Heart Palpitations Forum

Heart Palpitations Forum
http://palps.chemicalforums.com/cgi-bin/YaBB.pl
Heart Palpitations Forum >> Symptoms and other concerns >> atenolol side effects
http://palps.chemicalforums.com/cgi-bin/YaBB.pl?num=1188906818

Message started by seffie on Sep 4^th, 2007, 4:53am

Title: atenolol side effects
Post by seffie on Sep 4^th, 2007, 4:53am

Hi Everyone,
hope you're all having a good day today.
I just need some reassurance. I saw my doctor yesterday & she said that I should try the beta blockers & see how I get on with them.
I was very anxious this morning about taking it but knew that I had to try.
Anyway, took the first one & within an hour noticed that I was getting a mild headache-I hardly ever get headaches & the ones I do are usually due to tense neck & shoulder muscles.

It's now 3 hours since I took it & the headaches is still there & is quite unpleasant. I feel upset about this as I hate taking any kind of medication & now I know I'm going to be scared to keep taking them.
Typically my anxiety & palpitations have been a lot better these past 2-3 weeks so I wasn't feeling like I desperately needed to take something to help.
Has anyone else had headaches with BB's? I realise it's only the first day & it does list headaches as a side-effect but I can't help worrying about it. I also have had a few waves of nausea.

I just feel that I've got enough to deal with at the moment with menopause symptoms & CFS stuff that I really just can't cope with more symptoms. How do I know if these side effects are OK or not?
Sorry, I know I sound pathetic but I was so worried about getting side effects & I was really hoping I wouldn't get any.
Hope someone can help.
love Seffie xx

Title: Re: atenolol side effects
Post by beadbabe on Sep 4^th, 2007, 5:24am

Hello Seffie
Sorry you are feeling rough!

I have tried atenolol and propanolol at different times and worried about taking them but apparently they are very safe to take and have been going a long time.

Despite my palpitations i stopped taking them as they didn't really help me at a low dose, and I don't want to go down the route of high doses if there is nothing wrong with my heart. The GP I saw today said that these palpitations types are just a variation of normal.

Hope you are feeling a little better - pop a paracetomol to see if it eases the headache. completely safe to take one and feel a bit better.

bead x

Title: Re: atenolol side effects
Post by seffie on Sep 5^th, 2007, 1:10am

OK, today I feel even worse.
I have a pressure feeling in my upper abdomen which goes through to my back, I feel hot & clammy & my eyes feel sore.
I wish I'd never taken the bloody pill!
I would rather have the palpitations & anxiety than feel like this, I just feel horrible on them & I've only taken one!
I've rung my doctor & she's going to ring me back later. I wonder if I should ask her if I could go on a lower dose until my body adjusts. I've got enough going on with the CFS & menopause symptoms, I really don't need anything else to worry about.
I'd been feeling OK & now my anxiety is through the roof!
Aaaaaaghh!!
Seffie xx

Title: Re: atenolol side effects
Post by beadbabe on Sep 5^th, 2007, 2:20am

Hi there
If I'm honest I felt worse on atenolol than on propanolol which gets out the system more quickly apparently.
You have to do what you feel is best for you and your anxiety. There is always the 'push through the side effects mentality' if you are feeling really bad - I did this with Citalopram for my anxiety, it tooks weeks but now I am starting to feel slightly more with it mentally after four months. (the packet says you will feel better after 4-6 weeks) but I took a lot longer. On the other hand, ditch the tablets and put up with the palpitations. But there is a chance that your palpitations could be relieved or even taken away by the beta blockers. Didn't work for me, but it does for plenty of people.

Here's a trick I learnt at CBT for problem solving - write up a grid with four headings - benefits of taking beta blockers, benefits of not taking beta blockers, cons of taking beta blockers, cons of not taking beta blockers. (I did similar regarding checking the internet for information on symptoms and although the headings of the grid sound a bit similar you will find interestingly that they are not quite the same and your answers are affected by how they are worded.) You might find that this clarifies your thinking. See if you can do the chart and not even think too much about your answers - just be honest. You could even do it in the forum here if you are brave - I would happily reveal mine to anyone if they had the same problem as me re internet checking and searching. (for myself when I did the exercise, I now keep my answers by me whenever I am tempted to go online looking for symptoms. Now i only come on here - I don't bother searching on the internet as it has never ever helped me. Not one single time!)

The question with us is though, what is side effects from the medication, and what is anxiety because we are worried how the medications might affect us. As we are used to checking out our bodies for odd feelings, taking a tablet can make that worse. If you honestly think the tablet is doing this to you and not the anxiety, then chat with your doctor and come to a decision together. (I'm not a doctor obviously so I can't tell you.)

anyway I hope you can try the exercise. I think it is a rather clever exercise for problem solving and getting your head clear about anything!

Bead xx

Title: Re: atenolol side effects
Post by seffie on Sep 5^th, 2007, 3:08am

Hi Bead
thanks for taking the time to reply twice to me!
I have no doubt that if my doctor says I can stop taking them then I will. If the side effects were mild then I would 'push through' abit longer but I feel so horrible on them that I just can't cope with it.
I did wonder if my anxiety about taking them has given me symptoms but the symptoms I'm getting aren't things that I've had before ie: this kind of headache, abdominal pressure, hot & clammy etc.

