Anyone taking Nadolol or Chlorzoxazone?

Question

I was just prescribed these and wanted to know if they have been helpful to anyone and if they have caused any side effects. Thanks!

pamk5 · Answer

You are welcome!  Happy to share my experiences so far.

DechenDolkar · Answer

Thanks Pam! I appreciate all of your information.

pamk5 · Answer

Well they hook you up to monitors, ekg and I think a pulse oximetry?  They strap you on a table with a foot board.  The table is raised to 70 degrees and they watch your bp and pulse to see what happens.  In my case my bp continued to drop till it was 70/50 and I turned grey this is apparently considered positive.  He put me down before I fainted.  I was on my way out.  He did tell me my favorite position is "down" if I started to black out sit or preferably lie down right away.  Whereever I am! 

I actually had to cut my atenolol in half again since a few nights ago mine was down to 70/50 again.  I know it makes you feel horrible.  Sorry you are going thru this.  

My understanding is decompression should stop this.  I never had this issue till my accident that started all these symptoms.  Other than of course having relatively low BP all my life, it was never this low and dropping when I stand.  I hope you get some answers.  Since it was a few years ago since you had those tests maybe you should ask if they need to be repeated?  

Pam

DechenDolkar · Answer

I did take a half. I was supposed to start with a half for a couple of weeks then move up to a whole one. I talked to the pharmacist today and he adviced me to not take it today and call my doctor tomorrow. I do have a BP cuff and BP was pretty low this morning. I had a stress test, echo, EKG's and halter monitor a couple years ago and an EKG done not too long ago. What does the tilt table test consist of? Thanks so much for your info!

pamk5 · Answer

Did they tell you if that happened to take 1/2? Also, another thing I was told is to take pseudoephedrine (sudafed) if my heart rate or bp got too low. Something to ask about. That is what the metoprolol did to me. Something about taking at bedtime seems to help. I guess the majority of the symptoms seem to wear off when sleeping. I was also having horrible dizziness (worse than usual). Definitely contact your doc to see if they would like to try something else. Do you have a bp cuff to take your bp when sitting and standing? Increasing your salt and fluid intake is something else they recommend if it is in fact POTS. One neurologist told me to drink gatorade and see him in a month. That was last appt but his advice made sense. I would definitely have a cardiac workup to make sure all is ok. I had cardiac enzymes, echocardiogram, wore a halter monitor, and the tilt table test and of course more than one ekg. Hope all this helps.

DechenDolkar · Answer

I took the Nadolol yesterday and seemed fine during the day. In the evening I started to feel like I was having a weird rhythm and then I was woken this morning to the feeling of my heart pounding too hard. The heartrate is slow, but uncomfortable. Now I don't know if I want to take it again.

pamk5 · Answer

I was having the same issue with metoprolol and I was switched to atenolol at bedtime only.  I seem to tolerate it better when I take it at bedtime.  I couldnt take it twice a day for the same reasons.  My doc put me on Robaxin for a muscle relaxer says it is not supposed to affect heart rhythm.  I seem to be tolerating it well.  When I was taking flexeril it was causing me to have a weird rhythm.

DechenDolkar · Answer

Selma - I am going to try the beta-blocker tonight and see how that is before I try the other muscle relaxer. I hate to take them together and have a reaction and not no which one it is. Anyway, wish me luck! :) I'll let you know how it turns out.

Pamk5 - Thanks for the info, I didn't know that about the Flexeril. I have been taking Atenolol but only as needed when my heart rate gets so high I can't stand it. When I was taking it daily it made my blood pressure so low I couldn't function. I have not had the tilt table test done.

Thanks to you both!

pamk5 · Answer

Hello, I am also taking a beta blocker for POTS and NMH and it seems to help with my headaches.  I was also having some PVC's which have caused me to have to give up caffeine and chocolate.  I havent heard of the one you are taking but I take atenolol and it seems to slow everything down and keep my bp from dropping at the same time.  What I can add is that one of the side effects of Flexeril are heart rhythm issues.  May want to ask your doc about it before you start taking it again.  Especially, since you are having some issues anyway.  Have you had a tilt table test?  That is how they diagnose POTS and NMH.  I was doing the same thing heart rate was jumping to 150 beats a min at rest.  Good luck to you.

selmaS · Answer

I know what u mean....I am dealing with some right now from Topamax...and I am on a low dose,I  can't imagine being on a higher dose and what that would do....

Keep bus posted as how u do with these meds : )

"selma"

DechenDolkar · Answer

I was at the headache clinic today and I was prescribed the nadolol (Beta Blocker) for the pressure in the back of my head and rapid heartbeat. I was given the Chlorzoxaone (Muscle Relaxer) to try and ween me down from taking so much Excedrin (That is going to be tough!). I usually take Flexeril at night, so she wants me to switch to this other one for 5 - 10 days and then go back to the Flexeril. I am just always so leary of new meds as I usually experience side effects.