Connect
Atenolol pills seem to vary on actual dosage
Has anyone had the experience of taking beta blockers, with some success, but then finding that sometimes it's like maybe you get a bad pill that has 2x or 10x the dosage it should?
I was prescribed atenolol OMG about 25 years ago for a combination of blood pressure and some minor and generally unspecified heart arrhythmias. They seemed to help. Took them for many years, no real problem. And a tiny dose! I was prescribed a low dose, 25mg twice a day - but when I took the very first 25mg tablet it felt like I'd been hit by a brick, my heart rhythm no longer responded to exercise - so I got permission to cut it back to half (an already tiny) 25mg tablet, per day! And that worked well for me. After some years I raised it to half a tablet twice a day.
But a couple of years ago I had an experience that it seemed to slow my pulse rate TOO much. I started breaking the tablets into even smaller pieces and that seemed to help. Going without, did not seem effective, so it did not seem it was my own metabolic baseline that hand changed. I thought about talking to pharmacist or doctor - but did neither.
Anyway, that passed, and didn't have the issue again - until today. And maybe more strongly than ever. Pulse rate a little low but super-resistant to change by exertion. Could this be dangerous? Well, if the pill variation was maybe 2x the proper dosage it should be mostly harmless, but if it's much greater than that I don't know.
So I'm just asking if anyone might have had any similar experiences or any suggestions under the circumstances. Thanks.
Like
Helpful
HugInterested in more discussions like this? Go to the Heart Rhythm Conditions Support Group.
Connect
"Blithered" -- wow... haven't heard that one in a while! But thank you for bringing it back up to mind, Carb.
I'm sure all of us here can agree that, as seniors, we've all experienced ample occasions to use the term. Yeah... there's tons of BS thrown our way these days. When that happens from now on, I say let's return it with GUSTO... I know, as a group, that we're well capable of doing this! ;>)
/LarryG
-
Like -
Helpful -
Hug
1 Reaction@carbcounter my pharmacy changed recently and my atenolol is now from rising pharmaceuticals. I swear they have almost no effect. Are you saying yours were also very weak?
Rising Pharm!
No, my story was from another source, it was twenty years ago and I don't recall the name, but I too have been getting Rising Pharm recently and seen SEVERE problems with their quality control. You may find some are too weak - and you may find some are TOO STRONG. At least I have. On one bottle last year I took to cutting the pills in quarters and I can't guess at how much of an overdose I was getting at times, my guess is 10x.
I've been through at least two more 90-day bottles since then with no further problems, fwiw.
@carbcounter
Oh wait, this was on my own old atenolol thread so it all makes sense.
I got this confused with another threat I had just mentioned atenolol on.
@carbcounter thanks, I am going to contact another nearby pharmacy and ask who their manufacturer/ supplier for atenolol is and if different, will transfer my prescription to them. I alerted my doctors office about this lack of efficacy in the current pills as well.
-
Like -
Helpful -
Hug
1 Reaction@pieterw I raised the issue at my pharmacy, I don't think I ever got it mentioned to my doctor's office. I also sent a message to Rising, or as close as I could find to them, never heard anything back.
I have taken Atenolol 25 mg once a day for years.
I was told its dangerous to stop. Can have heart attack. My BP is under 100 now and way too low. Salt dosent help. I have cut Atenolol in half and my preassure is still too low. Dr hasnt been much help. I am watching my preassure couple of times a day. I also have Afib. Atenolol is supposed to help that too. It dosent for me. I have become my own Dr. Hard to get answers or good help. My Cadiologist said to live with Afib. I tried Cardioversion and worked a few months only.
-
Like -
Helpful -
Hug
1 Reaction@9yellowbox
Do you drink coffee or tea or anything with caffeine?
Do you get much exercise?
What kind of numbers do you get for your systolic?
25mg once a day is pretty low, if the pills are accurate, but if your pressure is already that low I don't think you went more. I presume you're taking additional prescription drugs, but you need another doctor to take a look at things. I know you know that, but don't know what else to say. I know how hard it can be to find a doctor who actually helps.
Here's my atenolol story - I took it for years (25/day) as an accompaniment to flecainide, for paroxysmal A fib. I started by taking it at night, so it wouldn't affect my exercising. Then after some AF/flutter-like episodes I starting taking it in the morning instead, so that my activities would not raise the HR too high. Last fall, they took me off flecainide (more danger of side effects as you age) and had me taking just atenolol, twice/day (50 total.) That worked for a few months. Then more AF, a cardioversion, and diltiazem but not atenolol. After another AF episode, I was off the diltiazem and on amiodarone (ugh) while waiting for an ablation. Now I'm off all of it, but the heart has not settled from the ablation. Yesterday I took one of my old atenolols when the HR got stuck too high, and it got everything back to "normal". (Didn't ask the cardiologist!) Feels good to have the option as a "pill in the pocket." I'll check with the doctor on Monday....
-
Like -
Helpful -
Hug
1 ReactionNot atenolol but I kept getting good and bad reactions to the generics on synthroid. Asked my pharmacist and he said the law says generics can fluctuate 10% up or down, meaning sometimes you get less than prescribed sometimes more. If the mfgr. changes the swing can be 20% in one crack. I had dr. write prescription as 'AS Prescribed' no generics. I now get it direct from Abbie as buying it from my pharmacy is too expensive and they have a direct cost of 75.00 per 3 months instead of 150.00.
-
Like -
Helpful -
Hug
1 Reaction