talk to your doctor if you have any questions or concerns. Your doctor may be able to prescribe alternatives that do not interact.Sotalol is approved by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and is indicated for treating hemodynamically stable ventricular tachycardia, as well as maintaining sinus rhythm, particularly in cases of paroxysmal atrial fibrillation.
How much does sotalol lower blood pressure?
After oral administration to normotensive humans, sotalol (plasma concentration range approximately 0. L−1) generally produces bradycardia while having little to no effects on blood pressure; an approximately 40% reduction in exercise heart rate occurred at a mean plasma concentration of 5 μg mL−1 (Antonaccio . Sotalol is a prescription drug indicated for the treatment of life-threatening, documented ventricular arrhythmias, such as sustained ventricular tachycardia (VT). Sotalol is available under the following different brand names: Betapace, Betapace AF, Sorine, and Sotylize.