albuterol vs sotalol
Side-by-side comparison of albuterol and sotalol. Data from FDA drug databases (Orange Book, NDC Directory, recalls, shortages) covering 20,000+ approved drugs, plus CMS pricing; see our methodology.
minor Known Drug Interaction
7.5 Beta-2-Receptor Stimulants Beta-agonists such as albuterol, terbutaline and isoproterenol may have to be administered in increased dosages when used concomitantly with sotalol.
Recommendation: You may need to use a higher dose of albuterol to get the same relief while taking sotalol.
Albuterol is a drug that helps you breathe easier. It opens up your airways when they get too narrow.
Sotalol is a medicine that helps keep your heart beating regularly. It can treat dangerous fast heartbeats and help prevent irregular heartbeats from coming back.
This medicine treats or prevents bronchospasm in adults and kids 4 years and older who have reversible obstructive airway disease. This means it helps when your airways narrow, making it hard to breathe. It can also prevent bronchospasm caused by exercise in adults and kids 4 years and older.
Sotalol is used to treat life-threatening fast heartbeats in the lower chambers of the heart. It is also used to help keep a normal heart rhythm in people with atrial fibrillation or flutter, which are types of irregular heartbeats in the upper chambers of the heart. Sotalol is for people who have very bothersome symptoms from their atrial fibrillation or flutter.
Albuterol is a beta-2 agonist. It works by relaxing the muscles in your airways. This allows more air to flow in and out of your lungs.
Sotalol works by slowing down the electrical signals in your heart. It has two actions: it blocks beta receptors (like a beta-blocker) and it prolongs the action potential duration in the heart. This helps to stabilize your heart rhythm and prevent irregular heartbeats.
- • Throat irritation
- • Viral respiratory infections
- • Upper respiratory inflammation
- • Cough
- • Muscle or bone pain
- • Feeling tired
- • Slow heart rate (less than 50 bpm)
- • Shortness of breath
- • New or worsening irregular heartbeats
- • Weakness
- Difficulty breathing 15,966
- Asthma 9,278
- Cough 7,340
- Pneumonia 6,990
- Nausea 6,757
- Irregular heartbeat 1,178
- Shortness of breath 912
- Tiredness 867
- Feeling lightheaded 734
- Loose stool 719
In rare cases, this medicine can make your bronchospasm worse. If this happens, stop using it right away and get medical help. Using too much albuterol can be fatal. If you need more albuterol than usual, your asthma may be getting worse.
Sotalol can cause life-threatening irregular heartbeats. To lower this risk, you will start or restart sotalol in a hospital where your heart can be monitored. If your QT interval (a measure on your heart tracing) gets too long (500 msec or greater), your doctor may lower your dose or stop the medicine. Your doctor will check your kidney function to decide the right dose for you.
Tell your doctor if you are pregnant or plan to become pregnant. It is not known if albuterol will harm your unborn baby. Talk to your doctor about the risks and benefits of using albuterol while pregnant or breastfeeding.
Sotalol can harm your unborn baby, so talk to your doctor if you are pregnant or plan to become pregnant. Sotalol can pass into breast milk and may harm a nursing infant, so do not breastfeed while taking sotalol.
How to Read This albuterol vs sotalol Comparison
albuterol is classified in the Short-Acting Beta-2 Agonist drug class, while sotalol sits within the Class III Antiarrhythmic / Beta-Blocker class. Drugs from different classes work through distinct mechanisms, so a head-to-head comparison illustrates trade-offs rather than equivalence. Both drugs are prescription-only, so a licensed provider must authorize use.
Adverse event totals above are pulled from the FDA's Adverse Event Reporting System (FAERS). For these top-ranked reactions alone, albuterol has 46,331 submissions while sotalol has 4,410. Those figures reflect cumulative reporting volume, not per-patient risk, so older, widely dispensed drugs typically look worse on count alone. These two drugs have a known minor interaction flagged in FDA labeling, attributed to sotalol blocks the effects of albuterol, which can make it harder for the inhaler to help you breathe.. Serious warnings, pregnancy guidance, and contraindications can differ even when indications overlap.
A table cannot substitute for clinical judgment. Effectiveness, tolerability, drug-drug interactions with your other medications, kidney and liver function, pregnancy status, insurance formulary, and price all feed into a decision that only a licensed prescriber can make responsibly. Data here is sourced from FDA Structured Product Labels (SPL) and FAERS, both of which update as manufacturers and clinicians submit new information. This page is for educational purposes only, is not medical advice, and should not be used to self-switch between albuterol and sotalol - always consult your physician or pharmacist first.
Important: This comparison is for informational purposes only. Drug effects vary between individuals. Always consult your doctor or pharmacist for personalized medical advice.