Which is safer, metoprolol or sotalol?
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 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.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.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 (Betapace) can interact with several medications, including certain blood pressure medications and antacids. Sotalol is available both generic and brand name medications.
How long is it safe to take sotalol?
Usually, treatment with sotalol is long term, even for the rest of your life. Is there any food or drink I need to avoid? You can eat and drink normally while taking sotalol.
Does calcium affect sotalol?
One controlled study showed that taking sotalol with a calcium gluconate solution dramatically reduces the absorption of the drug. Consequently, people who take a calcium supplement should take sotalol an hour before or two hours after the calcium. Sotalol Multivitamins With Minerals Using sotalol together with multivitamin with minerals may decrease the effects of sotalol. Separate the administration times of sotalol and multivitamin with minerals by at least 2 hours.Using sotalol together with multivitamin with minerals may decrease the effects of sotalol. Separate the administration times of sotalol and multivitamin with minerals by at least 2 hours.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).Continue to take sotalol even if you feel well. Do not stop taking sotalol without talking to your doctor. 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.
Is sotalol hard on 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 can cause serious ventricular arrhythmias (when the heart beats too fast and can’t pump enough blood). Thus, sotalol should not be used for those with: Certain cardiovascular conditions.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.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.The study suggests that at therapeutic plasma concentrations, sotalol would be effective in preventing clinical SVT in a significant proportion of patients refractory to metoprolol; because sotalol not only has β-blocking properties but also results in acute prolongation of the action potential duration, this .