Effectiveness of Calcium Channel Blockers

I have been on calcium channel blockers for the past month due to extreme intolerance of beta blockers.  Must say I feel almost back to normal.  I say almost because after 3 weeks of being able to exercise at a high intensity again, and feeling more energetic than I had in months,  I was brought down one day while on a run, with constant PVC's and lightheadedness that lasted for hours.  Since then, the PVC's have been more frequent but I am again able to work out.

Has anyone else had this?  What has been your experience while on the calcium channel blockers?  I have no side effects and really hope this medication keeps working so I can avoid ablation.

[lanakaye]

I tried to take only 12.5 miligrams of the beat blocker atenolol.  My palpitations got worse and I felt terrrible to the point that I could not function.  My heart rate dropped to 52 on that low dose?   When my local Dr. said keep on taking it I called a cardiologist.  He said to stop and that low dose could be stopped immediately.  He said that some people cannot tolerate the bata blocker.  There is something about certain pacs and pvcs being dependent on a slow heart rate in order to occur, but I don't understand why.  Anyway I take a calcium channel blocker and have felt much better as far as energy goes,  the pvcs and pacs went away for a long time, years.  They have recently  come back but are much better after stopping coffee, even decaf.  What kind of symptoms did you have and what did your Dr. say about your not being able to take the beta blocker?


lanakaye

[va_tony]

I take a calcium channel blocker (cardizem) to control high BP and to lower heart rate during afib episodes.  It works well but I did experience swollen ankles as a side-effect. So my cardiologist put me on a diuretic which eventually relieved the edema.

If you read the listing of CC side-effects (there are many possible) , among those they consider serious is slow/fast/irregular heartbeat, Dizziness is also listed. So you may want to mention the PVC's/dizziness you experienced to your doc.

[sueinns]

Thanks you two.  I appreciate what you have to say.

To lanakaye - Before betablockers my resting heart rate was about 56.  From some literature I have read, people with low heart rates (athletes in particular), are somewhat prone to developing palpitations.  The betablockers (same dose as you) brought my heart rate down to the 40's and, like you, I felt terrible.  They stopped the palpitations but did nothing for the dizziness which I experienced several times a day.  My doctor decided to try me on calcium channel blockers instead - it was more about my complaining about my quality of life than anything else although she did say there was no way I'd be able to take a higher dose of betablocker.

To va_tony.  I have had no side effects from the Cardizem except the occasional dizzy spell (these were far worse on the beta blockers) and being aware of the palpitations a little more than when I was on the betablockers.  Since she only gave me a two month prescription, I do intend to mention to her what happened when I see her again.  Oh, and I can't drink red wine because of terrible headaches.  I guess since Cardizem is a vessel dilator, red wine just makes it worse.  Small sacrifice - for some reason white wine doesn't have the same effect.

[surfgirl]

Funny, I can't drink white wine becasue of headaches.  Red wine just makes me nuts.

[maggiemag]

I was on Verapamil for 5 years for SVT.  I had no episodes and few PVC's also, and my only side effect was mild constipation.  I was on them before I started working out regularly, but I suspect that my heart rate would've been able to keep up, unlike with the Coreg now.  I was on a baby dose, though, as I am very sensitive to cardiac drugs and a higher dose made my pressure very low and I was very dizzy.