Re: Sotalol

[Guest guest]

Sotalol is " Sotalol Hydrochloride " , better known as Betapace.

[Guest guest]

In a message dated 6/16/01 6:45:39 AM Pacific Daylight Time,

Coolkoenig@... writes:

<< Sotalol is " Sotalol Hydrochloride " , better known as Betapace.

>>

I never received the message which inspired this reply. (I frequently do not

receive all of the group messages in my e-mail, and frequently I do not see

my messages posted to the group.) I am especially interested in gathering

information on Sotalol. Could some kind person please send me a copy of the

original message about Sotalol? Thanks.

Starfi6314@...

[Guest guest]

> Also, on two occasions, afib episodes followed

intense singing sessions of two or three hours. I can't see why

there would

be a connection, but it leads me to wonder.

Hi, ,

I remain frustrated about not being able to do exercises other than

walking, and one I tried to resume a few days ago is the isometric

one where one tightens the abdominal muscles and then releases them.

I did that 50 times. Bad news, as I then had two episodes within

three days of frequent extra beats for a few hours. The episodes

were not right away, although I did throw a few extra beats right

after one session. So, sigh, I gave that up and am just walking.

But I am thinking that exercise, messing around with the abdominal

muscles, is perhaps not that different from singing. It is lower

down, maybe. Perhaps we are upsetting the vagus nerve?

Trudy

[Guest guest]

>Hi, ,

>I have been meaning to mention that your message about the change in the

> " cycle " of your afib episodes struck a common note with me. I, too, have a

>thyroid problem (Graves disease) and have been taking Synthroid because I am

>hypothyroid. About two years ago, I suddenly started to have afib about 50%

>of the time, a drastic increase over my previous frequency of three or four

>times a year. On my own initiative, in desperation, I reduced my Synthroid

>dose to four .15 pills per week. Subsequently my afib episodes decreased in

>frequency. I asked my doctor to change my prescription to .125, and after

>this reduction, had no afib episodes from September to December of that year.

Before my thyroid problems I was on the 14-18 day cycle also. When amiodarone

broke my thyroid I went to about a 7 day cycle. I now take 40mg of carbimazole

to knock my thyroid out and 150mcg of thyroxine daily. Since I went back onto a

14-18 day cycle I assumed these levels a pretty much the same as before the

thyroid problem. I deliberately changed my diet to include more

calcium/potassium and magnesium and I think it's this change that put me on to a

23 day gap. I could be entirely wrong since I have gone this long before now -

if I can repeat the process a couple more times I will be more convinced the

change in diet has done it.

> Then I started to have afib about once a month. Without my doctor's

>approval, I decreased my Synthroid dose to four pills per week, then to three

>pills per week. Last winter I began to have afib on a cycle similar to

>yours, only my cycle is a bit shorter: 11-14 days instead of your 18. I

>decided to experiment with totally eliminating Synthroid for six weeks. The

>result was a TSH of 9.19 and no reduction in afib episodes. The cycle

>remained the same. In doing this experiment, I was operating on the theory

>that I may have nodules on my thyroid which excrete thyroxine randomly, and

>the resulting thyroid level from those secretions and the Synthroid dose may

>have been causing the afib episodes. (An endocrinologist told me that my

>thyroid is " lumpy " to the touch, and probably has external cysts or nodules.)

> I thought that if I cut the Synthroid, perhaps any possible secretions from

>nodules would not be sufficient to cause afib. I guess my theory was wrong,

>because my afib continued on schedule every 11-14 days. My doctor had an

>absolute conniption fit when she saw my TSH level and found out what I had

>been doing.

I'm not surprised the thyroid seems to have many functions and stopping

altogether is as likely to introduce another problem into the equation. I think

the thyroid plays a role in calcium balancing - no idea how, so I don't know if

taking thyroxin is enough.

>Both she and my cardiologist believe my afib is not caused by

>thyroid, and she told me clearly that manipulating my thyroid levels in this

>way is dangerous. Yet I still wonder if the thyroid problem is somehow

>mysteriously connected to the cyclic nature of your afib and my afib.

I'm sure it associated with AF but whether it's the main problem behind the AF

is probably an individual thing.

>It could be coincidental that we both have the thyroid problem and the afib

>cycles, but also there could be a connection.

