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612551 tn?1450022175

Develop new Beta Blocker dependency?

I have a long life with no high blood pressure problems.  With the onset of age I developed AFib and even had to undergo open heart surgery for fix a mitral valve.  This has all led to me being on Metoprolol (Beta Block) for several years.  This is taken to keep my heart rate under control (in the 80s at rest).  A unwanted side effect that came with it was a too low blood pressure, and some related dizziness problems.  I noticed in recent times that my BP is around normal, no more too low BP.  

I also have problems with dreaming (at night) and have been lowering my BB dose from 200 mg a day to 50 mg a day to see if that will reduce/eliminate my dreaming problem...so far it hasn't.  Unfortunately I now seem to have a too high BP, something like 140/90 at the pharmacy machine today.

Is it possible that one's body and BP can become dependent on a BB regiment, even when there was no underlying BP problem?
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612551 tn?1450022175
COMMUNITY LEADER
Thanks, I read an article by a Flute Society (yes, that's right) on the use of Beta Blockers to reduce "stage fright"... it had people like the most of use on this Community:  people with direct use/experience or close relationship with others who have direct use/experience.  There was one "Clinical Pharmacist"  in the group.   While I was not interested in most of it it did a good job for me on the differences between Beta types.  Metoprolol is a Beta-1 type and it focuses on the heart Beta receptors, and as such is less likely to induce trouble dreams, one of my concerns of the past several years.  The article found on the suggested search by "itdood" and the article does talk about withdrawal symptoms, including "rebound", such as the return of high BP.  In my case it is not a return, but still I did experience a change for a too low BP to normal BP while taking BB in relatively high dose.  I took a BP measurement today on my visit to the SuperMarket/Pharmacy and got 127/73 a perfectly good BP reading, the HR was 101, but I had just walked in from the parking lot so that isn't a real high HR.  This suggests to me my high BP reading may be due more to the normal swings we all have rather than due to the reduction in BB dose level.
Helpful - 0
221122 tn?1323011265
I gotta tell ya.  I tried to go off the atenolol that I was put on for a fast resting heart rate 22 years ago.  It lowered my BP to 90/40 at times.  After years, my BP was normal.  When I tried to go off of it, my BP was a little on the high side. Now I am back on and it is still higher than it was....it might just be a natural progression, but I wondered the same thing.
Helpful - 0
612551 tn?1450022175
COMMUNITY LEADER
Thanks, I had done some web searches, but didn't try "rebound", I'll do that.

My cardiologist approved my changing from 100 mg Metoprolol SR twice a day to just once in the morning.  That didn't change my dream problem, but then I gave it only a couple of weeks try, then I went on my own to 50 mg and have been at that level for a week+.  The dreams continue (the BB may not be the driver), but I do notice a higher HR, and now on one or two sample tests a marginally high BP...again I did not had high BP prior to starting the BB a few years back.  That is why I concluded the possibility that my body may have developed a dependency on BB to maintain normal BP.  That is in part the good news, 200 mg caused me too low BP and some dizziness..but then I adjusted it seems.  Maybe then there is not surprise that I'd get high BP when lowering the dose, and perhaps the BP will come down given my previous many years of normal BP.  Of course, I continue to age and high BP may just be the next stage in my aging.
Helpful - 0
995271 tn?1463924259
That would sound like symptom rebound, and a quick google for "beta blocker rebound" returned many results.

If one needs to come off a BB there should be a gradual process of small reductions in dosage with your doctor's guidance, as the rebound can be dangerous.
Helpful - 0
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