Beta-Blokers and surgery

[iamfaithful]

Hello,  

I have been reading this site for the past few months (sine May) and just want to say "THANK  YOU" to all who have posted.  I have been dealing with panic/anxiety since May of this year-it just came out of the blue!  And reading your post has helped me TREMEDOUSLY.  I used to go to the "heart" forum until the anxiety forum came out.

To make a REALLY long story short I started having reallly bad palps (skipped beats) one day and went to the E.R.  thinking that I was having some sort of heart attack.   I have been worked up by a cardiologist, worn two event monitors, several ekg's (been to the E.R. 5-6 times since May 11th when all this insanity started) , one echo, one nuclear stress test...., oh and a CAT scan back in March for something different.  Everyting came out  fine.  They did catch PVC'S PAC'S on event monitor but said they are benign and put me on beta blockers to control them.

I also have some health issues, one being I have a abnormal gallbladder in ADDITION to having gallsotnes, acid reflux and an enlarged THYMUS GLAND that will have to be surgically removed-yikies!!!

The doctor wants me to have my gallbladder removed, and I'm sure that's what I need to do, but I am taking beta blockers (Metoprolol .25 sp?) and I am really afraid of going under with this stuff in my system.  I have NEVER been a person who likes to take medicine, and my body is VERY sensitive to most meds.

I google EVERYTHING, which I know is not good for people who suffer with anxiety; but I just like to be prepared-no, I like to be in control-lol.  Anyway, what did I do that for....I am all freaked out now because they are saying people with heart problems, angina, cad, etc. can be helped by taking beta blockers before surgery, and then another site says it can be very dangerous for people who are at "low risk."  This really scared me!!

Can someone please tell me if they have had surgery while taking beta blockers?
I want to call my cardio DR. and ask if he will wean me off of them before my surgery (my next appt. is in December and he said he would eventually wean me off, and I want to get off anyway).

Ugh, I am so afraid, it's making my panic/anxiety worse.  
I have so much more to say, but I just want to get some kind of advice on this.

Ummmm, this is my first time, so I guess it will just appear on the forum sometime today?

I see that Ryan answers lots of questions......I would love to hear from you and anyone else who takes beta blockers or who knows about them interacting with anesthesia- and  also anyone who deals with these ABSOLUTE HORRIBLE SKIPPED BEATS.  OH, they are the worse to me!  I have read skippyheart or maybe it's heartflutters post.  Oh how they helped me!

I know that God will make a way, but I just needed some support.
Okay, enough rambling for now.

[iamfaithful]

Hello-
I just read a very disturbing story on the heart rhythym forum that has me real anxious.  I know I tend to think the worst things that happen to people will happen to me, but it's with good reason.  A lady posted on there that her 15 yo had cardiac arrest while playing volleyball AFTER she had some type of surgery on her sternum.  Go to the forum and read it.  I know I am showing lack of faith and trust, but I have now postoponed by gallbladder sugery because I'm still afraid but I have to have surgery on my thymus gland which is enlarged AND behind my sternum.  I am really quite freaked out to say the least.  I mean, I am looking into robotic surgery so they don't have to slice me opene but still.  Ugh, maybe some stuff I just do NOT need to read.
I had that happen to a friend Sudden death and I can't get it out of my mind.
I need some help please.

Sorry, I didn't even ask how you were doing?  I hope you have been feeling okay.  It's quite windy here in GA today :-)

[iamfaithful]

You aren't going to beleive this but I have already done that-lol.  Well, I don't have them on index cards, but I printed out all the verses that had to do with fear, anxiety, doubt and I also highlighted the promises.  You are right, it has helped tremendously.  I start my day with Isaiah 43 and Psalms 91.  Now I need to memorize them-there are a lot, but that's okay.  I should know them anyway :-)

How do you know when you have a good therapist?  I am going to see mine tomorrow and I feel she has helped me a lot; but sometimes she says things that I don't think she should say to patients with anxiety.  She's not a psychiatrist (my spelling is horrible), but she has her doctorate.  Her approach is a bit different, so I'm just not sure if she's good or not-she is my first therapist.  I don't know, I go back and forth on this issue because like I said she has helped me out a lot.  But she uses her own life as examples a lot and then it's like she is trying to search for words and I end up really giving therapy to my own self sometimes.  Maybe I am being to critical.

