Beta Blocker Hell....

[LorrieLee]

Hello....I hope all of you can help. I feel like I'm in beta blocker hell. I've been bed ridden from a car accident for the last 20 yrs. After a recent endoscopy procedure I started getting horrible pounding tachycardia that day. I:m already in a weakened state from being inactive and bedridden. Right after the procedure a week ago...I started getting constant tachycardia almost 24hrs a day. It gets worse when i eat. They hospitalized me for 1 day...did an ECHO....it was normal. My HR is still up most of the time even when just laying in the bed. I haveo no history of high blood pressure....if anything its low. I have been in the ER with constant tachycardia . I 'm already in a weakened state.....my echo was normal. They monitored me for 24hrs in the hospital. I've had horribl3 experiences with beta blockers in the past and swore I would never take them again. My primary care doc put me on metoprolol 25mg once a day. It lowered my heart rate ...but, it makes me feel horrible. It makes me feel weak, anxxious, dizzy. I tried cutting back to 12.5mg and my heart pounding started again....no tachy but heart pounding. Tonight I went back up to 25mg cause i couldn't stand my heart coming out of my chest....and it was only in the 80s. I feel so incredibly horrible from head to toe. They checked my thyroid and other blood work. I did have low calcium...8.2. They day before the uppoer endoscopy my heart rate was not going crazy. I am afraid that since i've been inactive for so long that the tach means my heart / body is giving out. I'm afraid i"m going to die. I'm now taking 25mg of metoprolol. I feel weak , anxious, dizzy. The only positive thing was that it dropped my heart rate down. I feel horrible from head to toe. Has anyone had similar experiences from being so inactive or bedridden and have tachycardia come out of no where ? I tried going down to 12.5 mg...but , the heart pounding started to get worse again. Am I going to be on Beta Blocker hell....by keeping on this medicine. i'm afraid my body is giviing out. IF i try and go down of the beta blockers I start to get that rebound adreniline feeling and heart pounding agian. I'm so weak....my husband is writing this for me. I feel like I will never be able to get off thi s medication if I need to. i take 100 mg  of librium per day and nothing else. I'm really scared. Has anyone else had similar experiences. I feel horrible with the constant tachycardia and sklipped beats. i feel worse from  head to toe.....the only benefit is that it slows my heart rate down. My echo is perfect. I'm so scared. Can anyione tell me if this will get better. thank you for listening.

[jrbon]

The endoscopy that you mentioned was it a broncoscopy?
When you say that you have tachy. Are they atrial fibrilation?

I ask because a movement in the pulmonary vein could theoretically
produce atrial fibrilation.

Jesus

[ChatterAlly]

Wouldn't an Ace Inhibitor work better?  I was on Altace and had problems. Then they put me on  the Lopressor (metoprolol) along with the Altace.  The altace lower my blood pressure too much, so I stick with the beta blocker and leave out the ace inhibitor.  That works for me.  But man oh man, I cannot run out of the beta blocker without servious side effects. Maybe in this case using both would help more.

[ed34]

Oh, just to add. When on Bisoprolol, it didn't affect my blood pressure. If my BP raised, then I was given other meds (ace inhibitor Ramipril) to reduce it. Many beta blockers seem to lower heart rate, but reduce blood pressure also. I guess 1.25mg wasn't really enough to do both, thank goodness.

[ed34]

Hi
   I'm very sorry to hear about your problems. Beta blockers aren't the nicest medication for many people and while some people take to them instantly, some take several weeks, while others never seem to adapt. However, I think that it's important a Doctor or Cardiologist finds the right brand for you, and the correct dosage. The symptoms you describe are obviously a result from this medication, especially from Metoprolol. So the only advice I can give is to get your Doctor to find a brand which hopefully suits you. Here in the UK, the most common used beta blocker is Bisoprolol. It is a powerful brand, but the dosage needs to be very low. I never had any problems with this med and believe me, I normally react to everything on the planet. I was started on 2.5mg and it was found this was a little bit too high, so it was reduced to 1.25mg. This dosage was perfect and for over 2 years I didn't have an issue with it. The dosage wasn't enough to cause fatigue etc, but was ample to keep my heart rate in normal limits. In the 2 years I was on the medication, I changed hospitals due to an increase in angina, I formed another blockage. They told me to take 5mg of the bisoprolol which was a BIG mistake. My heart rate dropped to 28 and I ended up in hospital. That's how powerful this med is, and I would certainly recommend starting on 1.25mg and working upwards if necessary, rather than starting on a higher dosage and working downwards.