PVC's and Metaprolol

[texasvet54]

I'm 55 and four months ago I was diagnosed with a mild PVC.  I had been on a mild diuretic, Chlorthalodone, for my slightly elevated BP.  My cardiologist replaced it with 25mg of Metaprolol.  At first, the Metaprolol seemed to lessen the PVC's, but after a few months now, I don't believe that it is reducing their occurrence whatsoever.  Also, my BP has crept back up into the 130's, which is where it was before I started taking the diuretic or Metaprolol.

Is there any chance that my body has adjusted to the Metaprolol both for the PVC's and the BP?

Also, I didn't even notice the PVC's until I got on the diuretic, so am I wrong in thinking that maybe I should just get off of all medication for a few months and see where my body is on the PVC issue?


Thanks,
TexasVet

[is_something_wrong]

I think the cells can create more adrenaline receptors with time - a possible reason why it's a bad idea to suddenly stop using beta blockers. With high / complete beta blockade (>200 mgs of metoprolol) this is probably not an issue, but it can possibly happen with lower amounts.

Another possibility is that your anxiety level is somewhat higher now, for unknown reasons. It's probably a good idea to ask your doctor.

I doubt 25 mg of metoprolol have any significant effect on your blood pressure, as higher amounts are necessary to control BP than controlling arrhythmias. My dad was put on 200 mg metoprolol to control blood pressure, changed to 100 mg after he quit smoking.

I'm on 20 mg pranolol to control exercise-induced PACs and SVT. Works fine - but increases extrasystoles during rest, because my HR is lower. Strangely enough, the beta blocker seems to increase my blood pressure. A possible explaination is that my heart rate went like "bambambambambambam" before, and "BAM---BAM---BAM" now. I'm really not sure :-)

[Ihatepalps2]

hi! Im no doctor...but i AM on Metoprolol.... and I kinda think the previous poster is right--25 mg of Metoprolol...I dont know how much BP OR palpitation improvement would be seen on that. I take 125 mg a day, and I STILL have runs of palps..AND blood pressure around 130/90 or so!

[cindy707]

Well my two cents on this one is first and foremost for 100% DO NOT stop the meds without your doc giving you a "wean off" schedule because stopping the Metoprolol suddenly can be very dangerous to you and possibly cause a rebound effect that could send you straight to the emergency room.  Rebound means that when a heart med or other specific meds are suddenly stopped without slowly decreasing the dosage the heart reacts poorly and rebound can occur which means that the symtoms comes back X3 which is super ugly believe me ....been there done that and had to be converted thinking i knew how to handle my own body (definately wrong wrong wrong)...there are a couple of things here...one is you want to watch the out take of the diruetic meaning if you are contstantly urinating you have to make sure you aren't dehydrating yourself because that in itself will cause a run of PVC's....dehydration one of the easiest ways to spot that on your own body is to pinch the skins between the thumb and pointer finger and if the skins stands up and slowly goes down you don't want that...its a sign of you losing too much fluid in your body the skins should just return to the "frame" of your body by the time you count to one...the other thing is that it is a low dose of beta blocker that you are on and like the other posters has said it just simply may be too low of a dose for you and you are having breakthroughs...doesn't mean anything is progressing just means the dosage isn't sufficient to block out the adrenaline runs in your body...the meds take about a month to saturate your system for optimum effect so maybe you simply need a dosage change or a new med.  I would call the doc and get his/her opinion and let them do their job...the worse thing any of us can do is self diagnose and medicate...take it from a pro that did that and paid for it....good luck to you....

[kawagumby]

Medicine is fuzzy science at best - at least that's my experience. If I had listened to my  doctors (as an adult) I'd be dead by now - more than once, LOL,- no kidding.  I try to listen to my body now, first.  I took myself off of Toprol over a period of about 2 weeks (after two years of use) and it was a foul experience to be sure.  The Toprol was increasingly causing the worst angina and palps of my life - and the cardiologist couldn't handle that fact.  Now I sustain higher blood pressure than normal but I don't care - at least I feel alive again.  Self-diagnosis worked for me on two occasions - both successful with help from printed medical studies done by research doctors that was up to date on drugs and specific issues (like bradycardia).   Practicing doctors are evidently trained to  follow a procedure that represents the statistical norm with regard to drugs and seem lost when that process sometimes fails.  If you're not the average Joe, it can be a rough run.  Yes, see a doctor first but only you can make the call that counts.