is bradycardia the cost of avoiding tachycardia?

[High_Anxiety]

My E.P. wants me to consider increasing my 25mg Atenolol dose by 12.5mg.  I told him that taking the 25mg already sees me with heartrates in the low 50s during sleep. What if my rate should be consistently in the 50s or even 40s during sleep? He was not concerned. I am in fair cardiovascular health according to my stress test, but I am no world-class athlete, so a resting HR in the 50s or 40s seems unnaturally low for me.

How can it be advisable to lower one's HR to this degree? I have been taking Atenolol for 17 years, and it looks as though I will be on it forever. There has to be some penalty, health-wise, for suppressing my heart's rhythm with drugs for decades.

[Artaud]

Actually, PVCTOM helped me out with this issue. There are a few Beta Blockers that have ISA properties. ISA is Intrinsic Sympathomemetic Activity, which means they block Catacholomines(adrenaline), just like any Beta Blocker, but the ISA properties keeps the heart at a higher rate than the equivalent dose of NON-ISA Beta Blockers.

The two ISA Beta Blockers I know of are Acebutolol and Pindolol.

Acebutolol is a selective Beta Blocker, Pindolol is non-selective.

I read that 200 mg of Acebutolol is equivalent to 50 mg of Atenolol. With 75 mg of Atenolol, my resting heart rate was 55. With 600 mg of Acebutolol (should be equivalent to 150 mg Atenolol) my resting rate is still at 60. I'm going to start 800 mg per day as 400 mg twice per day according to my E.P.'s instructions.

Ask your Doctor about it. Ask him/her to look it up if they aren't familiar with it. Another advantage of Acebutolol is that it does not increase cholesterol or increase blood sugar like most Beta Blockers.

[pvctom]

hello,

i have been on beta blockers for 33 years, first Inderal, Sectral, and currently Lopressor (25 mg twice daily). my HR used to be very high, and would beat very hard, had hypertention and chronic PVCs. So over the years the heart has been able to beat slower and be more relaxed in a sense. It has not taken care of the PVCs, but I believe that overall it helps. however, I have now Bradycardia, sometimes 50 at night. Holter showed low at 48BPM. Cardiologist not concerned. Usual activity for me gets the HR in the high 50's or 60's. when I had a recent nuclear stress test done, they got my heart rate up to their desired target of 136 BPM for my age group. I do not manifest any symptoms as a result of Bradycardia. However, when the Ectopics act up, they act UP, and all I can do is what the rest of us do, trudge on. But I have Bradycardia also. I hope this helps.

my best to you