Medication stopped/PVCS just about gone

Dear Doctor,

    Thanks for answering all my previous questions. I just have a few more. I had been taking Atenolol for the past two years without any problems, then all of a sudden I had an episode of very frequent PVCs.
    I noticed within an half hour of taking the medication, the PVCs would come on strong and increase in frequency, then after hours the medication would wear off, the PVCs would decrease or disappear altogether, then when I took my next dose the cycle would begin all over again, after several days I said there must be a connection and I tappered off the medication .
   After stopping the medication, the PVCs most only bothered me in the mornings upon awaking and lasted only 1-2 hours, then diappeared for the rest of the day. After 2 weeks of this, they're practically gone, just an occasional thump now and then , but nothing to be bothered by.
   My question is : Have you ever had any patients complain or note the same experience while taking atenolol or other beta blockers , as I had the same experience with Inderal about four years ago.
   I have also been diagnosed with ankylosing spondylitis , and from what understand that can make one more prone arrythmias, Do
you think this could be contributing factor also?
   My heart rate is a little high upon waking in the morning, usually 90 to 110 bpm. but at night it when at rest it is usually
52 to 60 bpm, Is this difference of any concern?
    Thanks again for this wonderful service and HAPPY HOLIDAYS TO
YOU AND ALL YOUR LOVED ONES.

    THANKS,
      Hank.

[CCF-M.D.-CRC]

Dear Hank,
I haven't had someone complain about beta-blockers causing PVCs before. I suppose it is possible that the previous dose was actually wearing off about the time you took the next dose and that is why the PVCs increased.  An hour or 2 after you took the new dose it starteed to work and the PVCs decreased. There is a tendancy for beta-blockers to require larger doses after taking them for a period of time.  

I don't know about the link between ankylosing spondylitis and arrhythmias and would be interested in knowing what material you have found.  

The difference between morning and evening pulse rate probably reflects different autonomic tone and is not cause for concern.  Hope you had a Merry Christmas.

[Dr. Erik]

Many people experience PVCs and PAC's (extra beats). Taking a Beta Blocker slows down the heart and makes these extra beats more noticeable. My guess is that you are simply not noticing them as much.

[wilson-wilson]

Hankstar, sorry to here about the "new" affliction that has come upon you.  You have given a lot of common sense advice since I've been coming here.

I put ankylosing spondylitis in a "Google" search and came up with about 22,000 links. [Google is The GREATEST search ...here's a link to get Google as a "tool bar" http://toolbar.google.com/ ]

Cut and paste the following into your browser's address bar.  I use IE but whatever you use should do it too.

http://www.google.com/search?sourceid=navclient&q=ankylosing+spondylitis


Good Luck

wilson-wilson

[hvacman305]

I have had Ankylosing Spondelitis for twenty five years.  The fact that it affects the bones in the chest and specifically, the sturnum can be a bad situation for someone who also has heart problems.  I mistook the pain in my chest for that form of arthritis when I actually had a heart attack.  I have been told that many people show up in the emergency room thinking they are having a heart attack when they have the pain of Ankylosing Spondelitis, so it works both ways.  It is not easy to distinguish between the two types of pain.

[Susan @ Manderley]

Hi
I was only on Inderal for a couple of weeks for pvc/pac's about 10 years ago when I first started having them.
It certainly made them MUCH WORSE......my theory is that it slowed my heart rate and there was more time in between my normal beats to get that "extra" or "premature" beat.
Susan

[firebird]

This is true. I am taking Inderal for PACs and PVCs. Had to stop Inderal to take a stress  test, and my extrasystoles stopped almost completely for a week. But then started again. So it is not a solution, but I guess as heartbeat rate increases premature beats have a hard time to occur.