Beta blockers........your experience?

[tmm99]

The issue of the proper balance of potassium to magnesium is somewhat complicated so be sure to do your research. Important note: an excess of magnesium (or not building up tolerance slowly) will promote diarrhea -- think "Milk of Magnesia.".

From my experience and from my reading, it depends on what kind of magnesium you take - Maginesium oxide will cause diarrhea with a very small dosage (considered the least bioavailable form of magnesium) while, say, maginesium taurate seems to have no laxative effect that I could detect.

 

[UnrealizedPotential]

I took Metoprolol and developed hallucinations while sleeping -- night terrors -- a rare but known side effect of that drug. While Metoprolol did wonders for my heart rate, it made my sleep pure, unadulterated hell. Snakes, rats, raccoons, mysterious people wandering about the bedroom. Not a fun trip.

Now on Atenolol. After switching, the thrice-a-week night terrors ended. YMMV, but be careful.

Wow! I hoped you stopped taking it immediately and saw the doctor the next day. That is bad news. I couldn't imagine that. I am glad you did something about it though.

 

[tmm99]

I took Metoprolol and developed hallucinations while sleeping -- night terrors -- a rare but known side effect of that drug. While Metoprolol did wonders for my heart rate, it made my sleep pure, unadulterated hell. Snakes, rats, raccoons, mysterious people wandering about the bedroom. Not a fun trip.

Now on Atenolol. After switching, the thrice-a-week night terrors ended. YMMV, but be careful.

WOW, that sounds absolutely crazy and scary!
I am on Atenolol, and I've never experienced anything crazy like that. Already having two people here reporting metoprolol with strange side effects, my vote is on Atenolol. I am glad my doc chose Atenolol for me.

 

[Paracelsus]

I took beta blockers as eye drops for my glaucoma (to try to reduce the eyeball's pressure). I must be very sensitive to these drugs as they weren't supposed to get absorbed systemically too much from the eye, but my HR went down to about 35 and any exercise I did felt like I was dragging a huge weight. My doctor took me off this drug and warned me not to ever take it again as I'm very sensitive to its effects - big warnings exist in my medical record now.

 

[Winemaker]

I take 3.125 mg dose twice a day. My only complaint is that I seem to sweat more, even when I go swimming!

I also take a daily 20 mg dose of Lisinopril, one of them is "sponsible".

 

[aja8888]

I take a 20 mg of Metoprolol daily and it works well. No side effects. Due to my significant weight loss in 2016, I plan to see if I need this anymore at next Dr. visit (annual check up).

 

[H2ODude]

I posted a few weeks ago w my experience w metopropol (25 mg 2x a day). BP was getting high so PCP prescribed it (and now has retired so I have to search out a new doc). It depressed my HR dramatically during exercise but it doesn't seem to be doing much for the BP. Been on it for a few weeks now and I do think it's slowing me down, as in less energy. I'm afraid if they up the dose of this stuff it will really slow me down. I'm 65 and never had any chronic issues and am not happy about entering this phase. Just got done cutting brush for two hours and I feel abnormally whipped. Yesterday was in particularly foul mood during miserable drive down I-95 from DC; used the drug interaction as my excuse to DW

 

[H2ODude]

Well that's interesting. I just called my PCP for referral to new doc since he's retiring. As it turns out, I got him....at 4:30 Friday for his very last appointment as he walks out the door! I will miss him, at least get to wish him well as he sails into the sunset.

 

[Car-Guy]

Similar to OP, I had an irregular heart beat for as long as I can remember. It got bad enough 10 years ago that I started taking 50mg of Toprol and the problem went away completely within a few days. (the generic doesn't work for me.) No known side effects after 10 years.

Recently I've noticed that the irregular heart beat is creeping back occasionally. If I bump my dosage to two 50mg a day, it goes away within a day. The Dr and I talked about increasing the dosage a couple of years ago but I wanted to keep it where it was since I don't usually like fixing things that aren't broken. Now I think I'm going to ask for the increase to 100mg.

 

[imoldernu]

This explanation may help understand what is happening. NIH article.

