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Very Weird! Can Beta Blockers Cause Hot Flushes?


brethor9

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Hi All!

So I am having a weird symptoms since starting my bisoprolol beta blocker 5 days ago......I have a really horrible time with side effects and have been fighting tooth and nail against taking them but I have been having irregular heart rythmns so my Dr says not being on one is no longer an option. Here is the thing though; every time I take a dose I have major heat flushing and night sweats.. and then cycle into cold chills....I know it has to be related because it wasnt happening before. I also find that my veins ache especially in my hands, arms and feet. What systems in the body besides vascular does Beta Blockers affect? Do they effect hormones at all? Or could this be an MCAD thing? (I am still waiting for official diagnosis on that)

Has anyone ever experienced symptoms like this while taking a beta blocker? I just cant figure it out? Also I have to take it a night because of the fatigue and nausea it causes even on a 1/4 tablet

Thanks for any input! :)

Bren

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hi Bren,

I've been on 3 different beta blockers since July of last year, but none of them (metoprolol, bisoprolol, propranolol) gave me hot flushes. I did have side effects from metoprolol and bisoprolol, and I just started recently on propranolol so it's too soon to tell if I have any side effects from it. I seem, though, to tolerate propranolol better than the other 2.

I hope this helps.

Good luck.

Alex

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Hi Bren-

So sorry. I can't tolerate ANY BB's either- MULTIPLE attempts. I've had all of the symptoms you describe and more- including severe facial parasthesia, fainting, and early stage heart failure.

If you have MCAD, or any allergy/asthma issues- BB's are contraindicated and can GREATLY worsen symptoms. Talk to your doc about other options. I'm not sure what your specific HR abnormalities are; but when my MCAD was uncontrolled- so was my tachy. Magnesium can naturally calm that w/o the severe side effects of BB's.

If the MCAD is causing the irregular heart rhythms; you'd be better served stabilizing your mast cells. Have you seen a mast cell specialist?

Julie

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Hi Julie!

Thanks for your input as always :) I suspect thats what is going on also......every time I take a dose about 20 mins later I am heat flushing like crazy it also congests me like crazy and drys me out....my chest feels like I am breathing through dry smoke.....its horrible and the pain in my veins drives me nuts!! The doc made me go on it because I am having really bad runs of skipping beats and abnormal rythmn....I have been taking magnesium and it is helping a bit. I started the Doxepin but couldnt tolerate it and it seemed to make the heart stuff worse as do all the antihistamines. For some reason I am just super sensitive to the antihistamines....sigh...frustrating. I see the mast cell specialist on Feb 28th for the tryptase results and to have the biopsy done so I will discuss with him then. Its so hard because the meds never line up with each other they always just end up aggravating the other condition. I suspect like you suggest a mast cell stabalizer may be the only thing that will help at this point. I just wanted to know if it was possible to have effects like the heat flushes from the Beta Blocker....we can never be normal can we? :) Hope all is well with you!!

Bren

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Bren,

That was also my experience with BB. I couldn't take them. I must have tried 5 different ones and all of them, the effects were not tolerable. I do have MCAD and Julie is right those with those issues - don't tolerate BB's very well. Also, I do find magnesium to be very helpful for me. I take it at night and it helps me to sleep. I only need one half of a pill or it will lower my bp too much and I wake myself up because it's too low. My bp's are all over the place - usually, too high with being awake and too low with sleeping. I think, like Rama is always saying - the increased bp's while upright are a compensatory thing for either too lax or too constricted vasular systems. If we could figure out how to correct the vascular system - we might could find some answers and relief for these wacky reactions. The body is so complex and so many organs and functions play into each other. One thing off will throw the whole system out.

Hope you can figure it out. It's scarry when our hearts are beating so fast all the time - not to mention the anxiety feelings that this creates.

Issie

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Thanks Issie :) I admit I am really getting to the end of my rope with all these symptoms.....I just keep telling myself sooner or later something has to work! and it will settle down...but its hard! Hopefully the specialists next week will have some decent input rather than just patting me on the head and sending me away with words of comfort but no course of action...I will keep you all posted...

