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High blood pressure on Carvedilol with adhd
I had not been to a doctor in 25 years. I finally went so I could get an inhaler. I'm a drywaller with seasonal allergies. My ADHD puts me in an anxious state when I can't mask. I had also been living in my car. I had a 40 year history of smoking cigarettes. Otherwise very healthy working 8-10 hours daily in commercial construction. The day I had my first appointment, I was nervous so I smoked a cigarette before going in. Right away they asked me questions about housing insecurity and I started crying. They took my blood pressure and it was elevated. They started me on carvedilol that day 2x12.5 mg daily. I quit smoking that very day. If I had not had a cigarette or been crying, my blood pressure may have been normal. I had to stop working while I adjusted to the new medicine because it was affecting me sometimes. Three weeks later I had a panic attack that landed me in the ER. Now my chart says I have a panic disorder. They gave me 5 Xanax. I haven't taken any of them.
Almost a year after starting the medication, my neck muscles feel tight and my breathing feels difficult. They never gave me an inhaler because carvedilol restricts the airway and said I couldn't use one. My ADHD is starving for adrenaline or dopamine but that's being restricted as well.
The medicine has to be tapered so I have called my PCP several times to get help and they scheduled an appointment 2 months out. If my blood pressure was their concern, they are ignoring it now.
I am in a constant state of anxiety now, fight or flight. I can't go for a run or exercise because of the fatigue. My allergies have flared up but can't get enough air to cough productively. I'm irritable. I have orthostatic hypotension in the mornings.
I used a Tele-health psychologist to help me with the anxiety. I have talked to many nurses.
Am I allowed to taper off of this medicine on my own? How do I do it? The nurses keep telling me to wait and see the doctor but my symptoms are getting worse. If I need BP medicine, there are others I could take. I don't understand how one BP reading got me on such a high dose. I only weigh 103 lbs. I think I'm on too high of a dose and I want to stop it completely.
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Hi @grimm1964, it sounds like you’ve been through a tremendous amount over the past year. You quit smoking after 40 years, dealt with housing insecurity, seasonal allergies, anxiety, and now you’re wondering whether the carvedilol is causing more problems than it’s helping. That is a lot to carry.
I can understand why you’re questioning whether carvedilol is the right medication for you, especially since you’re experiencing fatigue, morning lightheadedness, breathing difficulty, and feel like your symptoms have gotten worse instead of better.
One thing I would encourage is not stopping or tapering carvedilol on your own, even if you suspect it’s contributing to your symptoms. Beta blockers usually need to be reduced under medical supervision because stopping them suddenly can sometimes cause serious problems, including a rebound increase in heart rate or blood pressure.
Since you’re having trouble breathing and feel you can’t wait another two months, I’d keep contacting your clinic and let them know your symptoms are worsening and that you’re asking for an earlier medication review. If your PCP isn’t available, is there another clinician in the practice, an urgent care, or the clinician who originally prescribed the medication who could evaluate you sooner?
I’m also wondering: since that first visit, have you been checking your blood pressure at home? If so, what kinds of readings have you been getting? Has anyone ever talked with you about why carvedilol was chosen instead of another blood pressure medication?