[anxiety123]

One other thing about trying to learn how to 'let it go' is somethingI learned while in CBT.  My therapist had me go thru the bible and print out all the verses that have to do with anxiety or worry.  I put them on index cards and everytime I had a negative thought or worry, I took a card out of my purse and quoted the verse several times.  Eventually, I had my favorite verses and had them memorized so I just had to say the verse.  It really does work!!  After doing that for a few months, I was soooooo much better with my worry and negative though pattern.  Try it!!  : )

God Bless!

[iamfaithful]

Yikes, I just typed out my message and forgot to post it :-)
I am so glad to see that there are folk who believe in the power of prayer!  It's so awesome and amazing and I have become a prayer warrior because of all of this.  Anytime I think about it, I just send up a prayer and thank God for what he has done and will do in my life.

I live in fulton county and yes this water situation is really scary.  I never imagined we would be going thru something like this.  We are trying to conserve water as best we can in my house, but I doubt it's making much of a difference-who knows.

Boy anxiety, that is what I WISH I could do.....let go and let GOD!!!  I have been doing it little by little, but I know I have to completely let go of the situation.  It's so hard for me, I don't know why.  But I guess like you said, we have to pray without ceasing.  That is the ONLY thing that has gotten me this far.

I pray and hope both of you have a great day.

[heartfluttersflyawayplz]

iamfaithful, love that name , yes i live in GA  love it here but not the water thing going on .lol. i live in gwinnett county. nice to meet someone close to home, yes i can go months and even years and no anxiety than it just comes on , it has been a ok day thank you for the prayers , i got up and went to mall and took my mom and made it a good day even though i was having some i just passed by it and went on. surgery is so scarey , but i know you will be just fine, i had a 8 hour surgery and that one really scared me i was on a b-blocker and i was also scared i would have a panic attack and guess what i did about 12 hours after my surgery but i told the nurse and i told her i took ativan for it she went and got me one and i was good for night , they will be there for you , what i did was told my dr before surgery that i wanted ativan on order for my panic so that if i had one they would not have to call and get him to approve it , that takes to long , so have it on order so if you have one they can give you something than not 30 mins after you ask because they waiting on dr to call back and approve it .  you know the Lord knows are Heart because its his and am sure he forgives us for leaning on hubbys and others as long as we do go to him ,for it and than lean on someone maybe he not get to mad at us . and yes as his cild he knows are needs and takes care of them even when we dont ask . when am scared and feeling bad i talk to him and it helps so much before i know it am praying for others and not me and thats a good thing . hope ya have a great day . plz keep in touch , glad you in GA maybe one day we run into each other might already have who knows lol. talk to you soon . barbara

[anxiety123]

I can sometimes go a month or longer and have perfect, anxiety free days, then BAM one hits out of nowhere.  I think my problem is if I don't eat right and get enough exercise and sleep I feel worse.  ESPECIALLY if I eat sugar or a lot of stachy carbs so I have just about completely given up sugar.  I will sometimes eat if after I have had a good high protein meal but never on an empty stomach.  I know I will be setting myself up for disaster if I eat sugar on an empty stomach.  And caffeine is a complete NO NO.

As for God, we need to really have faith that He will take care of us.  I learned 3 years ago when I was diagnosed with cancer that if I didn't have faith that He would take care of me, I was a basketcase.  After lots of prayers and sleepless nights I was finally able to just put it in His hands and know that he was there with me through it all.  After I finally was able to let go of it, there was a peace about my surgeries and healing like I never thought I could have.

Pray without ceasing that God will hold you and keep you safe.  

As for the panic attack after surgery, I was afraid of the same thing.  But, I prayed so hard during that time and I didn't have one.  

[iamfaithful]

Barbara,

You live in Georgia?  I was just reading some of the other post and noticed that.  I live in Georgia myself :-)

I will be praying for you on today.  Anxiety is such an awful thing to have, and I hate that today is not a good for you.  

Does anyone ever have a string of good days and then all of a sudden a symptom pops up and BOOM you are depressed because you thought maybe, just maybe you were cured?  That has been happening to me lately.  I wii have a few good days, but then out of the blue my heart will feel like it's dropping or I get the skipped beats and I got into a deep derpression.  I'm at the point now that when I am having a good day I am just waiting for my symptoms to kick in.  And I have to to really fight with myself NOT to go the ER!

