Increased HR and beta blocker reduction

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acr

acr

Well-known member
Joined
Feb 25, 2009
Messages
141
Location
Up North, England, UK
Hi All,

I'm reducing my beta blocker (Atenolol) to zero hopefully, after being on 75mg/day for almost 3 months. As it stands I've been on 50mg for 5 days with no ill effects, and will be dropping to 25mg in another 2 days, and then on that dose for a week etc...

Just wondering if there is a rough guideline to work out what the expected HR increase is for each 25mg drop. Resting HR now is 55-ish. Last week on 75 it was high 40's, though I did have a 38 at cardiac rehab, that scared the nurses, though I felt fine! Is a 5-10 increase per 25 reasonable ?

Ade
 
BB and HR

BB and HR

From reading people's postings and freom my own experience, everyone responds differently to increasing, decreasing and ceasing BB usage with respect to their heart rates. I was only on 25 mg of Metoprolol but my resting HR went up from the mid 50s to the low 70s went I weaned off of it several months ago. It has been continued to come down ever so gradually to the mid 60s. But it's more comlicated than a basic formula, because we have diffrent problems, both cardac and otherwise, that might impact the efficacy of a beta blocker and the resting and exercise HR. My cardiologist was not able to give me any projection about where my HR would end up and she told me the fact that it was in the upper 40s before surgery had little to no bearing on where it would end up after. Take it in small steps, be patient and watch closely.
 
Dear me, I forgot about this thread.

Marilyn - I was on BB to prevent A-Fib, though seems to me it was to prevent my heart rate going super fast, which it was post-op.

Bina - I'm doing good, have dropped to 50mg for a week and that was fine. Am on 25mg and have been for about 5 days, thats ok too. I'll probably stick with this until the end of next week and then drop 'em altogether.
 
i can see why the nurses were worried about a heart rate of 38 at cardiac rehab. mine was in the 30's when i was in the step down unit the first time and i ended up needing a pacemaker because of it. i was told that if i didn't get a pacemaker at that heart rate that my organs would have started shutting down. so i am glad for you that your resting heart rate has gone up.
 
Makes two of us. It's still 55-ish resting. What spooks me a little is that it really jumps when you start doing anything. Even riding the bike along a road that is basically flat but with a minor incline sees a HR of up to 130. Everyone should try riding or walking with a heart monitor, its a laugh, you'll scare yourself to death!

Ade
 
We are having the same issues with the BB. As a matter of fact it caused Glenn to dehydrate yesterday, ended up in the ER. Also ARF. I am very concerned this Atenlol has him in a state of "No energy" at all! We did however, cut his back to 25mg per day and it is still too much. This is a man that has never taken anything but a Advil for a bad headache. Since surgery he takes all of the BS for one thing or another. I have talked with his MD and he "was" going to take him off of the Atenlol and his surgeon says he has to have it! Why? He has never had BP issues before so is this standard procedure for HVR patients. I would love nothing more than him to take his blood thinner and a asprin daily. Why cant he? Has anyone had this procedure and stopped taken everything except what is needed! Please help we are over medicated!!!!
 
I was on beta blockers from the moment my aortic aneurysm first showed up on a routine chest Xray in the early 1990s. I was very unhappy with Inderol and Atenolol and ended up with a little-used bb called Zebeta. Zebeta did not seem to make me as exhausted, so seemed better--but not great. I believe I can thank the years of huge doses of beta blockers for my aneurysms seeming to stabilize to the same size (mid 4 cms) for over 15 years. But, meanwhile my aortic valve had more and more stenosis.

Over in the States it seems many of us get toprolol (I am mangling that name, sorry) after OHS. I am not sure why that is, but it does not feel like the old BBs did. It is my understanding that men find the side effects of Atenolol worse than women do. I am just wondering why they were contuing you on than particular med.

:confused:
 
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So Glenn is about 18 months post op and his doc still keeps him on the BB...?
After 3 years I still take the BB because I don't like the strong sensation of my valve and I still deal with arrhythmia episodes.
 
Must admit I've never noticed the valve pounding thing. Of course I have the old clickety click, but it's not become any more noticeable as I've dropped the Atenolol dose. I was prescribed it to prevent A-Fib post surgery and have been told to drop it. However I'm also an Asthma sufferer, and a BB isn't the best thing for Asthma, constricts blood vessels I believe- not what you want in your lungs when Asthmatic! Hence I'm mad keen to get off the BB.
 
Hi ACR,
I am on BB, because my heart rate is too fast. My normal Ht rate is 98-100. I have a lot of blockage beside the valves. I was on Toprol and now I am on Coreg. Toprol really had some bad reactions for me. I have not been on Coreg long enough, but so far it seems to alright.
 
Is there anyone out there that "only" takes blood thinners after having a mechanical valve? I am not convinced all of the other meds are needed! Not to mention the side effects and liver, kidney damage. Glenn was born with this and has had to deal his entire life without meds, and since the surgery he is told to take all of this BS for this and that. My question is........ Does anyone take "only" the blood thinners and an asprin? Of course a multi V!
 
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