moxifloxacin vs sotalol
Side-by-side comparison of moxifloxacin 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
Sotalol, a Class III antiarrhythmic, has been shown to further increase the QTc interval when combined with high doses of intravenous moxifloxacin hydrochloride in dogs.
Recommendation: Your doctor may need to monitor your heart's electrical activity with an EKG if these medications are used at the same time.
Avelox
Betapace
Moxifloxacin is an antibiotic that fights bacteria in your body. It is used to treat different types of infections.
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.
Moxifloxacin treats infections like pneumonia, skin infections, and infections in your stomach area. It can also treat sinus infections, bronchitis, and plague. This medicine should only be used to treat infections that are proven or very likely to be caused by bacteria that it can kill.
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.
Moxifloxacin belongs to a class of drugs called fluoroquinolones. It works by stopping bacteria from multiplying. This helps your body fight off the infection.
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.
- • Nausea
- • Diarrhea
- • Headache
- • Dizziness
- • Feeling tired
- • Slow heart rate (less than 50 bpm)
- • Shortness of breath
- • New or worsening irregular heartbeats
- • Weakness
- Dyspnoea 1,224
- Pneumonia 1,142
- Vomiting 1,101
- Drug Hypersensitivity 1,073
- Asthma 910
- Irregular heartbeat 1,178
- Shortness of breath 912
- Tiredness 867
- Feeling lightheaded 734
- Loose stool 719
Moxifloxacin can cause serious side effects, even if they don't happen to everyone. These include tendon problems, nerve damage, and central nervous system problems. If you have myasthenia gravis, moxifloxacin can make your muscle weakness worse. If you experience any of these serious side effects, stop taking moxifloxacin immediately and talk to your doctor. Because of these risks, moxifloxacin should only be used when other treatment options are not available for sinus infections or bronchitis.
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.
Talk to your doctor if you are pregnant or plan to become pregnant. Moxifloxacin may harm your unborn baby. It is not known if moxifloxacin passes into breast milk, so talk to your doctor if you are 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.
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How to Read This moxifloxacin vs sotalol Comparison
moxifloxacin is classified in the Fluoroquinolone Antibiotic 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, moxifloxacin has 5,450 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 both drugs can change the electrical timing of your heartbeat, which might increase the risk of a dangerous heart rhythm.. 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 moxifloxacin 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.