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

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

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

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

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