Beta Blockers and Muscle pain?

[JimChicago]

I'm wondering if anybody has ever noticed muscle pain as a side effect of of a beta blocker such as coreg?

I find that my walking exercise is limited by getting muscle pain in my leg after some period of time walking. I was just wondering if my taking a minimum dose of coreg could be related to this? I've seen 'muscle cramps' listed as a possible side effect of coreg. I am also taking digoxin and vasotec (enalapril), as well as synthroid.

 

[LUVMyBirman]

Jim! It's the Chicago weather! How long have you been feeling this way?

Have been in pain myself during all of these high's and lows moving through. Yesterdey it was migraine. Front passed and I was fine. Today it was muscular pain in my upper back. Front lifted. Again gone! Back again slighlty right now with the new batch of storms.

Strong pressure system we have here in the Windy City! My hubby even said he noted the "pain index" on CLTV for the area today. It was high.

 

[Rich]

Jim,
My wife takes Antenolol.
She takes it in the morning and if we don't get our daily walk in early she starts to have similar problems.
Of course we also have some weather problems here lately.
It would seem you guys in Chicago are sending it in our direction.

 

[Shine_on_Syd]

Jim,
I take a beta blocker (80 mg Inderal LA) and do 45 minutes if rigorous cardio exercise 6 days a week, I can?t say that I can link any aches and pains related to the beta blocker. I do drink a lot of water during and after exercise to flush out the muscles and I follow up with electrolyte replacement drinks. I have also heard that Vitamin E is good to relieve muscle pains after exercise.
Good luck,
Jim

 

[Gemma]

Jim,
My boyfriend Jim discussed his medications and side-effects with his gym instructor a couple of weeks ago. He takes sotalol (an anti-arrhythmic beta-blocker) and often gets aching thigh muscles and knees. Apparently, the gym instructor knows of about 30-40 other people on similar drugs who have complained of similar aches and pains. His explanation was that lactic acid builds up more quickly in the muscles of a person who takes beta blockers, thus causing muscular aches/cramps more quickly. I'm not entirely sure how accurate this theory is or even why it might be so, but it seems there is a link there somewhere.
Gemma.

 

[Shine_on_Syd]

...and taking lots of water during and after exercise is important to flush out the lactic acid.

 

[Marge]

I've noticed no muscle pain of any kind while taking beta blockers.

I started taking coreg in November 2003 and worked up gradually to the point where I was at my target dosage of 50 mg a day (25 mg 2x a day). I had had intermittant problems with pains and cramps in my legs, sometimes quite painful (especially in the right leg) during the summer & early fall of 2003. I still don't know what these pains were about (my cardio said he was sure they were not related to either heart or circulatory problems), but one thing I do know -- after I started taking coreg they pretty much disappeare. So if anything the coreg helped.

I was taken off coreg when I went into the hospital for my valve repair and was on lopressor after that for a while. I've been back on coreg since late March. (Currently on 37.5 mg. a day.) The leg pains haven't returned and I was able to complete my month of cardiac rehab, and have continued on with regular cardio vascular exercise -- with no problems.

 

[JimChicago]

Jim,
My boyfriend Jim discussed his medications and side-effects with his gym instructor a couple of weeks ago. He takes sotalol (an anti-arrhythmic beta-blocker) and often gets aching thigh muscles and knees. Apparently, the gym instructor knows of about 30-40 other people on similar drugs who have complained of similar aches and pains. His explanation was that lactic acid builds up more quickly in the muscles of a person who takes beta blockers, thus causing muscular aches/cramps more quickly. I'm not entirely sure how accurate this theory is or even why it might be so, but it seems there is a link there somewhere.
Gemma.

That kind of sounds like what I've been getting too. It is related to the degree of exercise, particularly if I have to stand in line somewhere for a long time, kind of like one would expect from lactic acid. I may be more prone to it due to hypothyroid problems. I kind of wonder too if the beta blocker slows my heart rate (which it does) then when I exercise perhaps the heart then isn't beating fast enough for the added exercise effort?

Gina - I agree the weather has been troublesome lately. We only had 5 bouts of thunderstorms today (interspresed with some sunshine though). I hope those migraines and muscle pains clear up - we have the hot and humind weather to look forward to in July/August.

Syd - the water idea is a good one but I'm leery of it since I'm supposed to be on restricted water due to ankle swelling in my left leg. They say 48 oz per day or something. So I haven't been drinking as much water as I used to before valve surgery.

Thanks for all your comments!

 

[Susan BAV]

Jim -

I had to take Sotalol for three months post-op for a-fib which came on shortly after AVR and a little over a week after I began it I had a HORRENDOUS pain settle into both joints where my legs attach to my torso, so awful that I could barely walk. It slowly began to resolve and is still resolving at this point, several months later, although it is now mostly gone. I believe it may have been from the Sotalol. By the way, I also take Synthroid and when I refilled my RX recently, I reread the list of medications that can cause problems when taken simultaneously. Check it out and ask your doctor. Also, while I took the Sotalol, I lost a lot of hair. Was it from the anesthesia, or the Sotalol, or the Coumadin, or was it because the Sotalol made my Synthroid not work?! I have no way of knowing.