Can Sotalol cause PAC's / irregular heartbeat?

[ALCapshaw2]

Last night I developed an irregular heartbeat that sounded much like what I have experienced when I had PAC's. This lasted most of the night. I had been cutting grass for over an hour in the afternoon, ate dinner, and took my evening dose of Sotalol around 7 pm. The irregular heartbeat began an hour later with the 'double fast beat' occuring 1 out of every 2 or 3 beats.

Same story tonight. Work in yard, eat dinner, wait 2 hours, take evening dose of Sotalol, and now an irregular heartbeat, not quite as bad (i.e. less frequently than last nights rate of occurance).

I asked a nurse at the Heart Center about discontinuing my evening dose since I was not exerting myself in the evening but she admonished me to take both doses, every day. I do fine during the day when I am active but am leary about the evening dose since I am sedentary for the rest of the night...

Any thoughts or experiences?

'AL'

 

[Carol]

I have been taking Sotalol now for 3 months. My doctor put me on it after OHS the end of June. I went into A-Fib right the day before I was to go home. I am taking 80 mg twice a day. I have had the same experience with an irregular heart beat. My cardiologist has put me on an event monitor now for 30 days so that she can get some readings of this irregular heart beat. I always had palpitations before my surgery, but now this is different. I usually have them in the evening like you. I don't know if I am so busy during the day that I just don't notice it. I just read on the internet that a side effect from taking this drug is an irregular heart rate. I thought I was having the irregular heart rate from having the OHS. I have recorded quite a few events, and sent them to my doctor. I hope that she will be able to do something about this. Sometimes in the evening I can have it for up to 90 minutes. Makes me feel quite quesy, and just like butterflies in my chest and stomach.

 

[ALCapshaw2]

Hello Carol,

I talked with a pharmacist this evening and he suggested I ask my Doctor about taking a smaller dose in the evening so that might be something for you to ask your doc about also.

The Sotalol completely knocked out my A-Fib (which was induced by exertion) so that is a good thing. Since I'm not very active at night, I don't see why I can't just drop my evening dose (I only take 40 mg in the morning and 40 mg in the evening, the smallest dose available). Looks like I call the Heart Center again tomorrow!

'AL'

 

[Gemma]

Al,
This sounds pretty much like what Jim suffers with. He's fine as long as he does lots of exercise AFTER taking his evening sotalol at 6pm, so we go for a long walk or a swim around 8pm. If he just sits down and relaxes he gets loads of ectopic beats.
He now also takes 20mg (approximately - they're not easy to break in half!) as he goes to bed which he feels helps - even if it doesn't always reduce the ectopics it does at least make him feel them less.
Rehab suggested atenolol back in May/June as they felt the evening ectopics could be caused by the sotalol, and that it could be working "too well". Only seems to get them when his heart rate drops below about 58bpm.
We had wondered about a smaller evening dose, but his GP was adamant that MORE was the only way to go. We're seeing the cardio in 4 weeks and I strongly hope he'll give us some answers and perhaps suggest a different beta-blocker Jim could try instead.
Keep us posted on how you get on.
Gemma.

 

[Carol]

Hi Al,

I will be done with the event monitor on 10/23, and then I will make an appointment with my cardio. I'll talk with her about lowering my dosage. Hopefully, all of us can get this under control here soon. If it wasn't for this irregular heat rate, I think I would almost forget about just having had OHS a few months ago. Oh, I have a few aches and pains, but I feel great. More energy, and now walking up to 3 miles a day. Let us know what your heart doctor says.