Kicking the Beta Blocker Habit

[MikeHeim]

Brief History:
After my surgery, I was immediately put on a high dose of Atenolol (75mg twice daily). At about six months I was dropped down to 50mg twice daily, and at a year dropped to 25mg twice daily. At about 20 months I started having issues with SOB and lethargy (as well as a resting HR of about 52), so my Cardiologist said it was most likely time to wean myself off of it altogether. I did it over a couple weeks by first dropping to 25mg/day and then to 12.5mg/day. By that time I felt better, so I kept taking the 12.5mg/day and have now for over one year. My Cardio was fully aware and said that he didn't care but doubted that 12.5mg actually did anything (which is a half-pill). He also reiterated that I could stop whenever I wanted. A little over a month ago, I started getting some SOB again and my resting HR was really low again, so I decided to finally kick it. As I was only taking a half-pill, I didn't think there was much reason to "wean" myself off it, so I quit cold-turkey. I felt great for about 4-5 days, but now have a pretty high resting HR at 80-84. The second I stand up and do something, it seems to jump up to about 100.

Question:
For those of you who no longer take beta-blockers: How long was the "readjustment" period? As in, how long did it take for you to go back to whatever your normal HR's were? I personally wonder if my body is having a harder time adjusting because I took them for such a relatively long period (almost three years).

Anyways, any input and advice is greatly appreciated. Thanks!

 

[Mary]

Mike,
I was never on as high a dose as you were, and I only stayed on medication for a year, but I also gradually weaned myself off as you have done.

My HR stayed high (80's) until I started consistently doing aerobic exercise 4-5 times a week and lost about 10 pounds. The time interval was about 18 months. Now my HR is in the mid 70's, and at my cardio appt. last week, my latest echo earned rave reviews from the doc.

 

[Bridgette]

I took Sotalol before my surgery but afterwards I did not resume taking it. The surgeon wanted my heart to "remodel" on its own. I think it took several months for my heart rate to start coming down but it did happen slowly and surely.
My resting pulse rate is now consistently below 80 which I find to be ok.
As Mary said, getting fitter helped.

Bridgette

 

[hall]

I took atenolol too. I took 25mg twice a day. After OHS I had an ablation. 3 days before the ablation they had me go off the atenolol period. Much to my surprise, I did not go into SVT. I had the ablation and never was atenolol again! I am fine and (knock on wood) have not had a problem. The best one to advise you about the jump in heart rate is you doc. Best of luck to you.

 

[Duff Man]

mike, it takes surprisingly long for your body to acclimate to it's old chemistry when it comes to discontinuing or reducing the BB's. It took me a couple months to get used to halving my dose. Whenever I stood up my heart POUNDED, like scary pounded, for quite a while. Especially if I was just lounging around for a long while.

 

[dtread]

Mike, you can cut the Atenolol tabs into quarters if you use a pill cutter (about 6.5 mg). Even that is a pretty potent dose, in my opinion. I was on it for a month or two after my surgery but got off it. I didn't have any problem going off it because I was never on it very long, and I never took anything even close to the doses you took. But I have also used Atenolol a couple of times when I've had irregular heart rate, and within about 5 minutes of taking a quarter tab (~6.5 mg) the heart rate settles down. Even that low of a dose also lowers my resting heart rate about 5 beats per minute. I tried cutting it smaller than a quarter tab (using a pill cutter) but was unable to - it just crumbled. You might be able to cut a half tab into thirds. I didn't try that but it might work. That would be one sixth of a tab, or about 4 mg. Very tiny. I don't know why they don't make the pills in smaller doses.

You have to be very careful going off beta blockers. You might have gone a little bit too cold turkey.

The above is not intended to be interpreted to be any kind of medical advice. You might want to check with your doctor.

 

[Duff Man]

I should've qualified my comment about my heart pounding by saying that I'm especially sensitive to anything that goes on in my chest and I have an aneurysm which effects the elasticity of the aorta. Some people don't ever feel anything. I happen to be on the opposite end of that spectrum, so your mileage may vary.

 

[Eva]

....
You have to be very careful going off beta blockers. You might have gone a little bit too cold turkey.

The above is not intended to be interpreted to be any kind of medical advice. You might want to check with your doctor.

Mike,

I agree with Dan. I was on 25mg (Coreg) and now, using a cutter, I take 6.25 which is a potent dose for me!!

I am not a doctor and this is just my humble opinio...having been that long on it, maybe you should have weaned off more gradually.