Hi Big and welcome! Metoprolol is a rate control and not a rhythm control. It will probably NOT stop youre a-fib attacks but should slow them down perhaps to the point of not feeling bad when they happen. Sotalol is an antiarrhythmic and rate control it is supposed to stop (or at least reduce the irregular heartbeats) along with slowing down your heart rate. It does, however have the side effect that you mentioned.

My experience is pretty much the opposite of yours: I felt super lousy on metoprolol (tired, nightmares along with a lower heart rate) and now I am on Sotalol and it looks like my a-fib burden has lowered a smidgen (but not enough to make a difference Im still in a-fib about 30% of the time) and my heart rate is lower. The difference being I dont feel as bad as I did while on Metoprolol and no more nightmares!

I have read here that some people have had their a-fib stop while on a beta blocker maybe youll be one of the lucky ones! If not you might be a candidate for an ablation; there have been plenty of successful ones and maybe thatll be in your future.

If you have any questions just ask there is a wealth of knowledge here and someone is bound to be able to help you!

Hope this helps
across the pond (atp)

Thank you for the feedback! It does help.

While on Sotalol...when you have an afib episode...how long does it usually take you to get back in rhythm? Also, when you're in rhythm, are you able to do normal activities like exercising without any side effects?...thanks!

Firstly, everyone is different. What happens to me might not happen to you or anyone else. On the other hand its always nice to have some sort of comparison. My a-fib seems to be on a time-table.

When in NSR it is very, very, very normal. I can do anything its as if my heart is totally normal! No side effects (except from being tired from the a-fib).

Im finding that my a-fib is different than most (although at least one other person on DS is also on a time-table albeit NSR stretches a little longer than mine). My episodes/attacks/bouts last between 10 and 35 hours, usually about 23. The Sotalol doesnt seem to stop them but the in-between time has gotten a bit longer (up to 59 hours in NSR before the a-fib gets active again). But like I said, everyone is different and depending on WHY you even have a-fib how your body reacts can be different.

Take care,
atp

I have a little bit different experience from atp. I've taken metoprolol for years. Right now I'm taking 100mg/day, but I've taken as much as 200mg/day. I don't have any side effects from it at all. All it does for me is to lower my HR and BP. I've had an ablation (which was apparently unsuccessful), so now I'm taking flecainide to control the afib until I can get a second ablation scheduled, which will hopefully take care of my reconnects.

I definitely can't do much when I'm in afib. Everyone experiences the effects of afib differently - for me, I get very dizzy and feel like I'm going to pass out, so definitely no exercise for me while I'm in afib.

Like atp said though, some people can. Some people are asymptomatic, meaning they don't even know they're in afib (there's a few of them on this board). As far as the exercise goes, listen to your body regarding what you should do. If you feel like exercising, go for it.

Thanks Duder. I just met with my doctor and he thinks an ablation is my best bet for long term solution.

Did you recover okay from your first ablation? As you know, they said a second ablation certainly increases the chance for success.

Yeah the recovery was easy peasy. I've often heard it repeated that knee surgery is more dangerous and takes longer to recover from than an ablation. Mine went smooth as glass, and everyone in the hospital was fantastic, so I have no reservations about having another one.

I took 'er easy the first week, doctor's orders, then slowly got back into my normal routine as I felt able. The key is finding a good EP (and hospital!) that both have a good track record of doing the type of ablation you're having. I had mine done at Emory in Atlanta.

I just want to say that an ablation is nothing to be afraid of. If you're a good candidate and your EP gives you a decent success rate you should do it. The sooner you have the ablation, the better. I had mine 2 months ago and it was a breeze.

Thank you! That's great to hear.

Metoprolol is a Beta-1 adrenergic (epinephrine) receptor blocker.

I've had some experience with Metoprolol. After my first of the 3 AF episodes was terminated by cardioversion, doctor put me on Metoprolol 50mg 1x per day for 3 months. Then he took me off of it since he thought maybe I wouldn't get any more AF episodes. He instructed me that if I got AF, to take 1 whole 50mg Metoprolol.

2 months later, I woke up with AF. I took 1 Metoprolol tablet as directed earlier and it terminated the AF in 2 hours.

With concurrence from the doctor, I took 25mg Metoprolol 1x per day or every other day for the next 2 months.

Then I woke up with AF after having taken a 25mg a few hours earlier. I took another 25mg and 3 hours later, yet another 25mg but it did not terminate.

In the ER, they gave me 300mg Flecainide (3 x 100mg tablets) and it terminated the AF in 2 hours.

Since then I've been on Flecainide, 2 x 50mg per day and no AF for the last 8 months.

Flecainide is a Sodium ion Na+ channel blocker.

I've been taking metoprolol since May 9th of 2010. I'd like to believe it helps. But I have had a few episodes shortly after taking it. everyone is different when it comes to meds. and their effects on that person. Depending on the individual and their history sometimes I think I could bail completely on taking this med. In fact my EP wanted me to several years ago and then I talked him out of it. All the best and good luck/NSR.

Metoprolol slowed down the frequency of my afib episodes for probably five months to an episode every couple weeks. But eventually they started happening multiple times a week and eventually I had a 13 day episode and a 6 day episode. I will say that the Metoprolol does a good job of reducing my symptoms when in Afib because it keeps my heart rate under control. When I was in afib 13 days it was almost undetectable to me without checking my pulse to confirm I was still in it.

As someone mentioned, everyone is different. I was on bystolic but switched to metoprolol and ended up in the emergency room with a wicked afib attack. I'm back on bystolic. I'll never do metoprolol again!

Had relatively successful ablation five years ago .....last several years started having bothersome...very frequent PAC activity..cardiologist recently put me on blistolic (sp) for BP and the PAC activity which kind of helped but insurance nixed that drug so he switched me to Metoprolol 25mg twice daily ...have not had a noticeable PAC since (3 months experience)and BP nicely in appropriate range for my age. Like all beta blockers it makes running a little harder but not bad ...nothing like Sotalol which I took back before the ablation in 2010 which made the first half mile or so of a run a test of muscle pain endurance. Anyway that's my experience with the drug so far. It does though make for "interesting" dream activity ...for me anyway...not all bad though. Sleep is boring without a freaky dream once in a while .

Yes, indeed I have had many epic very unsettling nightmares while taking metoprolol. The likes of which I never experienced prior to the 'scrip. Funny how so many people react so differently to meds. in general.

Just a note on bystolic.. My insurance stopped covering it, and I was shelling out $200 out of my own pocket for it. I appealed it, and even though my doctor wrote a letter of medical necessity, I was turned down four separate times. I've been fighting this for almost a year.

They said I had to "fail" two times on two different beta blockers before they would cover it. I explained that "failing" could result in a medical emergency.

Well, I was switched to metoprolol, and it resulted in a major afib attack complete with ambulance ride and emergency room visit. Well, guess what.. They approved it.