Woozy feeling

I've progressed up to 480mg of Verapamil over time and I've never felt a lack of energy exactly, but I have felt light-headed often when first moving to a higher dosage. I have a fitbit with a heart rate monitor and I could tie this to a low heart rate -- in the 50's and sometimes even in the upper 40's. As Dr. Geske told me (and I had already figured it out) the impairment of HCM on the heart's functioning varies depending on eating, alcohol, heat, exertion, stress, caffeine, etc. and I found that when I lost 15 pounds I needed to go back to my lower dosage because I was light headed all the time. You might try checking your heart rate and blood pressure to see if the feeling ties with abnormally low heart rate/blood pressure. I've added Norpace to my regimen and am going through this myself...we backed of the Verapamil because I was feeling a little overdone.

Thank you,I’ve decided to see dr. Naidu, Westchester Medical Center, N Y. I want to see if he Agrees with my other HCM dr. Heart Cath. Exploration to see if i’m anatomically OK for alcohol ablation. I’m exhausted in the mornings when I get up. Like I’ve never gone to bed. Had a sleep study won’t know till end of month the outcome. HCM dr. Office had a lot of glitches I didn’t feel comfortable. Two months to reply if I should stop xeralto, didn’t know MRI phone #, gave three month supply of Verapamil240mg.I don’t know if I could handle it so it was a waste if I could not but, so far so good. There are other things also been there twice and all these glitches. So that’s why I decided to try Dr. Naidu. He has a good reputation and lots of procedures compared to New dr. So this is our think

Hi @fitchizumi,

I'm tagging @julz007 @terryviazanko @cherfenn and Mentor @kdubois as they have shared similar concerns about verapamil; perhaps Mentor @predictable has some information about this particular calcium channel blocker, too.

@fitchizumi, glad you came aboard. Verapamil and other calcium channel blockers have a number of purposes, sometimes unrelated with each other. In my case, I took Diltiazem as treatment for hypertension several years ago, but got off of it because of swollen feet and ankles and "orthostatic hypotension" (dizziness when standing up from sitting or lying down and occasionally climbing stairs).

Would you feel comfortable telling us more about your symptoms and the diagnosis for which your physician prescribed Verapamil? Also, did your physician say why your daily Verapamil dose is so large?

HCM doctor said my blood pressure was too high for my condition. He’s trying to get it lower .some days good some bad, it averages high 140s to high 50s. I try to take my pressure morning and night to see how it’s doing Recording it.Mid 90s I want to see a doctor, I was sick, my blood pressure was over 200 I can’t remember the other number she wouldn’t let me out of the room I was put on Delacor . It’s seem to be OK, Took for Nine years,but my pressure still wasn’t coming down much it still was in the high 40s the high 50 range. Other rx over the years. My local cardiologist put me on 120 mg veramilJanuary 17. HCM doctor thought it could be lower. As usual I’m all over the place. It might help with exhaustion. having a few lower readings. Right now I’m very sick with a bacterial infection in my head on anabiotic’s! I have no swelling of ankles or anything it’s just exhaustion. Little spells I seem to be having, the zoning out, I think about a month and a half, November and December, seem to be gone. My husband agrees .I was not on any drugs healthy except for exhaustion. Of course I’m an insomniac my whole life so I still have to wait for the sleep study don’t think I’ll get there on the 31st I’m too sick . No dizziness, etc. sorry for rambling all over but I have to do it in stages.

@fitchizumi, given your early contact with high blood pressure, you mentioned your initial medication as "Delacor." Could that have been "Dilacor XR," which is a calcium-channel blocker whose active ingredient is Diltiazem (same as my drug in the past)? Blood pressure in the 140s/90s is no longer regarded as extreme among senior citizens (over 65), although it is high enough to be watched every day in case it jumps and holds above 150 systolic (which would warrant a quick call to your doctor).

Your treatment for hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) is interesting as an underlying contributor to your hypertension. I have a little HCM myself, and my medical team believes it contributes something to my average 130s/90 BP (with multiple meds). One reason I moved off Diltiazem is that HCM hypertension might be treated better with Beta-blockers (mine is Carvedilol) rather than calcium-channel blockers. You might discuss this with your doctors next time to see them. Right now, I'm not surprised that your primary focus is on your bacterial infection, but any doctor you speak with should be willing to discuss your HCM symptoms and related meds with you.
Martin

Yes, DilacorXR . Beta blockers cause me problems I have many allergies to drugs .HCM dr. Look at my list didn’t say a thing except to try 240mg to see if I could it. If not go back to the 120 mg one time daily.

No sleep apnea Thank goodness.still on 240mg verapamil. BP still all over the place. I think, I need a higher dose of verapamil.walking more, The woozy feeling is gone. I see the local HCM Dr. April 3 to check how I’m doing on the higher dose .Bronchitis is over. Still very tired when I do anything.

Verapamil made me extremely tired. We can't 100 percent confirm why, but we do know that I don't properly-metbabolize it due to genetic polymorphisms that I have.

Glad you feel less woozy. I’ve been in Verapimil at least 20 years. Started on 120 mg and bumped to 240 mg in my early 50s. I’ve tolerated it well but recall feeling woozy and disoriented for a few weeks when I made the shift. I run a low BP and doctor monitored me closely until body caught up. Hope you get some answers.