Sotalol Vs Sotalol Af
UpdatedI am prescribed with regular Sotalol for my A Fib, but the insert says it's for ventricular fibrilation.
Wondering if maybe I have the wrong version?
6 Replies
HI, Rog!
Yes, there are 2 version of this medication. Sotalol AF treats A-Fib, but the regular is only used to treat rhythm disturbances of the lower heart, which would be the ventricular fibrillation or tachycardia.
Thus, you'd specifically need the Sotalol AF.
The pharmacy can't just switch it for you, however, so you'll need to contact your doctor for a new prescription.
Is there anything else I can help with?
Thanks. That's what the insert says, so I called the cardiologist's office and was told by her nurse that the regular Sotalol is appropriate for my A Fib! She was aware of the AF version.
So now I'm really concerned, not sure what next to do.
Relative to sotalol and sotalol AF: I have been taking sotalol for over 20 years. Recently my pharmacy did a regular refill of my RX and they, apparently, did not have enough of the generic from one supplier - so refilled it using 2 suppliers. Half of the pills had the number imprint of sotalol 120 mg and the other half had an imprint of AF 120 mg. I was concerned that the pharmacy had given me the incorrect pills. I did not contact the pharmacy because I wanted to find out from the original manufacturer what the chemical differences were between sotalol (betapace) and sotalol AF (betapace AF). The original manufacturer of Betapace was Bayer Pharmaceuticals(U.S) but it has now been taken over by Covis(Switzerland). According to the representative at Covis THERE IS NO DIFFERENCE IN THE CHEMICAL COMPOUND OF THE TWO DRUGS. The only difference is the package inserts instructions.
Now I am confused. There are two different answers meaning opposite things. If the medications are alike, why do they make both sotalol and the af specified one? Would like a real authoritive answer. In the meantime I'll be calling my pharmacy and doctor.
Since then I asked the pharmacist, who told me to ask my doctor. He said that either one can be used to treat A-fib, that it makes no difference. No answer why two different types are made.
I was on sotalol AF prescribed for AFib for one year. I had no problems. I was given sotalol as a substitute or mistake. Within 4 days my heart rate went from 60 to 120. My resting heart rate was constantly climbing from 56 beats per minute to 93. I went in AFib. I was told there was no difference between soltalol and soltalol AF. But when I went back on soltalol AF within a week my heart rate was back to 56 and in sinus rhythm. The only thing I can say is my heart did not like the light blue tint of sotalol.
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