I have AFIB, but this was diagnosed after the EKG, that led to the echocardiogram that confirmed the AFIB.

https://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/health-topics/topics/arr/types

 

[kcowan]

I take 12.5 mg Metaprolol twice a day for SVT and VT plus to lower BP. Only side effect is extra sweat. Entering my second year. The sweat is easy to manage with wicking tops and extra showers. Also Hi Test deodorant.

 

[Keim]

V-fib knocked me down and out a few years ago. Got a small handful of drugs prescribed and took them faithfully, then developed A-fib. Cardio version and cardio ablation, handful of drugs, now have A-fib back and another reboot cardio version scheduled for the 10th. Have been taking Metoprolol faithfully and my heart rate and blood pressure are low enough that my energy level is barely able to get above an idle without exhaustion and breathlessness. Eh - good not to need to dig ditches for a living.

This sounds like me about ten years ago, in my thirties. Long story short: neither calcium or beta blockers worked well for me. Some gave me anxiety, others made me VERY tired. Now have a pacemaker and take a low dose of atenolol. Doing well.

 

[braumeister]

On the topic of magnesium mentioned often in this thread, I saw an interesting Reuters piece today:

Dietary magnesium tied to lower risk of heart disease and diabetes
A diet rich in magnesium – found in foods like leafy greens, fish, nuts and whole grains – may help lower the risk of chronic health problems like heart disease and diabetes, a research review suggests.

Fang and colleagues analyzed data on dietary magnesium and chronic disease from 40 studies published from 1999 to 2016 on more than one million people across nine countries.

Compared with people who had the lowest levels of magnesium in their diets, people who got the most magnesium were 10 percent less likely to develop heart disease, 12 percent less likely to have a stroke and 26 percent less likely to develop diabetes.

https://www.yahoo.com/news/dietary-magnesium-tied-lower-risk-heart-disease-diabetes-145115175.html?ref=gs

 

[Montecfo]

the cardiologist took me off beta-blockers last year when I was 63, after 14 years since my heart attack. apparently I'm one of the few that ever gets off those things, because statistically people on beta blockers have less recurrence of heart attacks, or something like that. My primary care physician was surprised they took me off the beta-blockers.

I am off of them too.

On the PVCs i have had them. Controlled by reducing caffein and getting more sleep.

I took metroprolol for years after heart attack. Low dose should not be any major issue. Never was for me.

I would try it.

 

[growing_older]

I was on Metoprolol for years and it did a very good job of controlling blood pressure. Unfortunately, it also reduces my ability to mentally concentrate or focus on the task at hand. I slowly became less capable of analytic thought and lost my mental edge. When we tried a different medication, it was like I emerged from a fog.

During a health crisis, another doctor put me back on Metoprolol again, with similar results. It had near immediate beneficial effect on blood pressure, and slow annoying side effect on mental acuity. I am back off it again, but have no reservation about using it if needed, knowing the side effects it has on me just need to be part of the decision.

 

[bmcgonig]

For those with heart palpitations who wonder if you're experiencing PACs or PVCs or Afib etc., I find this EKG monitor to be invaluable. I got diagnosed with AFib and wanted to see exactly what it looked like and how often I'm getting fibs. This showed me that most if not all I'm presently experiencing are PACs.

https://www.alivecor.com/en/

You can figure it out yourself or you can send the EKG to a technician or a cardiologist who will read it for $9 or $19.

Costs around $100. Approved by FDA. Talks to your iPhone or Android phone.

 

[RonBoyd]

I find this EKG monitor to be invaluable. I got diagnosed with AFib and wanted to see exactly what it looked like and how often I'm getting fibs. This showed me that most if not all I'm presently experiencing are PACs.

https://www.alivecor.com/en/

I, too, recommend this device.

(FWIW, It works with the Android version of Blackberry phones.)

 

[RAchip]

I consider Metoprolol to be a miracle drug. It eliminated my tachycardia and controls BP as well with zero side effects.

 

[Teacher Terry]

About every 3-4 years my beta blocker quits working and they have to switch. I have been on them for 13 years and the only time I had bad side effects was from Topral that left me winded.

 

[W2R]

I consider Metoprolol to be a miracle drug. It eliminated my tachycardia and controls BP as well with zero side effects.

Same here. It has fixed my high BP problem, and zero side effects for me.

 

[target2019]

Toprol is a brand name for Metoprolol Succinct.