Anyone gained weight as a side effect of sotalol?

I went on sotalol about 3 years ago and I gained A LOT of weight in a short amout of time. My doctors said that it wasnt possible but I did my own research online and found that many people have gained weight on it. It slows your heart rate dramatically which the lowers your metabolism, and when working out you cant get your "Target heart rate" because the medicine wont allow your heart to get that high unless seriously exerting yourself, which I was told by my doc not to do.

I'm a healthy 46 year old male. I've been active all my life and have maintained a steady weight of 185 for 20 years. I started on Sotalol in January after about 10 cardioversions in a row. The drug has been a blessing in that it has kept me out of the hospital, but I've noticed a slow steady weight gain over the past several weeks. I'm on 160mm per day and have reduced this to 80mm per day in the hope this reduces this unfortunate side effect.

 

I have been taking Betapace for 10 years and have gained 60 lbs.  Before taking Betapace I was an athelete.  I still exercise daily and eat properly as I work with a nutritionist.  I have tried getting off the horrible drug without success.  This drug has over 900 serious interractions with other medications and some foods.  I have had attempts to ablate without success.  I do not understand why a study is not done to find out what exactly causes the body to store fat.  In my case it is not water retention.

im sure it is sotolol causing my weight gain, it is all water i can fluctuate from a size 16 to a 20 within a day , somedays my watch will fit others i cannot wear it , i was 9 stone and withing 3 months went to 15 stone most of the time i can hardly walk as i feel like ive been blown up , i eat a healthy diet dont drink i  work which means i have to be active , after reading other peoples problems it makes me more sure , i wish someone could help me my doctor wont help

 

 

Yes, the weight gain is an awful side effect of Sotalol.  After my arrythmia episode, my doctor took me off my thyroid medication, which I have been taking for 17 years, and put me on Sotalol and another drug.  My weight skyrocketed regardless of what I ate or not.  In 10 months I gained 40 lbs.  I also take medication for depression (genetic condition) and Sotalol virtually rendered it useless.  Before I stopped taking this nasty drug, I was spending my after work hours and weekends sleeping most of the time because I had NO energy.  I was on the fast track to Type II diabietes.  Sotalol was ruining what health I had left.

 

While I don't recommend stopping Sotalol or any medication without consulting your doctor first, I was an extremely healthy, active 52 yr. old woman prior to my arrythmia episode.  Since discontinuing the drug, my energy has returned, I've stopped gaining weight, and my depression medication is working again.

I was wondering what was going on with me, and thought perhaps it was because of retiring and not being as active as I was with my job, I worked in a high volume restaurant. After several bouts with Sinus Tachycardia , I was put on Toprol and took this for several years while still having episodes with my heart, I was switched to Sotolol by a new Cardiologist before a full knee replacement surgery, have been on this for about two years. Have gained about 20 pounds, I am really getting frustrated, but am leary about changing meds as this one really seems to work?
So, what next?

Some drugs affect some differently than others, I've been on it for a while now, I'm 48 but I've been on a diet since 2006 and I lost a lot of weight while on it, by doing Atkins, try it can't hurt and if it works for you then you should drop the weight pretty quickly seeing your still young. If it doesn't work, nothing ventured nothing gained. Hope it works for you, if you try it out, stay on some form of diet even if it's not Atkins, or it will all come right back and bring some friends with it.

have gained over a stone in 12 months and breathless, discussed with cariologist who said it does happen with Sotalol.

Salt....you have to eliminate sodium from you diet, meaning limit the eating out and prepare your food and use a salt substitute. If your on sota then your probably on a water pill also so let the water pill do it's job by removing the sodium from your diet, if your not on a water pill, then you probably will be at some point. Also...get moving...you can't be a couch potato.....walk for 30 min at least 4 or 5 times a week an watch your weight go down.

yes I gained 14 pounds in 6 months

Yes. I have been on sotolol for over a year and I have gained weight. Not happy with that or the other side effects. So want to get off them, but finding it hard as the AF returns every time I try.

My mother has also just started taking this medicine . She is having no problem. But it has been just two months.
well has anyone consulted a doctor regarding weight gain . if yes what was the reply of doctor

Yes, I have gained weight on it as well.  Probably about 20 lbs in 5 years.  Worked out like crazy, and lost it, but 10 lbs came back quickly...a lot of belly fat.  My pulse is so low now that  they are cutting the dosage in half, hope to get off it completely and see if my weight goes down

I can relate to all the above comments. To put so much effort into loosing the weight, constant exercise and watching everything you put in your mouth and have absolutely no results is beyond frustrating. I want to have bariatric surgery but a stipulation is to loose 30 pounds.
How do you do that. It's just a vicious circle and it goes round and round and never stops. The only good thing is this med does control the afib. Any suggestions

why dont you consult a doctor on net . it is free and good.

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