Beta Blocker

Hi -  49yo male in otherwise good health, had an mi and placement of 3 stents in RCA.  Was told that there was no damage to my heart, and have returned to all activity including hi-intensity workouts (which I was doing pre-mi).  I've put on about 30 "pity-pounds" (from 185 to 215) and despite increase in exercise and near-saintly eating habits, having a hard time losing.  I suspect that Toprol is causing this problem.  My question is if I had "no damage" and normal blood flow has been restored, why would one continue to require a beta blocker?  I've also read that they can increase triglycerides which I'm also having a problem with.  My non-medical but reasonably intelligent sense says to me that perhaps getting rid of the excess weight and getting the triglycerides under control might be of more importance than protecting what ostensibly is a healthy heart and may not really need any more protecting than the weight-loss, reduction in cholesterol/triglycerides, and continued exercise regimen (which I've been doing for years).  I almost get the sense that I'm on a beta-blocker because "everyone who's had an mi gets a beta-blocker".  BTW, blood pressure 90/65 w/5mg Altace, only other medical condition is sleep apnea for which I use a CPAP every night.  Thank you in advance for any insight you may be able to shed on this.  I'm not trying to do anything AMA, but this question is not being answered in a straight-forward manner, and I feel like I'm getting nowhere with the weight-loss issue (which admittedly is more vanity than anything else, but the end result is all that matters, right?).

[Cleveland Clinic]

It is possible that the toprol is causing your to gain weight or makes it difficult to lose it.  You should have your thyroid checked to be completely sure that the weight gain is not related to hyperthyroidism.  The torpol can also make some people a little depressed which causes increased calorie intake.  However, you will need to stay on a beta blocker.  The reason isn't simply that you had a heart attack or have CAD.  It is very important for secondary prevention of an MI and prevention of arrhythmia.  These medications have been shown to be extremely effective.  You could consider switching to another beta blocker such as coreg or even atenolol.  If you aren't feeling depressed and your thyroid is normal it is very unlikely that the beta blocker is causing you to gain the weight.  

[zigzags]

just curious,  how do the beta blockers affect your cardio workout

[zigzags]

do you wait til after your workouts to take them or what

[NYtrader]

I don't believe the cardio workouts are affected, but then I also worked out during the early stages of my heart attack and thought I just had a cold!   It wasn't until 10 hours later that I went to the hospital.  I just think the beta blocker is slowing my metabolism such that I'm having a tough time losing weight.

Phil

p.s. - I wait until after the workout to take it, but only because I work out early in the morning and generally only have a protein shake pre-workout.  Taking all those pills requires that I have more in my stomach, but that doesn't bode well for the working-out part, so I wait until I get home from the gym.

[Healthyself2]

Yes you are on a beta blocker because it's standard protocol after an M.I.  They have been shown in studies to reduce mortality.  But the vast population that they tested against were probably old, fat, diabetic, and sedentary.  Most BBs are also generic, so they are cheap and usually effective against BP.

That said, beta blockers aren't for everyone, especially the highly physically active.  They work on your brain's autonomous system, which I don't personally think is a great idea to mess with.

Anyway I was put on Atenolol after my M.I. 9 years ago.  It eventually caused me some very distressing episodes of near syncope, so I took myself off of it after about a year.  A warning that you shouldn't rapidly cease to use a beta blocker, probably should do that under doctor's supervision, but I just tapered off over a coupld of weeks.

I also took myself off of Plavix after about a year.  The blood is part of the vascular system and I don't think that you can create a healthy endothelial system on blood thinners.

Anyway my motto is: No Bypass, No Beta Blockers, No Blood Thinners and a few other no's.

What you may learn is that you have to take your recovery into your own hands.   Control Lipids, Raise HDL, Control BP,  Exercise Daily and Moderately, Eat fairly well and you can probably live long and not have another cardiac event.  Too bad that they dropped steel in you though, as that is forever.  But you can easily live without the RCA.  Stents in the RCA are highly prone to restinosis, pretty much a waste of time to put them in there.  Your heart will build it's own bypass around them, if it has enough time as they close again.

[Flycaster305]

I've been on a beta blocker for a number of years since my initial MI, I also work out daily, or did until recent abdominal surgery.  I gained about twenty pounds, but once my body was accustomed to it, the weight came off, exactly what happened when I quit smoking years ago.  Beta blockers in conjunction with exercise and diet raised my ejection fraction.  I'm still in the CHF range but can still exercise. I'm fifteen years old than you, so our metabolism is different, but if you continue to exercise, the weight will come off as your body gets accustomed to the beta blocker.  
For the record, I have eight stents, five in the RCA, and haven't had any restinosis. My suggestion would be to follow the Doctor's plan.  If you have concerns about triglycerides, I suggest taking two grams of Omega 3 fish oil tabs a day.  My doc prescribed them and my tri's really dropped.
Best wishes.

[dyeri]

ive been taking beta blocker for two years now because i had pvcs last 2006, isnt it contraindicated because i would like to go to a gym and do some cardio workouts and planning to lift some heavy weights. tnx