Betapace is a prescription medicine licensed for the treatment of various irregular heart rhythms. This eMedTV resource describes the specific effects of the medication, explains how it works, and offers general dosing information, and more.
Common side effects of Betapace include chest pain, fatigue, and slow heart rate. This eMedTV page lists other common side effects, explains which problems may require medical attention, and describes rare reactions that were reported in clinical studies.
Certain types of severe irregular heart rhythms (arrhythmias) can be managed with Betapace. This eMedTV Web page discusses these uses for Betapace in more detail, describes how this medication works, and explains whether it is suitable for children.
Betapace is usually taken one to three times a day. As this page from the eMedTV site explains, your doctor will determine an appropriate dose of Betapace for your situation based on your kidney function, which is measured using a simple blood test.
Reserpine, clonidine, and digoxin are medications that may cause drug interactions with Betapace. As this eMedTV segment explains, these interactions can lead to dangerous arrhythmias, a slow heart rate, and other potentially serious problems.
If you have angina, talk to your doctor before taking Betapace. This eMedTV resource lists other conditions you should tell your doctor about before using Betapace. Precautions and warnings on who should not use this drug are also included.
Betapace (sotalol) is currently available in generic form. This article from the eMedTV library describes generic Betapace in more detail, including a list of the available strengths, and explains whether it is as good as the brand-name version.
