Methyldopa question - palpitations

[Emma33]

Hi all,

I started Methyldopa a few days ago, 250mg per day, and found that it pretty much immediately stopped my anxiety and constant adrenalin rushes. But, it isn't helping with my heart palpitations, which were just awful yesterday. I am not very science minded, so I can't understand why the Methyldopa wouldn't also be calming the palpitations. Could anyone explain that to me?

(I started off on Clonodine but it was rough, I couldn't sleep and I would get break-through waves of panic during the night,  I only lasted 4 days. I do feel like my palpitations were more controlled on it though).

Also, for those of you that take Methyldopa, what dose are you on?

 

Thanks!

Emma

 

 

 

 

 

[p8d]

I can't explain why it isn't helping the palpitations but in my case the longer I was on it and increasing the dose helped norepinephrine surges and palpitations.  I started with 250mg once per day and increased to twice per day after about a month.  Keep track of all your bp/hr and other symptoms and then discuss with your Dr.  I too found it more tolerable than clonidine.

[Emma33]

Thanks so much, ok, I will stick with it. I do feel better today, everything feels a bit more evened out and my palpitations aren't as bad. I've been on Atenolol for 4 years and it helped so much with tachycardia and palpitations but about a month ago everything just got a lot worse...so frustrating and scary. Thanks for replying!

[p8d]

Yeah s, very frustrating when you find something that helps and then it stops working.  For me it's usually right after I get a 90 supply!  I tried four different beta blockers before I found Bystolic.  That definitely cut the palpitations, but again, it took messing with the dose.  Too much made them worse, too little didn't do enough for the tachycardia.

[HangingByAThread]

Hi Emma,

 

I meant to reach out to you earlier.  I’m on a low dose…..62.5 mg.  My doctor prescribes the lowest pill they make, which is 250 mg and I cut into quarters and take one quarter each day.  Initially, he wanted me to start on 1/4 pill (62.5 mg) and work my way up to 1/2 pill (125 mg) after a week or two but I tried but just couldn’t tolerate the higher dose so I was instructed to stay on the 62.5 (I have low blood pressure most of the time).  I also was instructed to only take it in the morning since I have extreme bradycardia when I sleep (heart rate in the low 20s).   I feel so much better on them because they really calm down the tachycardia and the adrenaline rushes.  I no longer feel like a nervous wreck who jumps out of their seat when someone drops something or the doorbell rings or a car honks but they haven’t taken away things like the little palpitations, PACs and PVCs.  I still have them but they aren't as extreme (they are softer and not felt as really hard thumps).  I also feel like the calmness they give me is a natural calm (or just a complete absence of the nervousness), not like I’m drugged up on something.  I have to take a huge amount of salt and wear my compression hose all the time or else my ankles and feet swell up but the relief I get it more than worth it.  Another good thing I noticed about the Methyldopa is that before I was on them, when I’d walk or stand on line my blood pressure would go very high and I’d sweat like crazy (to the point of having to remove my coat outside in the winter).  I would have to stop walking and lean against a building and wait for the heart rate to lower, pant and mouth-breathe all the time, etc.  I’m no longer like that since taking the Methyldopa - my heart rate doesn't spike as much.  I feel like my nervous system no longer goes haywire with all this extra “traffic”.  Honestly, I don’t know what I’d do if they ever took it off the market, I don’t think I could function anymore.

 

I’m wondering if maybe you just have to wait a bit until your body adjusts to the meds?  In any event, I’m curious to hear how you are doing on them now?  Do you feel any better?