Beta Blocker for Life?

Posted by lcjohnson @lcjohnson, Feb 24 9:23am

I had a heart attack in 2020. I am on a Olmestartan, Rosuvastatin, aspirin & Propanolol. My doctor says I must stay on the beta blocker for the rest of my life. I have 2 stents and have been pretty healthy ever since the event. However, something is causing me to feel bad. Headaches, general malaise, fatigue etc. for the last year. Not sure what it is but wondering if it could be the beta blocker? Any thoughts on this?

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gloaming | @gloaming | Feb 24 10:27am

It could be the beta blocker if it has a tendency to place your heart into the range of 'bradycardia', low heart rate, and the medical establishment feels that the upper limit to bradycardia is 59 BPM. That seems high, to me and to real physicians who practice cardiology (some of them), but really it's your body that gets to call the shots on this. Perhaps monitor your heart rate several times each day for the next week and see if it manages to sustain a rate near/above 60 BPM. If it is consistently lower, especially below 50 BPM, it may indicate a review by your cardiologist. And that question would have to be placed before that person.

lcjohnson | @lcjohnson | Feb 24 10:41am

In reply to @gloaming "It could be the beta blocker if it has a tendency to place your heart into..." + (show)

@gloaming Thank you. My heart rate is usually around 60. I have been monitoring it daily for a week now just to be sure it's consistent.

gloaming | @gloaming | Feb 24 11:34am

In reply to @lcjohnson "@gloaming Thank you. My heart rate is usually around 60. I have been monitoring it daily..." + (show)

@lcjohnson Okay, thanks for that. So, empirically (only), your HR seems fine. However, it doesn't let metoprolol, or any other supplement, medicine, or pathology resident in you, off the hook. Maybe your heart would rather be at 73 BPM...maybe...adult females (if this pertains) have higher HR than their male friends and partners. The range for 'normal', again empirically, is 60-99 BPM...if you can believe it. So, there are scads of bodies, male or female, who are happiest with an HR upwards of 70, even 80. If this is true for you, then your rate of 60 is decidedly low. It may just have to be that way, though, for the sake of protecting your heart from beating too strenuously, which apparently is why you have been taking metoprolol on advice.

lcjohnson | @lcjohnson | Feb 24 11:40am

In reply to @gloaming "@lcjohnson Okay, thanks for that. So, empirically (only), your HR seems fine. However, it doesn't let..." + (show)

@gloaming *Propanalol but yes. I guess I was wondering if this is a lifelong situation which it does seem like it is unfortunately. I was on Carvedilol for 5 years and he switched me to Propanolol because of my headaches. My headaches have decreased but I am still having them. The Propanolol has lowered my heart rate but helped the headaches.

gloaming | @gloaming | Feb 24 7:16pm

In reply to @lcjohnson "@gloaming *Propanalol but yes. I guess I was wondering if this is a lifelong situation which..." + (show)

@lcjohnson Very glad to read that you have some improvement! Right, to propanolol. Was diltiazem ever entertained or mentioned?

lcjohnson | @lcjohnson | Feb 24 8:23pm

In reply to @gloaming "@lcjohnson Very glad to read that you have some improvement! Right, to propanolol. Was diltiazem ever..." + (show)

@gloaming No, no one has mentioned that one.

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