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Heart Disease (Expert Forum)
Beta Blocker Eyedrops and Bradycardia
This forum is for questions and support regarding heart issues such as: Angina, Angioplasty, Arrhythmia, Bypass Surgery, Cardiomyopathy, Coronary Artery Disease, Defibrillator, Heart Attack, Heart Disease, High Blood Pressure, Mitral Valve Prolapse, Pacemaker, PAD, Stenosis, Stress Tests.
Beta Blocker Eyedrops and Bradycardia
by Charlie__0, May 02, 1999 12:00AM
Posted by Charlie on May 02, 1999 at 16:43:31
Thank you for your previous response to my question about bradycardia, pacemakers and post op pain. You were very helpful!
Since I was diagnosed with sinus bradycardia and treated through placement of a pacemaker, I found out that eye drops which I have been on for glaucoma for 12 years (same period of time with occassional syncope) are beta blockers - all contain timolol maleate.
The literature on the drug states not to be used by people with bradycardia.
My syncope was due to 6-8 second pauses in my pulse, followed by a resumption of regular sinus rhythm.
1. Might termination of the beta blocker eyedrops have eliminated the syncope?
2. Now that I have a pacemaker, is there any reason not to continue with the timolol maleate? There may be other drugs for the glaucoma according to my eye doctor, but it may mean 2-4 kinds of drops concurrently.
3. Can beta blocker eye drops taken over many years cause irreversible sinus bradycardia, or would the symptoms disappear upon termination of the drops?
Thank you for providing such a valuable and reassuring service!
Posted by CCF CARDIO MD - MTR on May 02, 1999 at 21:51:25
Dear Charlie, thank you for your question. Beta-blocker eye drops can cause bradycardia, but should not be solely responsible for a 6-8 second pause in the heart rhythm. I suspect that you have underlying disease of the electrical conduction system of the heart that may have been unmasked by taking beta-blocker eye drops. However, I don't believe that your bradycardia will be eliminated if you stop taking timolol drops. If your pacemaker is functioning correctly, then you should be able to continue taking the timolol drops, but you should speak with your cardiologist and eye doctor before doing so.
I hope you find this information useful. Information provided in the heart forum is for general purposes only. Only your physician can provide specific diagnoses and therapies. Please feel free to write back with additional questions. Good luck!
If you would like to make an appointment at the Cleveland Clinic Heart Center, please call 1-800-CCF-CARE or inquire online by using the Heart Center website at www.ccf.org/heartcenter. The Heart
Center website contains a directory of the cardiology staff that can be used to select the physician best suited to address your cardiac problem.
