Beta Blockers & Low Blood Sugar

[gdomaracki]

So after a talk with my primary physcian, i was made aware that beta blockers can cause low blood sugar because they block the bodies ability to correct dropping blood sugar without food.

Has any heard of this? I head to the cardiologist tomorrow so I'm going to try switching to a calcium channel blocker or something else.

[imapumpkin]

Some do, some don't. I had a really hard time with low blood sugar on propranolol so I had to go off it after 2 weeks. I'm on metoprolol now and have been for 9 months and it doesn't affect my blood sugar!

[dkd]

I have read that betas may block the body's ability to 'feel' the hypoglycemia, so you might not know that you're hypogylcemic.

I found this on wikipedia, so take it for what it's worth:

c) Beta blocker drugs: These medicines are designed to blunt the β-effect of adrenalin and related substances. Hence, if hypoglycemia occurs in someone who is using this type of drug, he/she may not experience the typical adrenergic warning symptoms such as tremor and palpitations. Again, the result is hypoglycemic unawareness. As noted above, beta blockers will also prevent adrenalin from stimulating the liver to make glucose, and therefore may make the hypoglycemia more severe and/or more protracted.^[10] Of all the hypoglycemia symptoms, sweating is typically not blocked by beta blockers.^[11]

^{http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Diabetic_hypoglycemia}

[bellgirl]

I've been on Bystolic, another beta blocker, for over two years, and never had problems with low blood sugar. It is checked every year, and I just received my blood work results this year.

[artluvr09]

NO they don't. They can mask the symptoms though. Now some SSRI's can cause hypoglycemia so you have to be careful. I never had hypoglycemia before until a couple years ago when I started Celexa. I didn't realize until a couple years later that the medication was causing it so we stopped it and now I don't have hypoglycemia anymore. Now I read that your on Zoloft and I looked it up and Zoloft can cause it. here is the link to it read the last paragraph.

it wont let me copy and paste so I will write it down just copy and paste what I wrote down into the url.

http://www.healthcentral.com/diabetes/c/110/145291/hypoglycemia-occur/

[gdomaracki]

Your liver functions to store glucose for later use. Glucose is a major carbohydrate present in the diet. It occurs in foods such as grains and potatoes, and also in fruits, beans and nuts. Between meals, your body breaks down the liver's stored glucose for use as fuel. Beta-blockers can inhibit this breakdown and cause blood sugar levels to fall. Because atenolol is more selective for the heart, however, blood sugar levels are usually steady in otherwise healthy patients taking this medication, but special circumstances exist. From livestrong.

[brethor9]

I wonder about this too.....I take a very small dose of bisopropolol and find it makes me incredibly irritable almost ragelike irrational at times....I use it mostly on an as needed basis and find that the longer I am on it the more rages and sudden fatigue episodes I have.....I never thought it could be a blood sugar thing but it makes sense. My mom has diabetes and said the episodes I was describing sound like sugar issues

Bren

[dkd]

Let us know what your cardiologist says. I'm curious!

[kisekis]

hmm i also read tht connection of BB, insulin, potassium (says could worsen / caused hyperkalemia).

i also have symptoms. if i dont eat for some hours i get jittery, adrenaline rush. n after eat it gets better. but after i eat sugary food i also gets adrenaline rush for hour or more

[kayjay]

My blood sugar and a1c are great. I've been on nadolol since 2009. I was diagnosed with hypoglycemia in college though a glucose tolerance test. I do eat frequently- but low blood sugar for me doesn't seem to be linked to the beta.

[KareBear]

I never knew BB's can cause these issues, or mask symptoms, but this is interesting. I never check my blood sugar and haven't in years. Maybe I ought to check just for kicks.

[gdomaracki]

Well, he said its possible but thinks a low dose wouldn't be the culprit. I of course came back with the statement that if a low dose of beta blocker helps me feel better and I can tell when I havent taken it in the morning, that its probably enough to mess with my sugars. I told him I am super sensitive to meds. He thinks that the Zoloft is more of the culprit, and is causing my heart issues. I've been on it since I was 15 for anxiety, and he wants to wean me off to see if I feel better.

[dkd]

Thanks for letting us know.