Beta Blockers and romance

[bocco]

I have been on Metoprolol since I left the hospital a little over 3 weeks ago. Now that I am feeling mostly pretty good I'm starting to notice that the metoprolol slows my interest in most things including romance. I know it's still a little early but that's the way I am. I was on it about a year ago and didn't like it then either. Just before the surgery my cardio had me on Atenolol which flat out lists ED as a side effect and I had no problem with it.

I am going to be hitting up my cardio for a different BB and I am looking for suggestions from the forum as far as what has caused problems and what has not.

Thanks

Gary

 

[Bill B]

I'm not sure any BB is better than the others in this regard. It is an individual thing. I see no reason you couldn't be switched back to atenolol, unless that caused some other problem.

 

[tobagotwo]

Yes - switch to a medication that doesn't have that effect on you. Beta blockers are known for such issues, or issues (if you can believe it) of males not being able to complete what they start. Do not live with a medication that compromises the quality of your life unless there is no other choice. In this case, there are lots of other choices, other beta blockers, ACE inhibitors, calcium channel blockers, diuretics, vasodilators and various angiotensin/angiotensin II blockers.

Each medication reacts somewhat differently in every patient. What works for your friend may have very bothersome side effects for you.

Be prepared for the search for a good medication to be a pain in the butt. You'll be checking back in with your doctor more frequently, and you may find some worse prescriptions before you find a better one. But don't give up. There's such a variety out there now that there should be something that works and is reasonably low on side-effects for just about everyone.

Best wishes,

 

[bocco]

Yes I'm aware that there are almost to many choices out there. I'm hoping for more opinions to help me narrrow the choice down a little.

 

[Bill B]

No, other than your personal experience, there is not much to suggest one is better than the others in this regard.

 

[tobagotwo]

Well, that's going to be hit and miss, because everyone is different. Bystolic is pretty popular, and seems to have less of a negative effect in that regard. Yet I'm sure there'll be someone who's had that issue with that brand as well. The chemistry involved is highly complex and subject to an individual's cyclical changes.

Another thought is to see if you can go on an ACE inhibitor instead of a beta blocker, as they tend to have fewer side effects in general, or go with a combination that has a lower dose of the beta blocker. Sometimes a diuretic can have a huge effect on blood pressure, letting you significantly lower your other meds.

Best wishes,