Bren

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Bren-

One other thought, your signature indicates that you are taking 10 mg zyrtec daily- really? Hope so, as that will help check your mast cells. IF you can tolerate that, maybe add one at night. Doxepin is wicked strong. Great stuff when you need it, but huge guns, when you have trouble tolerating meds. Zyrtec is fabulous- does the job with VERY minimal side effects.

Let us know what you find out-

Julie

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Not all beta blockers are created equal - and there are so many medicines to control dysrhythmia's it isnt' even funny - so tell your doctor - 5 days of feeling weird and awful is too long. You have given it more than a fair shake and your symptoms seem extreme.

Is it possible you have something not related to the meds - such as gyn issues/female hormone issues like an early menopause starting that just coincided with the BB by 'accident'?

Is the BB just for 'comfort' and your dysrhthmia's are more just a nuisance and a small discomfort? If so you'd be more comfortable with skipped beats or PAT or whatever it is you have...than having achey veins - I've never heard that before...

I get hot flashes all the time - but I'm the age of menopause... I had one at the insurance office the other day - dry and happy at start of appt. - by appt.s end I was having sweat drip off my face and I was miserable... then it left -- I get these odd times daily - sometimes at night... but I don't ever know what causes what - meds, dysautonomia, hormones etc...

I started on Metoprolol at first - too strong... then Bystolic - it did't work well enough - and just recently Propranolol -- mine was to slow the heartrate, decrease my blood pressure and hopefully have it not be so labile... There's a ton of expensive and inexpensive meds to treat your issues - so cheers to you finding a better one soon.

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  • 5 years later...

Bumping an old post here.  But did you ever find out why this was happening?  It seems to be happening to me too.  Feeling feverish with no fever has always been a part of my dysautonomia but it's increased by at least 80% since I started propranolol.  Exactly the opposite of what I wanted and expected to happen.  My veins have been hurting more also.  (I have varicose veins, so that can happen, but not normally, you know?)  I guess I'm going to have to ask my cardiologist for a different drug.

 

It's weird because I'm not a very "allergic" person, at least for my family.  Occasionally I get hives for no clear reason.  And a few months ago I got random burning mouth with a single hive.  But no shock reactions ever.  I guess I should look into MCAS.  (It would fit.  I am also hypermobile.)

On 2/23/2012 at 8:42 AM, brethor9 said:

Hi All!

So I am having a weird symptoms since starting my bisoprolol beta blocker 5 days ago......I have a really horrible time with side effects and have been fighting tooth and nail against taking them but I have been having irregular heart rythmns so my Dr says not being on one is no longer an option. Here is the thing though; every time I take a dose I have major heat flushing and night sweats.. and then cycle into cold chills....I know it has to be related because it wasnt happening before. I also find that my veins ache especially in my hands, arms and feet. What systems in the body besides vascular does Beta Blockers affect? Do they effect hormones at all? Or could this be an MCAD thing? (I am still waiting for official diagnosis on that)

Has anyone ever experienced symptoms like this while taking a beta blocker? I just cant figure it out? Also I have to take it a night because of the fatigue and nausea it causes even on a 1/4 tablet

Thanks for any input! :)

Bren

 

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  • 2 years later...

Hey my name is bree

I started taking propanolol in june for irregukar heart beat. But ever since i started taking it ive been dizzy and my heary rate and blood pressure is low. And been experiencing hot flashes as well. Just wanted to see of anyone else is feeling the same way? I just feel so unnormal. My heart rate is like 50 now while resting.....and its harder to excercise now it seems......i have bad anxiety so this just makes it worse......help!!!!!

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Hello @Brianna - have you told the prescribing physician about how you feel? Low BP can cause hot flashes, and beta blockers can make you feel fatigued ( although usually this goes away after a few weeks ). If your HR and BP are too low on the Propanolol you should inform your doctor - he/she may want to either decrease the dose or switch you to another medicine all together. I tried several beta blockers before I found the one I tolerated. 

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