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beta blockers
My dad died last year of massive heart attack. I went to a heart doctor for a checkup last month. The tests showed a part of heart not getting blood, doc put me on beta blocker. For the first time I felt my heart jump all over in my chest, never before had I felt my heart. Called doc and told him. He wants me to keep taking the very meds tat cause my heart to skip a beat. Hasd anyone ever continued to take this medication when it scares them? Please someone answer to this as I have been so scared.
This discussion is related to Beta Blockers and Palpitations.
This discussion is related to Beta Blockers and Palpitations.
I think maybe I've not been very clear. When you get stressed, you send adrenaline into your body which does many things to get your body hyped up, and one is to get the heart pumping hard and fast. The heart can do either or both, pump harder, and/or pump faster. The other reason your heart may want to increase in rate is because you require more oxygen to your muscles during exercise, or to temporarily increase blood pressure until the kidneys and arterioles make the necessary adjustments. Beta blockers simply block the receptor cells on the heart which react to adrenaline. The more the dosage, the more receptors are affected and this can slow the heart down if too much is given. If the dosage is correct, your heart should still reach its max rate that is healthy to you. The calculation mostly used is 220-age = max heart rate. So, a 50 year old would have a max rate of 170 and anything above this isn't recommended if you have CAD. So, you can still exercise and you can still keep your heart strong if on BB. When you are on BB and get stressed, you don't feel that horrible thumping sensation in your chest, because the adrenaline is much weaker in effect. This will be a good way to stop stress in your life affecting you so much. I've heard that Yoga is excellent for controlling stress and recognising the signs.
What I've been researching recently are cases where people have claimed they have reversed their disease. Some of these people seem to be associated with recognised hospitals. I am still attempting to find their validity but it does seem to make sense. Doctors are not trained in diet and the effects of foods on the body. When they say there is no cure, they are really saying there is no drug known to their training. The 'claim' is that if you turn to a diet containing no dairy, no meat and no cooking oils, then it can reverse. Just fruit/veg/pasta/nuts and wholemeal bread seem to be the right things for the body. In countries where CAD is low, their diet seems to be a small amount of meat, supplemented by a large amount of starch, wholemeal, vegetables or salad stuff. In the UK we seem to have a large piece of meat and the rest is just made up with a small amount of salad etc. I'm seriously considering changing my diet to just fruit/veg/nuts etc just to see the effect for myself.
Before my heart attack, my cholesterol was discovered to be very high a week prior. My blood pressure was always high, even as a child.
What I've been researching recently are cases where people have claimed they have reversed their disease. Some of these people seem to be associated with recognised hospitals. I am still attempting to find their validity but it does seem to make sense. Doctors are not trained in diet and the effects of foods on the body. When they say there is no cure, they are really saying there is no drug known to their training. The 'claim' is that if you turn to a diet containing no dairy, no meat and no cooking oils, then it can reverse. Just fruit/veg/pasta/nuts and wholemeal bread seem to be the right things for the body. In countries where CAD is low, their diet seems to be a small amount of meat, supplemented by a large amount of starch, wholemeal, vegetables or salad stuff. In the UK we seem to have a large piece of meat and the rest is just made up with a small amount of salad etc. I'm seriously considering changing my diet to just fruit/veg/nuts etc just to see the effect for myself.
Before my heart attack, my cholesterol was discovered to be very high a week prior. My blood pressure was always high, even as a child.
My doctor told me he didnt want to do angioplasty until absolute nessessary because it too carries risk of renal failure. I am curious about the stress remark. I too have had tremendous stress ,family in law related. I beleive stress can make u very sick. I am 48 and have 5 children. How can i control things so i dont go up and down on that rollercoaster of emotions? My doc told me to stay even all the time nomatter what life throws at u. That is very difficult. Did u know u had high cholesterol before u had a heart attack? Do you believe without BB i can strengthen my heart thru excersise? and then the part that doesnt get blood will eventually? im afraid if i take the BB my heart will act older than its age like the nursing home effect and never get stronger in that area.
Quitting smoking will do wonders. I was a smoker until my first heart attack in 2007 and my BP went back to normal in days after giving up, whereas it had been high for many years.
Exercise will also definitely help in many ways, and will make your arteries more healthy and elastic.
I assume you have calcification in the kidney arteries, like your coronary arteries, and unfortunately these will not clean up on their own. With the smoking gone, your oxygen levels will increase quite a lot in the blood, I felt light headed for a few months because of this.
The beta blockers are to ensure your heart stays in good condition, see it as a nursing home for your heart. Your tests showed Ischemia, which means an inadequate flow of blood to some of the heart muscle. Some people don't feel angina, some people don't even know they've had a heart attack. It is likely that without BB and exercising, some damage will start to occur.
Have they said anything about treating your kidneys? such as angioplasty?