I can cope with the palpitations if I know they're benign, in fact I had been less anxious about them just lately & they seemed to have been a lot better. I know my anxiety has been better too as my panic attacks have also been a lot better. It's just that as the cardio suggested I take them I felt I didn't really have a choice.

Anxiety is awful but at least I know what it is.
You have done really well sticking with your medication for as long as you have. When you suffer from health anxiety I know taking drugs can be a real worry so I think you've been really brave pushing through the sympoms like that.

I feel like a complete wimp & I know how I sound-neurotic & paranoid-but after 10 months of awful CFS symptoms I just can't cope with any new stuff.
Thanks for your support Bead & good luck with your medication-hope you continue to feel better on it.
love Seffie xx

Title: Re: atenolol side effects
Post by beadbabe on Sep 5^th, 2007, 4:05am

You'll be okay and so will I eventually.
I am up and down like a yoyo even on the medication but overall it's an upward trend and it sounds like it is with you.
Chin up!
xx

Title: Re: atenolol side effects
Post by RLR on Sep 6^th, 2007, 8:57am

Please provide the name of the antihypertensive agent you were prescribed, the dose and how often you are supposed to take it.

Some of these drugs can cause headaches due to vasodilation depending upon sensitivity by the patient. Many times, symptoms abate after continued use, but this is something that you can discuss with your primary care physician.

Best regards and Good Health

Title: Re: atenolol side effects
Post by seffie on Sep 6^th, 2007, 11:32am

Hello RLR,
I was taking 25mg atenolol once a day-am. However, my doctor said that as I may be abit sensitive to it then I can try taking half a tablet & see how I get on with that.
The headache has eased off abit but the worst symptom I have is abdominal discomfort, I just feel this uncomfortable pressure in my stomach & I feel like I'm bloated. I think my bowels have slowed down abit too.
Thanks,
Seffie xx

Title: Re: atenolol side effects
Post by RLR on Sep 6^th, 2007, 3:03pm

Yeah, your description is associated with the side-effects. I've had many a patient make very similar complaints. You can try seeing if the side-effects dissipate with continued use or discuss alternatives with your primary care doctor. It's not that the effects are harmful, just rather unpleasant.

You'll be okay.

Best regards and Good Health

Title: Re: atenolol side effects
Post by seffie on Sep 7^th, 2007, 12:24am

Hi RLR,
thankyou so much for that reassurance, my doctor just said that they didn't really sound like normal atenolol side effects to her which frustrated me a little as they're listed on the leaflet & I just needed some reassurance.
These side effects have raised my anxiety again as I have felt really worried about what the drug is doing to me. Your reassurance has really helped-thank you.

To be honest I just want to get off it now & I really don't want to try anything else, I would prefer to cope with the palps by reducing anxiety & stress & avoiding dietary triggers etc.
I have only taken the 25mg dose for 2 days & today is the 2nd day of taking the half dose, so how long should I take this lower dose for? Should I then take 1/4 dose for afew days before stopping completely? You see now I'm anxious about stopping it because of all the stuff you read about not stopping it quickly. I'm a bit worried that when I come off it I'll get loads of palpitations-the anxiety of the past few days has triggered lots of palps anyway, it's just that the 'thud' isn't quite so hard.

I just wanted to say how much I appreciate you taking the time to answer all these posts.
I really don't want to be an anxious person, it's awful trying to cope with health anxiety & I know it's very frustrating & annoying for people around us-family, friends & medical professionals. People are very rarely sympathetic towards us but as health anxiety is a mental health illness I wish that it was taken more seriously & treatment offered more readily by doctors.

When I think of all the years I've been going to my doctor-mostly for minor things that I'm stressing about, why didn't he suggest treatment for my health anxiety then? As it is I took matters in to my own hands last year & saw a CBT therapist privately, this has helped a lot but this year has been exceptionally difficult re: health so it's hard to see the effects of the CBT.

Sorry-gone off subject abit there, just something I feel strongly about. I'm not implying that everyone on this board has health anxiety because they don't but I know there are afew of us here!!
Thanks again!
Seffie xxxx

Title: Re: atenolol side effects
Post by beadbabe on Sep 7^th, 2007, 1:36am

Hi Seffie
If we are worried about our hearts and we have been told there is nothing to worry about then we do have health anxiety of a sort and it comes in many disguises.
I accept that I have it and anyone who had funny symptoms would start to wonder about their health and in some of us it progresses to an unhealthy worrying, almost daily focus. I do have healthy anxiety but wouldn't do if I didn't have the symptoms. The vicious circle.
I hope you come to a decision what to do. when i last saw my cardiologist I told him the medication wasn't really helping and how should I stop it - he said whenever you want to because medically there is no reason for taking it because I don't have heart disease. It wasn't keeping me alive! so I just did alternate doses - cut down and stopped after a couple of days because like you I was on a very low dose.
anyway listen to what RLR and your doctor tell you and you will be okay. For now I am trying to battle the palps without medication.
Bead