Beta Blockers...! & Running!

I am much slower than I was due to the beta blockers. Is it possible to get a little faster on beta blockers? What used to be 9 min miles is now 10:40-11:30 min miles. Granted I am happy to be running again, but the betas definitely suck the life from you. I am hoping my doctor will tweek the dosage slightly. I do need to be on them due to a sustained vtach which I experienced. Anyone else chime in on beta blocker experiences?

5 Comments

Running with Beta Blockers

by natlat - 2014-07-17 02:07:35

Hi Tracy, how many miles do you run? I am in my 6 week of running post ICD implant healing phase. I can now manage up to 3.5 miles running, sometimes only 3 in the humidity. Just curious what you are doing and how long it took you to get there? Thanks!

running

by Tracey_E - 2014-07-17 03:07:28

I started Crossfit 3 years ago. We do anywhere from half a mile to 3 miles, depends on the day. Sometimes in the evening my daughter drags me out for a 2 mile loop around our neighborhood. I've been on a plateau for over a year now. I still run 2 blocks, walk 1, and can't get that one mile time any lower.

Running

by natlat - 2014-07-17 04:07:18

Thanks Tracy. I am up to about 15-16 miles a week, I can actually manage running 3-4 miles at a time, usually feel like crap during the first mile, but then settle in. Nice work on the cross fit! Thanks for your feedback. My hope is to be able to adjust the meds slightly.

running with beta blockers

by Tracey_E - 2014-07-17 12:07:00

It is a challenge!! Along with slowing the heart down,they make it not beat as hard. There are some who don't feel the difference and do fine but it really slows me down. I run 5 days a week and cannot get under an 11 min mile, can't get past intervals. Very frustrating, but I try to be grateful I can do as much as I do.

One thing that helped me was cutting the pills in half. I take half before I work out, half when I get back. If I take the whole thing at bedtime, I race too much when I work out in the am. If I take the whole thing when I get up in the morning, I can't get over 120 which makes it nearly impossible to work out hard. My cardio's very smart NP suggested cutting it in half, so far that has worked great. If I work out late in the day, I take another half a bit before, otherwise I get by with one a day.

It can take a while to get the dosage right, to find the balance between stopping the racing but letting us get up enough to exert. We messed with what I was on, how much I took and when to take it for over a year before finding the mix that worked for me. Don't give up!

Running with Beta Blockers

by natlat - 2014-07-17 12:07:35

Hi thanks so much for your response! I take a dose after I run in the morning and one at night, I still am slow. My cardiologist said that we may be able to lower the dosage, which I am hoping for! Exactly as you say, to keep the heart rate down but allow exertion. Granted I am happy to be running at all, but it would be much more pleasurable if I felt good. Thanks for the reassurance! hoping to find the right amount for me.

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