Can I just stop taking a beta blocker ?

[Guest guest]

For at least the last 8 years I have been taking a beta-blocker, atenolol,

for treatment of palpitations without even realising that almost all of the

symptoms " (side effects) I had been suffering from for that time were

actually caused by the beta-blocker! This morning, sort of as a trial run

by me to confirm my belief that the beta-blocker has been the cause all

along, I deliberately did NOT take my usual morning 1/2 tablet and today I

have felt terrific! Almost no dizziness, shortness of breath almost gone,

and no palpitations ( not that I ever had many anyway)

 

I would like to just stop taking them altogether now that I have " woken up "

but naturally the Nurse at our local clinic was adamant that I should NOT

stop taking the medication. Can I safely stop taking the Noten without any

dramas or should I at least continue them until I see my Dr. On Tuesday? I

was thinking of maybe taking one every 2nd day until the appt. So that at

least I could confirm to my Dr that it is indeed the beta-blocker that is

the problem.

 

Are there any safer alternatives that don't cause dizziness or shortness of

breath? The Nurse I spoke to indicated that ALL beta-blockers cause the

same symptoms which is no good to me because I drive a bus for a living so

I shouldn't be risking it with this dizziness all the time.

 

Any help would be greatly appreciated.

 

Cheers

Lyndall

 

 

 

[Guest guest]

In a message dated 10/31/2009 8:26:24 A.M. Eastern Daylight Time,

writes:

 

_Can I just stop taking a beta blocker ? _

(/message/38362;_ylc=X3oDMTJxdGN\

pMzBtBF9TAzk3MzU5NzE1BGdycElk

AzM0Mzc0MwRncnBzcElkAzE3MDUwNjA4MTQEbXNnSWQDMzgzNjIEc2VjA2Rtc2cEc2xrA3Ztc2cE

c3RpbWUDMTI1Njk5MTk1OQ--)

NO, NO, NO!

 

I was on a beta blockers years ago but was told to WEAN off of the

medicine. It took me 6 months. I never told my doctor. I was later put on high

blood pressure medicine and the doctor commented on how much better my bp was

because of the medicine. I told him I stopped taking it three days after I

started. I experienced all of the side effects.

 

Talk to your Doctor about weaning off.

 

 

 

 

[Guest guest]

Hi Lyndall,

I was prescribed beta-blockers for a racing heart beat, I could not tolerate

them so was changed to a calcium channel blocker, this also had nasty side

affects.

Both medications made me dizzy, generally unwell, I was unable to sleep and

started to loose my appetite.

I have gone off all medication and still have arrhythmias but have decided

to investigate a less harmful solution. Magnesium, hawthorn and coq10 are

three options I am reading up on at the moment, I already take fish oil.

The risks attached to irregular heart beats are stroke due to blood clots

and wear and tear to the heart if it has to work harder, neither risk is

great as far as I have read. Taking aspirin daily minimises this risk.

I think you should get advice from your doctor, read as much information as

you can and then make the best decision for your own well being. At the

moment I feel a bit in limbo and I am hoping it will sort itself out which I

am not sure is the best idea but I needed to rid myself of all the drugs

that had been pumped into my body over a period of four months. Leone

[Guest guest]

My late husband was on Beta blockers and the doctors at the VA did not

follow up

on what they were doing to him. Six months later, his heart rate was

27 and he could

hardly walk or breathe. I took him back to the hospital and they

admitted him and

took him off all the medication. His heart rate shot up to 82 and he

had a heart attack.

I asked the doctor if that was because he had stopped taking the

medicine so abruptly

and the doctor said Yes, but he had to stop them.

Margi

 

darocksmom wrote:

>

>

>

>

> In a message dated 10/31/2009 8:26:24 A.M. Eastern Daylight Time,

>

> <%40> writes:

>

> _Can I just stop taking a beta blocker ? _

>

(/message/38362;_ylc=X3oDMTJxdGN\

pMzBtBF9TAzk3MzU5NzE1BGdycElk

>

</message/38362;_ylc=X3oDMTJxdGN\

pMzBtBF9TAzk3MzU5NzE1BGdycElk>

> AzM0Mzc0MwRncnBzcElkAzE3MDUwNjA4MTQEbXNnSWQDMzgzNjIEc2VjA2Rtc2cEc2xrA3Ztc2cE

> c3RpbWUDMTI1Njk5MTk1OQ--)

> NO, NO, NO!

>

> I was on a beta blockers years ago but was told to WEAN off of the

> medicine. It took me 6 months. I never told my doctor. I was later put

> on high

> blood pressure medicine and the doctor commented on how much better my

> bp was

> because of the medicine. I told him I stopped taking it three days

> after I

> started. I experienced all of the side effects.

