I have been taking Toprol 50mg. and Premarin .03mg and have many allergies. However I have been getting these at a regular drug store. Upon hearing of a big discount store selling them really cheap...I attempted to change...found the pharmacy closed on Sunday...I am wondering if the big discount stores buy these drugs a lot cheaper or a cheap brand. I do not want to take a chance with my blood pressure as it has been hard to deal with.
Is there any difference in the brands? In other words should I keep with the one I have and pay more?
I only had one single episode of A-Fib. Mostly on exertian or at night my heart beats hard, (not fast). I'm on Betapace only. Is there a need for this after only one time of fast heartbeat, and if I don't take it, will I be asking for trouble--or nothing?
I only had one single episode of A-Fib. Mostly on exertian or at night my heart beats hard, (not fast). I'm on Betapace only. Is there a need for this after only one time of fast heartbeat, and if I don't take it, will I be asking for trouble--or nothing?
Hi, I am a forty year old female and I have been diagnosed with an irritable heart ( ventricular arrhythmia ). It started a year ago when I took Metabolife for 8 days to lose weight. My symptoms are PVC's, shortness of breath and dizziness. I have tried several medications and so far none of them have worked. I have taken Inderal, Mexitil, Tenormin, Zebeta and Verapamil so far. I can no longer have caffeine, alchohol or any other stimulant and my doctor says this is caused by anxiety and stress. My doctor also says that this condition is not life-threatening, but it is debilitating in that I can barely perform simple physical activities such as walking up the stairs. I have had to go to the emergency room 3 times in the past month and was told that my heart beat was "bi-jim-en-ey" (unsure of spelling)and I have gained about 20 lbs. due to my inactivity. Any suggestions on treatments or drug combinations that may help? Any input will be greatly appreciated.
Dear Randy,
I can relate with your fears and questions reguarding your heart. It really does sound as tho you have a heart rhythm problem and a beta blocker is a good way to go. I want to let you know that I have idopathic cardiomyopathy and also heart rhythm problems. It sounds like you are experiencing a common reaction to them and want to tell you that xanax does help. The heart and nervous system work together. When your brain thinks there is a problem with your heart: not enough blood flow, irregularities, it sends a signal to the sympothetic (automatic) nervous system which causes your body to produce more adrinalin. This, in a way puts your body into a "panic" or "fight and flight" state. I have been on xanax for 5 years and dont see that i will get off it unless something else can be done to control the heart irregularities. Xanax are addictive but with careful attention you can control it. There have been times when i required 4mg a day when i was having 2-3 attacks a day, i am now on a maintence dose of .50mg 3 x a day, but sometimes am able to skip the afternoon dose, but when i have an attack, i chew a 1 mg tablet (told to do that in the cardiac dept at hosp)and sometimes need more to get the nervous system calmed down. I control what i take. As with many medications, including the beta blocker you are on, you will have to be "weaned" off the medication when you no longer need it. Xanax is one of the few meds that work directly on the nervous system to relieve the symptoms. I am now on a lower dose than when i started taking them and am always aware of what i take. I could stop taking it but the attacks would come back the way they were and my life would be greatly affected. When you need them, take them. I wish you the best and hopefully you will get all the proper care you need. God Bless
This is just an update:
About 6 years ago, I started to experience rapid heart beats and PVC's daily. I had no idea what was going on and dismissed it as just stress. My condition seemed to get worse after a few months where I would get the rapid heart beat episodes about 10 to 20 times a day. It then got to a point where it was happening about every 5 to 15 min apart and would last about 5 min each time. I went to see a cardiologist and went through all the tests and finally was put on meds. Diagnosed with a-fib and a-flutter
a) first nine months Toprol 50mg (stopped working)
b) next 1 1/2 year Cardizem CD 240mg (stopped working)
c) next 1 year Cardizem 360mg (stopped working)
d) next 1 1/2 year Tiazac 360mg (stopped working)
After nearly 5 years of trying, some of the meds would work very well ( nearly no episodes the first month and then a few episodes would occur daily but nothing like in the beginning) until it felt like my a-fib would win the battle. My cardiologist finally admitted me to the hosp. to try Betapace. It worked perfect for about 9 days (not even 1 episode). Then it all came back even worse than before. Well, I went back on Cardizem 300mg to control the rapid heart rate. Finally I went to see the best of the best EP. He checked all my records and history. He then told me exactly what he had in mind to do, and sure enough a few weeks later I was in the hospital to try out his plan of action. It has been 4 1/2 months since I left the hospital and I haven't had any episodes of any kind. Not even a PVC. I feel like I've been given a new heart. This miracle doctor is partners with 2 other super doctors that I now refer to as "The Dream Team". The main doctor of the 3 is known throughout the U.S. as a top EP specialist. I'm 32 years old, and very healthy (body-builder) and have no idea what caused this. I do know that this doctor is a genious and was the only doctor, from the many that I've gone to, that knew how to attack and kill my problem. At least that's what I'm hoping . It was a combination of 3 meds and the right dosage that he figured would work to rid the problem. So far it has worked 100%.
A word of caution regarding xanax. I started taking it four years ago. It is a very addictive drug (physcially). If you have to take it for an extended time, the withdrawl symptoms can be quite harsh. If it is used only short-term it should be no problem ... but if you need it for an extended amount of time, please consult with your doctor.
Best wishes,
Anne
It sounds like your doctor suspected coronary artery disease, ordered a stress test which was abnormal, and then a catheterization which was normal, other than slightly weak heart muscle function. However, it could be that your problems are due to heart rhythm disturbances, namely arrhythmias. From what you have listed, no tests, such as a Holter monitor, have been done for this. Your doctor has started you on a beta blocker, so he may suspect that you have an arrhythmia, but testing to see if this is really the case would be useful.