Anybody here know anything about beta blocker's

[Brandi]

Since all my anxiety seems to not be calming down with the one drug they gave me ( knocks me on my butt) they are talking about me trying a Beta blocker. You guys know anything about them? Can you become dependant on them. Like I hear when you take a drug for high cholesterol you have to take that drug forever. That your body has to have them after you start. I don't know if that is true but that is what people tell me.

[Zen]

This can answer you better than I can.
http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/beta-blockers/HI00059

[Brandi]

Well that info doesnt make me want to take one of those! Lack of this and that are all the side affects. I want a natural alternative here. I don't like this whole drug therapy thing.And it says if you stop taking abruply it could cause a heart attack!

[makbike]

Brandi,

My only experience with a beta blocker was with my cat, Scooter, who took them for his cardiomyopathy. He took it for several years (8+) without any problems. I do recall being told that once you start a beta blocker and wish to stop it you must wean yourself off the drug (not unlike a lot of drugs out there).

[Jolt]

Brandi,

I do recall being told that once you start a beta blocker and wish to stop it you must wean yourself off the drug (not unlike a lot of drugs out there).

That is true. If you stop it abruptly, your heart rate and blood pressure will go up dramatically and that can cause problems. Tapering it slowly prevents this from happening because it allows your body to have time to adjust to having less and less of the drug bound to the receptors. As far as general info, beta blockers are considered quite safe drugs but they do have some side effects that can be unpleasant such as feeling tired or depressed (especially an issue with the ones that are not selective for the cardiovascular system) and exercise intolerance (due to not being able to get your heart rate as high).

[Brandi]

Ok now i am really going to look into some other ways to deal with this. I think Message therapy is in order for sure!More bubble bath's and maybe some wine. I hear choccolate is good too. I mean anciety is my brain doing this which means I should be able to stop it.

[Wahine]

Acupuncture is also helpful for the treatment of anxiety.

[Triskeliongirl]

How about yoga, and cycling for that matter. To me there is nothing like a good hard ride to get a lot of stress out of my system. You can follow it with some soothing yoga stretches. Or if you are having trouble to sleep, try a hot bath followed by some calming yoga stretches before bed, stuff like that.

Or, if there is real stuff stressing you, try to deal with the real stuff, one problem at a time, assuming of course that they are things you have control over and can make changes that would allow you to feel less stressed. If they are things you don't have control over, like your nieces illness, then all I can think of is physical activity, yoga, good books, etc.

[mimitabby]

i'd heard that beta blockers were good for occasional use; like if you had to get up on stage and give a speech and you were nervous. But for daily use? ew..

[Possegal]

My b-i-l takes propranolol daily for his hypertension. Pretty old school drug (ie, not a lot new to learn about it, which is good, means we know exactly what to expect). He's taken it for about 15 yrs without any issues, though it took him a while to get comfortable with how it made him feel when he exercised. He ran marathons and cycles all the time, all while taking it. (and in pittsburgh, which means up and down lots of hills!).

I'm a pharmacologist, so of course I need people to take drugs, or I'm out of a job. That said, I"m all for any time you can find a behavioral way to destress. Yoga, massage, accupuncture, cycling, all sound very good for you and a wonderful alternative. I don't use the word 'natural' because I fear that would include "natural" products and the assumption that if something is natural it can't be bad for you is a dangerous one.

I hope you feel better soon and your life becomes less stressful.

[Aggie_Ama]

I took one for a while when my occular migraines first started. I cannot remember what it was but it made me feel dumb as could be. I was tired, my mental functions seemed impaired and I felt dizzy constantly. Took it for two weeks and hated it.

[ny biker]

I took Inderol many years ago when I first started to get migraines. It made me very emotionless. It also didn't help with the migraines so the doctor took me off it and switched me to a completely different type of drug. So I guess that answers one question - you don't have to take it forever.

I recall that the doctor told me not to expect my heart rate to rise as much during exercise as it did when not on Inderol. However she didn't tell me that I couldn't exercise while taking it.

[Crankin]

My husband was put on a beta blocker after his stents were put in. Even though he told them his resting HR was already in the 40s and he was on another drug for high bp, they still tried it. After 2 weeks he went back to the doctor and insisted he get off the drug. Another friend of ours could not function on a beta blocker. He had no energy and could barely work.

There are lots of alternatives for anxiety. It would be safer to try short term use (2-3 months) of something like Ativan, which you can wean off of fairly easily (I did it in 6 weeks). Also, acupuncture totally cured me of my anxiety surrounding my medical issues. You need to see a psychiatrist or psycho-pharmacologist to really get the right thing. Family doctors just aren't as informed about this stuff.

[TahoeDirtGirl]

The cardiologist gave them to me for pvcs. No way. I took them once and that was it. I'm surprised they are trying them for anxiety. Not sure what type you have but I have dealt with it most of my life. It's a long process, but for me drugs weren't an option. They make me more anxious! I meditate, but the biggest help for me was my bike and my dog. There are alot of things to go through, it doesn't happen overnight. But that's another story, PM me if you ever want to vent...

[Deanna]

I've been taking atenolol for years for HBP. It's very effective at keeping my bp down. I don't know if it shoots up if you abruptly stop, I think it just goes back to what it would be if it wasn't under control with the drug. I have had no adverse side effects, but my dose is pretty low. Taking it at higher levels might be different.