>

> Talk to your Doctor about weaning off.

>

>

>

[Guest guest]

They wanted to give Bill an AICD - pacemaker which jumpstarts your heart

if you have arrhythmias, but Bill refused and they put him on Amiodarone

to control it. Bad side affects, and more medication for those.

Margi

 

Leone Booth wrote:

>

>

> Hi Lyndall,

> I was prescribed beta-blockers for a racing heart beat, I could not

> tolerate

> them so was changed to a calcium channel blocker, this also had nasty side

> affects.

> Both medications made me dizzy, generally unwell, I was unable to

> sleep and

> started to loose my appetite.

> I have gone off all medication and still have arrhythmias but have decided

> to investigate a less harmful solution. Magnesium, hawthorn and coq10 are

> three options I am reading up on at the moment, I already take fish oil.

> The risks attached to irregular heart beats are stroke due to blood clots

> and wear and tear to the heart if it has to work harder, neither risk is

> great as far as I have read. Taking aspirin daily minimises this risk.

> I think you should get advice from your doctor, read as much

> information as

> you can and then make the best decision for your own well being. At the

> moment I feel a bit in limbo and I am hoping it will sort itself out

> which I

> am not sure is the best idea but I needed to rid myself of all the drugs

> that had been pumped into my body over a period of four months. Leone

>

>

[Guest guest]

I have been to my Dr and he has given me his blessings to wean myself off

the meds and to continue doing what I have been doing, taking 1/2 tab every

2nd day for another week then 1/2 tab every 3rd day for a week by which time

I can stop them altogether. I am so pleased! But I will still have a

script for the medication should the problem re-occur.

 

Cheers

Lyndall

 

----

 

darocksmom

3/11/2009 9:20:17 AM

 

Re: Can I just stop taking a beta blocker ?

 

 

 

I was on a beta blockers years ago but was told to WEAN off of the

medicine. It took me 6 months. I never told my doctor. I was later put on

high

blood pressure medicine and the doctor commented on how much better my bp

was

because of the medicine. I told him I stopped taking it three days after I

started. I experienced all of the side effects.

 

Talk to your Doctor about weaning off.

 

 

 

 

 

[Guest guest]

That was the exact same problems I have been experiencing, shortness of

breath, dizziness...etc and I really do not think that medication was

absolutely essential in the first place so I am delighted that my Dr has

given his blessings for me to wean myself off the meds! ( he was not the Dr

who first prescribed it)

 

I have already used alternative natural methods such as fish oil, hawthorn,

coQ10, and magnesium at some time but I have run out of them at present but

will replenish my supplies shortly. I was also taking aspirin for a long

time but stopped that as well so may consider taking that again.

 

Cheers

Lyndall

 

 

----

 

Leone Booth

3/11/2009 9:20:25 AM

 

RE: Can I just stop taking a beta blocker ?

 

Hi Lyndall,

I was prescribed beta-blockers for a racing heart beat, I could not tolerate

them so was changed to a calcium channel blocker, this also had nasty side

affects.

Both medications made me dizzy, generally unwell, I was unable to sleep and

started to loose my appetite.

Leone

 

 

 

 

 

[Guest guest]

Hi Margi

 

That is similar to what I have been experiencing. The beta blocker was

slowing my heart rate down too much and I was finding it very hard to

breathe normally. My Dr has told me how to wean off the meds which is what I

am now doing and I already feel much better. I am so glad to be able to get

off these horrible meds!

 

Cheers

Lyndall

 

 

 

 

----

 

Margi

4/11/2009 3:44:35 AM

 

Re: Re: Can I just stop taking a beta blocker

?

 

My late husband was on Beta blockers and the doctors at the VA did not

follow up

on what they were doing to him. Six months later, his heart rate was

27 and he could

hardly walk or breathe.

 

Margi

 

 

 

[Guest guest]

Lyndall,

I am glad that you could get weaned off that medication, and that you

feel better.

Margi

 

Lyndall Abbott-Young wrote:

>

>

> Hi Margi

>

> That is similar to what I have been experiencing. The beta blocker was

> slowing my heart rate down too much and I was finding it very hard to

> breathe normally. My Dr has told me how to wean off the meds which is

> what I

> am now doing and I already feel much better. I am so glad to be able

> to get

> off these horrible meds!

>

> Cheers

> Lyndall

>

> ----

>

> Margi

> 4/11/2009 3:44:35 AM

>

> <%40>

> Re: Re: Can I just stop taking a beta

> blocker

> ?

>

> My late husband was on Beta blockers and the doctors at the VA did not

> follow up

> on what they were doing to him. Six months later, his heart rate was

> 27 and he could

> hardly walk or breathe.

>

> Margi

>

>

>