@zeke2u
Great thread.
I've been on atenolol (another beta blocker) for some years now, but when first prescribed, for a combination of arrhythmias and high blood pressure, the first time I took a 25mg pill it was way too much for me. The prescription was 25mg twice a day, and I wasn't going to take that second one. Called the doctor and went down to 12.5 mg (half the already small pill!) per day, and later 12.5mg twice a day.

Also I had already been taking amlodipine (calcium channel blocker) and olmesartan (ARB). The amlodipine was kind of zombifying me, whether it was mental or physical I don't know, but it still wasn't sufficiently doing its primary job either, keeping blood pressure down. I cut it off without even discussing it with the doctor. It takes a couple of weeks to clear from the body. I felt better immediately, and no discernible effect on my blood pressure.

I think a lot of drugs may be better in smaller doses. Many factors, not just your condition but your genetics and even your diet and activity levels, factor into what works and what doesn't.

I also started taking magnesium supplements somewhere along the line and have been taking magnesium glycinate for a couple of years now. Solaray brand. It also contains a little peperine, btw, they say to help absorption, which is a bit questionable for use with glycinate, since glycinate is already well absorbed, but turns out to be good for blood *glucose* control. The capsules are big, a full 375mg dose requires four capsules, but I've settled on one in the morning and one in the evening. (also, of all the prescription and supplement pills I take, this is the only one that sometimes sticks in my throat, no idea why, but it discourages me from taking more of them).