I had a doctor try to force me off my atenolol and metoprolol to amlodipine. Ostensibly because she “didn’t like” that I was taking such a high dose of two separate beta-blocker meds. Not sure if she thought I was going to take them all in a fit of despair, or what, but it went really badly. My anxiety and ADHD were a lot worse, rather than better, and my BP skyrocketed.
I can’t take stimulants. My body can’t metabolize them well (or at all?), so I end up knocked unconscious for half the day. Basically, 6-8 hours where I can stay awake only by fighting tooth and nail. Even on fractional doses! Wild stuff. While their results are interesting (especially for those like me who failed every single non-stimulant, hard) this could be helpful. Oooor it could just be more big pharma BS with no up-side. So hard to tell anymore.
The danger with beta blockers is that they can affect a lot more than just your blood pressure. They also slow down your heart and can effect how certain hormones like thyroid hormones work in your body. It isn’t ideal to have someone maxed out on 2 medications from the same class and if that’s where you are up to, that’s kind of an indication that that medication might not be the right solution.
I would agree with you if any of the others I’ve tried had the desired effect. I’m already not medicated for several things because my body simply cannot metabolize whole classes of drugs. Having my kidneys shut down would suck a lot more, though.
My resting heartrate is fine, 60-70 BPM. BP is well controlled. No orthostatic hypotension.
Two cardiologists have told me it’s fine if this is what works for me. I hear you, but I’m not taking something newer just to make my GP more comfortable and me less so. They’re my doctor, not vice versa.
I wonder if an alpha blocker or direct vasodilator might work better for you if you haven’t tried them yet. Or an alpha blocker like prazosin on top of a beta blocker.
I have insane PVCs that have so far made other classes less attractive. Even when I’m well-medicated with my atenolol I still get the “anxiety” feeling as my heart valve leaks. Unmedicated I feel like I can’t breathe at all, which is awful. And my BP then goes into the 200/100 range (I am not exaggerating, I wish I was).
My liver basically can’t metabolize CYP2B6 or CYP2D6 mediated drugs, so anything believed to be carried into the body by those will screw me up so badly I often won’t even try. (I’ve nearly ended up in the ER several times now trying 75% of the anti-depressants out there, which I needed badly once I realized my ADHD an fribromyalgia would never be medicated. As an example. ;)
I had a doctor try to force me off my atenolol and metoprolol to amlodipine. Ostensibly because she “didn’t like” that I was taking such a high dose of two separate beta-blocker meds. Not sure if she thought I was going to take them all in a fit of despair, or what, but it went really badly. My anxiety and ADHD were a lot worse, rather than better, and my BP skyrocketed.
I can’t take stimulants. My body can’t metabolize them well (or at all?), so I end up knocked unconscious for half the day. Basically, 6-8 hours where I can stay awake only by fighting tooth and nail. Even on fractional doses! Wild stuff. While their results are interesting (especially for those like me who failed every single non-stimulant, hard) this could be helpful. Oooor it could just be more big pharma BS with no up-side. So hard to tell anymore.
The danger with beta blockers is that they can affect a lot more than just your blood pressure. They also slow down your heart and can effect how certain hormones like thyroid hormones work in your body. It isn’t ideal to have someone maxed out on 2 medications from the same class and if that’s where you are up to, that’s kind of an indication that that medication might not be the right solution.
I would agree with you if any of the others I’ve tried had the desired effect. I’m already not medicated for several things because my body simply cannot metabolize whole classes of drugs. Having my kidneys shut down would suck a lot more, though.
My resting heartrate is fine, 60-70 BPM. BP is well controlled. No orthostatic hypotension.
Two cardiologists have told me it’s fine if this is what works for me. I hear you, but I’m not taking something newer just to make my GP more comfortable and me less so. They’re my doctor, not vice versa.
I wonder if an alpha blocker or direct vasodilator might work better for you if you haven’t tried them yet. Or an alpha blocker like prazosin on top of a beta blocker.
Not sure!
I have insane PVCs that have so far made other classes less attractive. Even when I’m well-medicated with my atenolol I still get the “anxiety” feeling as my heart valve leaks. Unmedicated I feel like I can’t breathe at all, which is awful. And my BP then goes into the 200/100 range (I am not exaggerating, I wish I was).
My liver basically can’t metabolize CYP2B6 or CYP2D6 mediated drugs, so anything believed to be carried into the body by those will screw me up so badly I often won’t even try. (I’ve nearly ended up in the ER several times now trying 75% of the anti-depressants out there, which I needed badly once I realized my ADHD an fribromyalgia would never be medicated. As an example. ;)