Sotalol
Medication Facts
- Performance enhancing
- Yes
- Total hours to clear
- Not Published
- Frequently used
- N/A
- ESC ID
- SOTALO-0814
- Trade names
- Betapace, Sotacor
- Drug type
- Beta blocker
- Plasma half-life · hours
- 15
- Equine dosing
- 2 mg/kg PO q12h
- Cmax · peak plasma concentration
- 5 ng/mL
- Tmax · time to peak plasma concentration
- 3
- ESC concentration guidance
- May not exceed (LDL) Lowest Detectable Level of .05 ng/mL or 50 picograms per mL
- Primary withdrawal · hours
- 72
- Washout withdrawal · hours
- Not Applicable
- ESC control type
- C1 - Strictly Controlled - Restricted - Performance
- Medication report required
- MED REPORT REQUIRED
Uses & side effects
Product-specific side effects await source review.
Drug interactions
Beta-blockers like propranolol and atenolol interact significantly with several common equine medications, primarily risking dangerous drops in heart rate, altered sedation levels, and blocked respiratory benefits. In equine medicine, beta-blockers are used to manage cardiac arrhythmias, help control heart rate, or occasionally treat behavioral anxiety. Because these drugs directly suppress the sympathetic ("fight-or-flight") nervous system, combining them with other veterinary drugs requires careful observation.The primary drug interactions for beta-blockers in horses are categorized by their clinical effects below:1. Alpha-2 Agonists (Sedatives)Medications: Romifidine, Xylazine, Detomidine.The Interaction: Combined use causes a significant pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic interaction. Beta-blockers lower systemic clearance and increase the blood concentration of alpha-2 agonists.Clinical Impact: High. Co-administration deeply amplifies sedation and dangerously increases the risk of severe bradyarrhythmias (prolonged, abnormally slow heart rates) or heart block.2. Respiratory Medications (Airway Dilators)Medications: Clenbuterol, Terbutaline, Albuterol.The Interaction: These respiratory drugs are beta-agonists designed to stimulate beta-receptors to open up the horse's airways. Non-selective beta-blockers (like propranolol) actively block these exact receptors.Clinical Impact: High. The beta-blocker will completely counteract and neutralize the therapeutic airway-dilating benefits of the respiratory medicine. Furthermore, it can induce severe bronchospasms (airway constriction) in horses prone to equine asthma.3. Other Cardiovascular MedicationsMedications: Calcium Channel Blockers (Diltiazem, Amlodipine), Digoxin, Lidocaine, Amiodarone.The Interaction: Stacking beta-blockers with other antiarrhythmics or blood pressure medications causes additive suppressive effects on the heart.Clinical Impact: Severe. This combination can lead to profound bradycardia, cardiac conduction failure, or a dangerous drop in blood pressure (hypotension) resulting in weakness or collapse.4. Metabolic and Anti-Inflammatory AgentsMedications: Insulin, NSAIDs (Phenylbutazone/“Bute”, Flunixin Meglumine/“Banamine”).The Interaction: Beta-blockers alter how the body regulates blood sugar and blood flow. They can mask the physical signs of hypoglycemia (low blood sugar). When paired with NSAIDs, the therapeutic blood-pressure-lowering effects of the beta-blocker may be blunted.5. Hepatic Enzyme Inhibitors (Metabolic Changes)Medications: Cimetidine (ulcer medication).The Interaction: Cimetidine inhibits the cytochrome P450 hepatic enzymes responsible for breaking down certain beta-blockers, particularly propranolol.Clinical Impact: Moderate. This slows down the clearance of the beta-blocker, resulting in abnormally high levels of the drug in the horse's system and raising the likelihood of toxicity