Just to make the problem harder - my AF has always been cyclical even before my

thyroid trouble.

> Another coincidence is that

>you mentioned about two weeks ago, I think, that your cycle had lengthened to

>21 days at that time. Strangely, my current cycle has also lengthened for

>the first time. I am now on my 17th day of sinus rhythm, a longer period

>than any since I started " cycling " about five months ago.

Is there anything obvious like a change in diet or lots of Vit D from sun

bathing you can put your finger on?

I'm a little wary of saying too much about my last 23 day gap because the

longest I have gone in NSR is 36 days - this happened 21st June 2000 so they may

well be some seasonal fluctuations!

cheers

--

D

[Guest guest]

> I'm not surprised the thyroid seems to have many functions and

stopping

> altogether is as likely to introduce another problem into the

equation. I think

> the thyroid plays a role in calcium balancing - no idea how, so I

don't know if

> taking thyroxin is enough.

I don't know about the thyroid and calcium, but from my vet I know

this about the danger of surgical removal of the thyroid in cats.

There is something nearby or wrapped around the thyroid

(parathyroid????) that is very easily damaged during thyroid removal

surgery and if it is damaged the body basically can't regulate

calcium, and that is very, very bad.

[Guest guest]

In a message dated 6/18/01 11:57:58 PM Pacific Daylight Time, trudyjh@...

writes:

<< But I am thinking that exercise, messing around with the abdominal

muscles, is perhaps not that different from singing. It is lower

down, maybe. Perhaps we are upsetting the vagus nerve?

>>

Hi, Trudy,

I think you are right. I do other forms of exercise like hiking, lifting

weights, bicycling (indoors and out) and have no problem. When my doctor

gave me a treadmill test, I really pushed the limits (I thought that death

was imminent!) but my doctor was very satisfied with my " scores " and no afib

happened. As far as I can recall, I have never gone into afib while

exercising, but I have frequently returned to sinus while exercising. The

singing doesn't always cause afib, fortunately, but has definitely been

related to it twice when I sang a high tessitura (lots of high notes) long

and intensively. The afib happened after the singing was finished and seemed

to be related to the action of the diaphragm muscle and abdominal muscles, as

you suggested. Conversely, as I mentioned in my previous post, I have also

been able to stop the tachycardia which leads to afib for me by deep

breathing and bearing down with my diaphragm muscle as if I were sustaining a

long tone. I think that this technique is similar to one which is classified

as a Valsalva maneuver. Apparently one can both start and stop afib with

diaphragmatic action. However, it also seems to me that some pre-existing

condition that happens intermittently must make us more susceptible to the

action of the diaphragm and abdominal muscles at certain times only because

singing usually does not cause afib. Similarly, bending over does not always

cause afib, but it seems that if something is internally awry or out of

balance, these activities can cause afib. As you said, perhaps that

" something " is the vagus nerve which may be overly stimulated or sensitized

at times, as are other nerves. It seems that all this is as great a mystery

to my doctors as it is to me!

[Guest guest]

All, I had my Thyroid Gland removed due to good old Amiodarone.

I went to a surgeon that was famous for his small scars, although I was

concerned about this at the time.

You are correct that there is another gland called the Parathyriod and

correct that this gland makes the calcium for the body.

He said I had a 1% chance of damaging this gland while in surgery, He would

be able to tell three days after the surgery by taking my Calcium levels.

Luckily for me they were ok. On the other side of the coin, a few Children

around the age of 18months to two years become hyper thyrotoxic. The only

thing is to remove the gland. In children there is a 50% chance that the

Parathyriod becomes traumatized and will not produce Calcium. The treatment

to over come this, is to give calcium supplements to the diet and they lead

a normal life.

Incidentally my scar on the neck is fine, compared with some people I have

seen who have had this type of surgery.

Regards

C

(parathyroid????) that is very easily damaged during thyroid

removal

surgery and if it is damaged the body basically can't regulate

calcium, and that is very, very bad.

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[Guest guest]

, I am way behind in reading posts, so you may have had your

question answered by now. But if you are interested in connections

between thyroid problems and AF, read Steve's post of June 10: Digest

No. 274, Message 7. He says he has cured his AF with thyroid treatment.

You can also go to <www.wilsonssyndrome.org> and request the free

Thyroid Report. Dr. is one of the main sources of Steve's info.

All the best, S.