Medications that affect heart rate

Posted by oldnavygunner @oldnavygunner, Jul 24 3:35pm

Are there certain medications that would cause a slower heart rate? I take a lot of meds for HBP, Cholesterol etc. before I got my pacemaker I was in ICU and wearing heart monitor. They recorded rates as low as 37 bpm. Just wondering if meds could be partially causes some of this?

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Yes, the beta blockers and calcium channel blockers will lower your heart rate when it is beating properly, and it can get dangerously low when at rest or when asleep. Usually the dose you are prescribed is designed to keep your heart rate near or under 100 BPM when you are fibrillating, but when you are not fibrillating, and maybe getting a bit too much of the drug, your can experience 'bradycardia'. You should let your prescribing authority know immediately when you get such effects, even if you are not on blockers.
https://www.livestrong.com/article/226123-drugs-that-decrease-heart-rate/

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@oldnavygunner
The answer to your question is, YES.
I take both Entresto, Coreg, They can and did cause my HR to go much lower. This information is avaiable on medications side affects. Your EP and Heart Failure doctors should also advised me of the side affects of medications when they prescribe them.

I too have a AICD/Pacemaker. What happened with me is when I changed to Mayo Clinic for treatments they put me on double the dose of medications for my heart. With these medications my pulse rate went down into the 40s. Each person can be affected differently (not as much or more). My EP and Pace Clinic raised my pacemaker to 70 bpm. That is where my pulse is now kept. When I had the low PR it caused additional PVCs and irregular heart rate.

My suggestion is to always asked your cardiologist the side affects of any medication they prescribed if they don't give them to you. And inform them of any new issues or concerns when you start taking any medications.

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People that eat very little if any animal products do not have high blood pressure. In my opinion, not good you are taking so many meds for BP. Improve your diet and you will not need. I do not believe in the push for drugs for high cholesterol. After a lot of reading, I ran into articles that claim it is nothing more than a push to take meds for a lifetime. AND that those with high cholesterol live longer than those with low. You need to investigate and decide for yourself what is true. I am almost 76 and healthier than most everyone I know. I take no meds.

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