effexor / ritalin / atenolol

Hello,

   I am a twenty five year old law student.  I have been on ritalin on and off my whole life (with a hiatus from age 10-19).  Recently, I began developing tachycardias.  My doctor gave me an EKG, Blood Test, Holter Monitor EKG, and echocardiagram, all of which turned up normal.  Then he put me on atenolol to abate the tachycardia and told me to try it for a while and then stop and see if the tachycardias return.  I used atenolol for about a month with the ritalin and it cured my tachycardia.  I stopped the atenolol and the tachycardias did not return until recently.  Recently, my neurologist put me on effexor (75 mg) concomitantly with the ritalin to treat mild depressions.  Now, the tachycardias have returned.  Is it safe to resume the atenolol to stop them on both effexor and ritalin?

Thanks,
Chris Susie

[Roger Gould, M.D.]

That is a question only your cardiologist can answer.  Theoretically it should be all right, but combinations of medications also present potential complications that have to be very carefully thought through.