Beta Blockers, Least Amount Of Side Effects

[CharmedLinz]

I'm on Florinef and my Cardiologist originally tried me on Atenolol, half of a 25mg pill once a day. He started low because he knew I have really potent reactions to meds.

Well the half of a 25mg pill didn't go well, within an hour I was horribly dizzy and nauceous way more than usual and extremely short of breath.

So he said to try a 1/4 pill twice a day. I did that for 2 weeks which got rid of the severe side effects but after 2 weeks my hair was falling out in massive handfuls, my hand and feet were frozen solid and I was developing severe edema throughout my body. My BP and pulse were dropping too low. I was also getting small hive like rashes.

It did help the chest pain/palps and relaxed some of the anxiety.

So he took me off of it and now has prescribed Toprol XL at 1/4 of a 25mg pill once a day.

I haven't taken it yet as I'm nervous it will do the same as the atenolol. My BP is already low most of the time anyway, usually 80/60.

Have you all found that certain BB's have less side effects than others for those of us that are so medication sensitive??? Or is it just a game to keep trying different ones until you find one you can tolerate???

[miranda]

Hi. I take propranalol and find it gentle.

At first I had some tingling on my nose for a few days but it passed.

I usually have problems with meds so was pleased.

[miranda]

Hi. I take propranalol and find it gentle.

At first I had some tingling on my nose for a few days but it passed.

I usually have problems with meds so was pleased.

[kayjay]

I take 20mg of Nadolol at bed time. It was a few weeks before I could function on it but on labetalol, I had way low BP.

I lost hair because of adrenal surges... not really from medication. When you are really sick or stressed it stopes growing and then seems to fall out all a once.

It took a few months for this to go away and now my hair is pretty normal. Are you doing other things ( salt maybe coffee to keep your BP up?)

I do have ice-cold hands/feet from the beta blocker. I can't get things out the freezer with bare hands. Good luck.

[Angelika_23]

Hi,

I have had some pretty bad reactions to BB in the past. When they prescribed me Toprol XL, I was almost too afraid to take it. By far, it has been the best. I can't really think of any side effects at all. I am on 12.5 mg a day, a baby dose, but that is what seems to help.

Good luck,

Angela

[Aquadiva]

My daughter started on propanolol and said it made things worse. She is now on metoprolol and thinks it works much better for her and I don't think she has any side effects from it. Just goes to show everyone is different.

[CharmedLinz]

Thanks for all the input.

Guess I will give the Toprol a try and see what happens. If it doesn't work I think I will ask to try the Propanolol next.

I've been reading how they all work a little differently and some of them lower Renin output which I already have below normal level Renin levels so maybe that's why the bad reactions happen.

I do what I can to try and help keep my BP up with some coffee (don't tolerate much caffeine) and lots of sea salt, I know I need more Florinef as well but I can't up my dose until they put me on something for the anxiety/agitation which has gotten worse on the Florinef.

I do have Midodrine for the BP but it gives me such horrible headaches that I can't tell if it's helping anything else.

My Cardiologist said I could try doing the Midodrine with the BB to see if they can counter act each others bad side effects, but he made me nervous by saying that I shouldn't be alone when I try this and that it could be a miserable few hours if they counter act each other too much.

My reactions to meds are strange, I know alot here have the same problems. Makes it even harder to try and treat ourselves.

Hugs to everyone.

[cmruls]

Coreg works best for me. Propranolol was the worst.

[Guest tearose]

Do you become "use" to the bb after awhile and does it loose its effectiveness?

[sheba33]

I use to tahe a quater piece of Atenolol and it worked for me no side effects at all. I no longer take any medications at all. I exercise a little annd walk about 3 miles every now and then or way less depending on how I feel. I pray you feel better.

[iheartcats]

I've had luck with propranonol so far...20mg/three times a day on average.

[Chaos]

Propanalol (10 mg TID) has been a godsend to me the last 2 years. I think it helps my tremor the most out of my symptoms.

[brownsea]

40mg of proprananol, along with the usual fludro and midodrine. i was extremely lucky as i was ill in hosptial with pots, ( the docs didnt know what it was initially) and i took all the tabs within two weeks, along with paroxentine to balance out the autonomic system (that made me feel a little nauseous) and domperidone for the nausea i was experiencing. i had the odd side effect the tingly feeling in head but not much else thank goodness.

[cma]

I am on cardicor 2.5mg, active ingredient is bisoprolol. I live in Europe and don't know if it's available in US. I started at 1.25mg was doing quiet great, but had a few episodes of SVT, so it was increased to 2.5mg. I don't have any side effects and have been taking it for a year. I can't imagine my life without it, my heart rate would be about 110bpm without it at rest and now it's 70 to 85 bpm. It doesn't lower my blood pressure too much, but I am also taking Florinef 0.1mg with lots of water and salt.

Hope this helps.

[mountain girl]

I take Bystolic 2.5 mg once a day which is a very low dose and Florinef to keep the bpup. First tried Metoprolol 12.5 mg and felt way worse. Bystolic is thought to lower bp by lowering hr, and for me as a person taking it to lower hr, and not bp which was already low, 'the florinef helps along with Gatorade. I drink 32-64 oz a day.