Pacemaker and beta blockers

See your other post

by Lavender - 2023-04-30 18:25:07

Also-lots of folks here take beta blockers. They live normally. You're healing and adjusting. How you feel today is not how you're going to feel in even a week. You will improve!

Beta blockers

by AgentX86 - 2023-05-01 00:23:49

I guess that most of us are on beta blockers.  The main side-effect is lethargy.  This often is short lived.  After a week or two, most get used to them.  Your doctor can change dosage and even switch beta blockers if need be.  A PM will protect you from the worst of the symptoms (lowered heart rate).

Beta blockers can also be used to treat anxiety, so an added bonus

by Gemita - 2023-05-01 07:13:03

Baban, in my experience using a low dose, cardio selective beta blocker since 2016 (Bisoprolol), it is very safe.   Beta blockers can often be used to help with anxiety, so an added bonus.  At a low dosage, side effects should be kept to a minimum, while any symptoms from an irregular or fast heart rhythm should still be adequately controlled.  Yes I sometimes feel lethargic taking it but Bisoprolol helps to calm my excitable nature and helps me to relax, so my rhythm disturbances really benefit.

A beta blocker is known as a rate control medication (controls a fast heart rate and calms the heart - and the patient!) and is certainly a safer option compared with say an anti arrhythmic medication.  In fact a beta blocker is often a first line therapy for many heart conditions and can be very protective, so please try not to worry about its safety and any long term effects, especially on a low dose.  The higher the dose, then the more likely you are to experience side effects.  Please stay safe and well and welcome to the forum

Beta blockers

by piglet22 - 2023-05-01 08:05:33

Like the others, I have been on beta blockers for many years now.

I was diagnosed with heart block in 2005.

I remember one of the consultants saying that now I was on the pacemaker, I could tolerate higher doses of beta blocker for hypertension, so was upped from a lowish dose of Atenolol to 50-mg daily.

I tolerated that well for years until this year, as you say, you get your old symptoms or what looks like old symptoms, back. I'm in episodes of ectopics and despite the PM being set to 70 bpm, I get down to 30 to 40 bpm. In fact, I had another this morning with the blood pressure monitor coming up with rhythm errors.

I'm due to speak to a consultant in two months’ time, hopefully, but in the meantime, the Atenolol has gone and a low dose of Bisoprolol substituted as an interim measure.

As the others have said, beta-blockers can provide a calming effect, so much so that a competitor in the UK snooker competition was found to be taking them for just that purpose.

Beta blockers

by Selwyn - 2023-05-01 16:44:52

Beta blockers have been around for 50 years I guess. I remember Propranolol (Inderal) and practolol ( withdrawn because of severe adverse effects). There are many on the market, all well researched. 

Who knows what new medications are around the corner. I certainly cannot see this being static over the next 50 years. I think in your position Baban, I would go with the flow... current practice and not look into predicting the future.  If you are OK now, the chances are you will be OK - beta blockers have years of experience behind them.

On a personal  level, I cannot tolerate them as I am unable to exercise without extreme shortness of breath. I have tried a few. 

beta blockers

by Kookaboo - 2023-08-30 13:04:19

I have taken Cosopt eye drop for over 23 years.  It has a beta blocker timolol in it and over the years has lowered my pulse to 40.   I was not pleased but saw the need for a pacemaker which I had implanted 2 weeks ago.  Cosopt did help lower my eye pressure but also my heart rate.  After the pacemaker my cardiologist said I could resume Cosopt which has a beta blocker in it.  I thought that strange but hope it is alright to use this beta blocker eye drop again as my eye pressures have gone up when I stopped using Cosopt for a month.  I hope to see a reduction in my eye pressure IOP as I resume the use of this beta blocker eye drop.