Beta Blockers -- help

[worried784]

I'v been on Nadolol for several months but the side effects are awful.  Anyone quit taking beta blockers?
If so, what other options are there?  I tried calcium channel blockers and they did not work for me. Thanks.

[upbeat633]

Glad you have healthcare insurance. You will be able to pursue some of these issues without feeling you will suffer financially.

I've had to make some pretty tough decisions because my deductible is so high that I end up paying for just about everything myself even with insurance. Hope yours is cadillac and that you get the care you require.

[julesluvsdrew]

Gosh lol its all confusing...what helps what doesnt....I guess maybe its diff for everyone lol?Sigh,hopefully my new cardio can do some of the worrying,and answer these questions for me....theres always hope lolollllllllllllllll

[RNRita]

Hmmm.  I actually dropped my dose BECAUSE I started having bouts of NSVT that I hadn't noticed before.  I only have gotten a few since I reduced, but who knows if that helped or not?  I'm not about to up my dose to find out! lol

[BionicBabe]

Congratulains on finally getting the health insurance! I hope now have access to some good doctors!

[julesluvsdrew]

I totally agree with you,I think its making me have more!IN fact i would say I know so,well because they have increased dramatically...im just wondering if for safety wise..since its made my nsvt happen about once or twice a week,rather then EVERYDAY..if in the long run its for the best me taking 100 mill...I just got health insurance so I know a lots going to change for me!!!!!!!!!!!!!Im finally going to get some help for my nsvt!Im very excited!Im tired of being scared because I havent had an echo in 3 years!

[RNRita]

Upbeat, I remembered that I went off my atenolol to see if it stopped my dizziness, but it didn't so, since I'm on it for 31 years, I would guess I'm not really having side effects from it.  I may discuss switching with my cardio and see what he has to say.

Manny, no I don't think you NEED any drugs.  If you can manage without them, go for it. I am not taking the BB for PVCs.  I take it for a fast resting heart rate.  It was very uncomfortable.  

Juleslovesdrew, I TRULY believe that beta blockers at too high of a dose cause more PVCs.  When I started having a ton of them, my doc told me to up my dose from 50 to 75 or 100, if I needed to.  I upped it and went into bigeminy.  I didn't even consider that it happened BECAUSE of the bbs.  A few days into it, I decided to cut my dose.  I went from 75 back to 50 then weaned down to 25.  My bigeminy went away and my PVCs are much more manageable now.  I think 25 mg is a good dose for me.  Also, if I ever really need a bb for high BP or my heart becomes too tolerant, I have a lot of play on mgs....

[julesluvsdrew]

Hey there!I was wondering if you could answer my question..For a little over 2 months( I think) I have been taking 100 mill a day of atenolol,50 in the morn,50 in the evening.THe e.r.doctor upped my dose,I was on 25mill and it didnt do anything for my heart rate,or blood pressure for that matter.Well I have noticed a big time increase of my pvcs!I had them before but now they come every other beat sometimes..I do still also get the nsvt but not everyday like before..now its lessoned..maybe twice a week?It varies week to week.I just thought it was odd,now that my heart rate is so low...right below 60 most of the time,I seem to have a lot more pvcs daily...however although they are more often,they deff arent as strong as before...it used to be a big ole THUD and now its a tink,but gosh A LOT OF THESE TINKS are making me crazy!!!!!!!!I feel more out of breath when im having all these pvcs then when i have an eppisode of nsvt!

[upbeat633]

I'm am no longer sure of the amount of atenolol that I took, I was advised to take half a tablet until I got used to the side effects. But it caused such noticeable dizziness that I wasn't about to try to get used to that, and I never took it again. It's hard to say if atenolol is causing your dizziness, but trying a different BB for your pvcs couldn't hurt could it?