I would just like to add that I had a stent in 2007 and my cholesterol was very high. Medication lowered my cholesterol below average, but I still formed new blockages. My blood pressure/cholesterol were within limits since 2007 and I was exercising too, all the things the experts recommend. My problem was stress. I had a lot of family issues going on and everytime stress increased, I formed blockages. So this is something to seriously consider. Not everyone even realises they are stressed.
Exercise will also definitely help in many ways, and will make your arteries more healthy and elastic.
I assume you have calcification in the kidney arteries, like your coronary arteries, and unfortunately these will not clean up on their own. With the smoking gone, your oxygen levels will increase quite a lot in the blood, I felt light headed for a few months because of this.
The beta blockers are to ensure your heart stays in good condition, see it as a nursing home for your heart. Your tests showed Ischemia, which means an inadequate flow of blood to some of the heart muscle. Some people don't feel angina, some people don't even know they've had a heart attack. It is likely that without BB and exercising, some damage will start to occur.
Have they said anything about treating your kidneys? such as angioplasty?
I would just like to add that I had a stent in 2007 and my cholesterol was very high. Medication lowered my cholesterol below average, but I still formed new blockages. My blood pressure/cholesterol were within limits since 2007 and I was exercising too, all the things the experts recommend. My problem was stress. I had a lot of family issues going on and everytime stress increased, I formed blockages. So this is something to seriously consider. Not everyone even realises they are stressed.
i really appreciate your answer and meant to mark it for best answer and i messed up and clicked wrong. Sorry about that. I am new to this. I agree with your answer completely and i dont want to take it. i want nature to help. i have quit smoking and started an excersise program. How do u know so much on this subject? Im hoping that with loosing weight and getting bad chorl down that my plugged up kidneys will clean some out on their own. I was alittle bummed when u thought i should b on one, i just feel they r not rite for me. it is a very strong inner feeling. dont get them much so ive got to go with it. also why would he put me on bb if i have never had angina?
Well it doesn't make it easier for your heart to work, in fact, they stop the heart working so well. They block the receptor channels on the heart which react to adrenaline. The higher the dose, the more effect they will have. When the dose reaches a certain level, your heart rate, including at rest, will reduce.
What your Doctor should be saying is that BB will help prevent your heart reaching the level where angina is felt. If for example your angina is felt at 140 bpm, then the right dose of BB will make it very difficult for your heart to reach this.This way, heart muscle is being protected, whereas regular periods of oxygen deprivation (i.e. ischemia) can cause damage.
I do understand your logic, but it's a catch 22. If you didn't take beta blockers and blood pressure meds, then it is probably more likely you will develop natural bypasses called collaterals. Exercise encourages these. Taking beta blockers is protecting the heart, so it's basically a very difficult choice. I don't take them because I hated the symptoms and I wanted nature to have a chance at doing some of its own magic.
Are they going to investigate treating the renal arteries?
If I was in your shoes, I would persevere with the BB, protecting your heart until such a time where they CAN stent your blockages. Maybe ask the Doctor to try a lower dose. There is no set dosage for everyone, some need more, some need less, to it's trial and error.
What your Doctor should be saying is that BB will help prevent your heart reaching the level where angina is felt. If for example your angina is felt at 140 bpm, then the right dose of BB will make it very difficult for your heart to reach this.This way, heart muscle is being protected, whereas regular periods of oxygen deprivation (i.e. ischemia) can cause damage.
I do understand your logic, but it's a catch 22. If you didn't take beta blockers and blood pressure meds, then it is probably more likely you will develop natural bypasses called collaterals. Exercise encourages these. Taking beta blockers is protecting the heart, so it's basically a very difficult choice. I don't take them because I hated the symptoms and I wanted nature to have a chance at doing some of its own magic.
Are they going to investigate treating the renal arteries?
If I was in your shoes, I would persevere with the BB, protecting your heart until such a time where they CAN stent your blockages. Maybe ask the Doctor to try a lower dose. There is no set dosage for everyone, some need more, some need less, to it's trial and error.
my stress test shows some blockage in heart. he wont stent because of renal atery stenosis in my kidneys. i went back to my heart doctor and told him i just cant take beta blockers. so i currently have quit, but i didnt really understand the importance of them. doc said they make it easier for your heart to work, but dont i wont my heart to get stronger? im not sure as for all this info is so new to me. never had any health problems that i knew of till i went to this heart doc. im only 48
Starting on beta blockers can take a while to adjust. I was on them for three years and like you, I could feel every beat and even hear it when trying to sleep. This is common. You kind of get used to it after a few months. I assume that you have a blockage in one of your arteries? is there a reason they haven't stented it ?
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Look up the PVC posts on this site. It is probably a PVC. There is alot of information on PVCs.
Fortunatley there not dangerous and usually will not hurt you. I get them every day, so you are not alone.