I think this is why I am so afraid of having surgery.  I am afraid that while I am in recovery I am going to have a full blown panic attack!!!  Crazy I know.

Barbara, something you said on another post made me think.  You said something like you lean more on your husband that you do the Lord at times.   Well, I know I am guilty of that.  It's not just my husband or close friends but it's these forums.  Sometimes I feel guilty always searching  on the internet for answers and not TOTALLY trusting in his promises.  However, I have to remember that there is nothing wrong with communicating with others that feel the same way you do and can help ease your mind.  Do I sound batty?  Do you understand what I'm saying?  Gosh, if I would have started posting when I first start going thru all of this you all would have surely thought me a loon :-)  

[heartfluttersflyawayplz]

you will do fine in surgery there are lots out there on lots meds have really bad hearts and go through surgery great. i had many surgerys onmeds and no problems . glad you had a great weekend, anxiety free makes it great. see you can be that way, its just thoses darn days inbetween like am having today that makes you not enjoy life. i hope your still anxiety free. barbara

[iamfaithful]

Hello-

I hope everyone had an anxiety free weekend!!

My daughter had a 16th birthday party this weekend and I was running around like a mad woman.  And guess what......no anxiety!  I kept waiting for something to kick in, but nothing ever did.  You know it's always in the back of your mind, well at least it's always in the back of my mind.  I just kept waiting for my heart to start skipping beats or start racing; but thank God it never did.

I guess I better go ahead and schedule my surgery.  I am looking at having it sometime in early December.  I am just so sick of worrying about it-I will be glad when it's over and done with :-)  I do believe that's part of my problem...having health anxiety.  

[heartfluttersflyawayplz]

yes i feel fine with out it lol but now i have more acid reflux because it gone but take a pill for it. you will be fine, and better to get gall bladder out now before the stones move like mine and you have em surgery like me. . keep in touch.barbara  will keep you in my prayers

[iamfaithful]

Thanks you all.  It's so neat finally posting and not just reading!  It makes me feel MUCH less alone.
I always get so sick after surgery-vomitting, and that was before all this started.  
I had an in office procedure in August for fibroids, but I wasn't "under."  I got myself so worked up that my blood pressure was up and afterwards my heart just knocked around for the better part of the evening.

I guess I need to go ahead and schedule it.  Please keep me in your thoughts.
Heartflutter, do you feel better w/out your gallbladder?  I really don't have any problems w/mine.  They just happened to find out I had gallstones by doing a CAT scank, and then I had a HIDA scan done and my EF was 16%-no good.


Wow 8 hours....both of you are my heroes :-)  I am afraid of a 90 min.  operation!

I will try to post again soon.....my computer is down at home and I won't be at work tomorrow.
Have a good weekend and thanks again for the support!

[anxiety123]

I have mitral valve prolapse and with it comes anxiety, heart palps, racing heart, etc.  It has tremendously helped me.  I don't have any symptoms while on the beta blocker.

One of my sugeries was almost 8 hours and I was really nervous about that one being so long but I did great!  : )

[heartfluttersflyawayplz]

hey i also take bete blocker been on them for 23 years and have had 3 real bad surgerys my last one was 8 hours and i staed on my bete blocker . you will do just fine , i always worry about that to but each time i did great. i had my gall bladder removed 5 years ago to. call your cardio dr and let them know your having this surgery am sure they will tell you its fine. best of luck . barbara

[iamfaithful]

Thank you so much for replying right away.  You don't know how much this helped me.  I'm still nervous :-) but I feel better reading your post.  Do you mind me asking if you are taking the beta blocker for anxiety/palps or is it for high blood pressure.  I don't know if it makes a difference, I am just anal that way :-)

[anxiety123]

Hi.  I also take a beta blocker and have had 4 major sugeries the past 3 years.  I was scared also but my anesthesiologist (who also goes to church with me so I know him personally) told me that patients who take beta blockers are actually safer going under because the risk for heartbeat irregularities will be lower and your blood pressure will remain pretty stable because of the beta blocker.  You are also on a very low dose.  I take 100 mgs. and I did fine.

Hope this helps some.