An EP I saw recently said that Sectral (acebutolol), while considered an older beta-blocker, had much less effect on energy level and he suggested that at the minimum dose of 200mg it would not cause dizziness at all. He said most people who take it for blood pressure are prescribed up to 1200mg a day. I was still skeptical so I divided the capsule to 100mg to try it, and did not notice any side effects, but did notice I no longer had any couplets or triplets. He said 100mg probably wouldn't have any effect on anything including pvcs, he said that was like a homeopathic level so I might as well not take it, I had to laugh at that because I think some homeopathic formulations are very effective.

Also, I do not think your heart becomes damaged in any way if you take beta-blockers for an extended period of time, but I do believe your heart can become reliant upon them. If you stop you can have a rebound effect of increased BP and HR, that is why at least one cardiologist advised against even a beta-blocker for pvcs. Until my pvcs went above 20,000/day I resisted BB, but geez, once in a while a gal just needs some relief.

Can you advise why some doctors are reluctant to prescribe acebutolol, there is another member of this forum who would like to try it but the doctor won't budge from his RX of toperal. ??

[manny777]

Hi Rita, I really don't like any drugs on my body other than tylenol, aspirin or ibuprofen, do you think I would need one of those drugs you are talking about? what if I don't take them, what could happen to me? right now I don't feel bad at all, I get pvc's about 25 a day total but I know they could come at me with a vengeance any day, do you think I could live with the symptoms?
It's always nice to have a RN in our side.

[RNRita]

I am glad you found something you can take when needed.  I used to take 100 mg of atenolol and reduced it to 25 a day.  I have tried to quit completely and alas, HR went straight up and now my blood pressure is much higher.  I used to have very low BP.  Oh well.  I think the damage is done.  I do wonder if acebutolol would be better for me.  I have problems with dizziness and, who knows, maybe it's been the atenolol all these years.

[upbeat633]

for what it's worth, I've tried generic toperol (no affect on pvcs, gave me very low BP and HR)

I've tried inderal, (no affect on pvcs but a little less fatigue than metoperol).

I've tried atenolol and that really made me dizzy I didn't take it again.

I'm now trying acebutolol which has reduced the multiple pvcs I was getting, and maybe a little help for the frequency.  But I don't take it as prescribed, so it might do even better with the pvc frequency.

I'm just stubborn that way. A long time ago when I was in my early 20's a cardiologist said not to take BB for the pvcs because BBs probably woudn't help that much, and that my body could become dependant on the BB  for BP and HR control, so that I might have to continue on them for the rest of my life. Yikes, I didn't want that.

So even now mid-40s I'm resistant to depend on something if it only diminishes sensation. Still, there's some days even that is a blessing so I'm going to stick with acebutolol on an as needed basis. (I'm also afraid, now that I've found something that has some promise, that I will lose that benefit if I take it all the time, as you may have begun to experience with the toperal).

[RNRita]

Hi.  Beta blockers do not stop PVCs.  What they do is block some receptors so the heart does not pick up as many signals to beat.  This slows the heart rate down.  Less beats means less PVCs but the ratio  of PVCs to normal heart beats probably will not change.  Honestly, some people actually use beta blockers for anxiety!!!!!  I don't really agree with that, but it kind of slows your system down.  If you're looking for a drug that stops them, you won't find one.  The antiarrhythmics can make a more normal beat, but the side effects can be dangerous.  The PVCs are not.

[Barbmag]

Rita, I just had a question for you~~do you take the atenelol for PVC's?? I take Toprol XL but still have many throughout the day and I have heard that the BB's do not really decrease the number of skips, just the symptoms. I too tried a Calcium Channel blocker but that did not help either. I am wondering if one BB doesn't help if that means that none of them would be effective or should I try another BB for the skips?? It's all so confusing and frustrating. I have also read that BB's can actually cause palps..terrific!!!
Thanks for any info you have!!
~B

[RNRita]

Hi. There are different beta blockers and people react differently to each.  I cannot take Inderal, but take atenelol with great success.  I cannot tke calcium channel blockers, but many people like them best.  Talk to your doctor and see if he will work with you to figure out the best drug for YOU!