Hi Girls,

Since I have gone to the doc's he has upped my beta blockers from 10mg a day to 20mg (which is what I was supposed to be taking in the first place). I'm feeling really tired and lethargic and just want to sleep all the time. I called the pharmacist and he said its' still a really small dose and most people start at 30mg and some people are taking 80mg. I havent' checked my BP in a few days because I was obsessing about it too much. I might try taking it again today just to see, but i'm worried it will send me in a tailspin if it's high (of course it will). I dont' feel like doing anything just too tired.

Does anyone of you take this medication, how much do you take and does it make you tired, maybe I just have to get used to the new dose? My doc also ordered some new blood work, besides the usual TSH and Cholesterol, he ordered urine test, CR and ACR ? does anyone know what those are ?

I just feel like a dish rag,

Any responses would be great appreciated.

Moozie

I know my blood pressure meds (Lisinopril) made me feel that way when I first started taking them. They are a low dosage also (40 mg). My body had to get used to them and it took about two weeks. Maybe the same thing is happening to you. I hope you feel better soon.

Hey Mooz - welcome to the inderal club! And yepper, it isn't in your head....it really does make you tired. I take it for my thyroid and to this day, it still makes me sleepy & I take 40mg a day - 20 in the morning, 20 at night. (It controls the rapid/pounding heart). However, Inderal even in small doses reduces anxiety, which is why you're sleepy. It's sorta like taking an antihistimine...it does get easier once the med builds up in your bloodstream, which is as Linda has said, about 2 weeks. The effects tho are pretty instant depending on the type of inderal you take. The actual inderal works within seconds and lasts for 12 hours, while the generic takes about 15 minutes to work and lasts about half that long. But, like I said, to this day it still makes me sleepy and because I have a low tolerance to meds, it gives me a medicine head...like I'm on a strong narcotic. I have tried taking just 20 mg, but it isn't quite enough to make the pounding stop, the 40 seems to much (for my head anyway). That's one of the things I'm going to ask Lupita when I see her tuesday (yes, I'm leaving for PV tomorrow - yeah!) Can I try the 30 mg - that might be just about the right dose... enough to stop my pounding heart without giving me a head as thick as concrete...

Anyway, it will get easier as you get used to the drug, just take it slow for a while, ok? Oh, and be careful when you stand up, sometimes it can make you a bit light headed/dizzy...so use caution until you've adapted...

Tay

Mooz,

I happen to have a requisition at home to have some blood work done and I took a look at it. There are no CR tests on my list but there is a CK. This is a blood test to see if your heart muscle has been damaged. It indicates whether you have had a heart attack or not. I have to have the same test. It is a pretty standard test for people our age - I have high CHO which is why I have to have it. You have HBP and family history of heart attack, which is why you have to have it. It is no big deal, just a precaution.

I personally have no experience with beta blocker medication. I have a bottle of it in the cupboard, as my doctor gave me an Rx for it after I went to the ER during a panic attack with a BP of 176/90. But the truth is, I don't have high BP normally, so I have never taken it. The doc even said to take it situationally, just when I was having high stress. I opted for Ativan instead!!

I am sure that tiredness is a side effect from the med, and it will most likely pass after you body becomes accustom to the higher dose.

Hang in there Mooz!!

I took Inderal on an ad hoc basis when I suffered from anxiety (it's prescribed for anxiety as well as hypertension). Mostly I took 10mg, sometimes 20mg and on one particular occasion where the anxiety was unabating, it took 40mg to even begin to bring down the anxiety.

I did find, even on a low dose, that I couldn't do things like run up stairs - that kind of exertion - whereas without it in my system, I could. It seemed to inhibit physical energy in that sense.

A friend of mine (male) was prescribed beta blockers in conjunction with ACE inhibitors and one other medication for high blood pressure. Eventually he was able to wean off the beta blockers. I seem to remember that beta blockers affected his stamina. His blood pressure is within the normal range now with a conjunction of ACE inhibitors and the other medication (which I can't remember). It might be that there's a better medication for controlling blood pressure in your case than beta blockers, one that suits you better.

The pharmacist is correct though, 10mg - 20mg is a really small dose and most people take a much higher dose for hypertension.

If you stop taking beta blockers, remember to wean off, reducing the dose gradually. I never took them full time so I was OK. My friend on the other hand, went from something like 80mg daily to nothing very abruptly (his GP not having warned him) and felt dreadful for 48 hours or so.

Thanks girls, just took my blood pressure, and it's high, I give up


Pray for me,

Moozie

Hey hun don't give up ((((hugs)))

The friend I mentioned was worried about his blood pressure for a long time but with the right medications it came back within the normal range and he feels fine - energetic and well.

Also I can relate to blood pressure being high because of feeling anxious about it. In my GP's surgery mine was on the high side and the GP I was seeing wanted to measure it again at a later date. When I saw another doctor in between however, who took care to relax me by chatting and taking my mind away from it, it was absolutely normal!

Also hormonally caused things do settle down. When I was in the thick of peri there were times I woke in the night with a racing heart at well over 120 beats per minute. Goodness knows what my blood pressure would have been at such times. Now I'm post it's all settled down, and when I measure my heart rate in the gym on equipment, it's lower than the (male) instructor's, who's in his twenties (I'm 54)!

Hi,

I'm 10 years post and still going though this horrible hell , i thought I had paid my dues , guess it's not over. Also, who knows long my BP has been high, could be years since i've had such bad anxiety/panic for years and years. The stress in my life insnt' helping either.

Hugs,

Moozie

Moozie, what exactly is "high"??

156/93...but I will take it again later, it was 140/90 at doc's on Thursday morning.

HI there,

My 16 yo son just went through a 'thyroid storm' extremely, dangerously high hyperthyroid..he was in the ICU with poiunding heart, taccycardia over 160 etc....not only was he put on radioactive iodine to kill off his thyroid, but he was put on 20 mg three times a day...he is very tired..but he's feeling much better as far as pounding heart, his pulse has been normal, no more extreme dizziness/ or almost passsing out when he stands...

so the amount you are on is very low...if my 16 yo can handle 60 mg a day..you're still safe.

wishing you the best

LSIa

Thanks lisa for the encouragement, I'm actually sitting here waiting for replies, LOL, how desperate is that.

So much appreicated,

Hugs,

Moozie

Awwwwww sorry to hear that. High blood pressure can be treated with the right medications though. I know that worrying about it adds to the stress. My friend used to lie awake worrying about his health. He was very reluctant to take medications at first, or to take what seemed to him like high doses, but he and his doctors have hit upon a combination of two medications that are working very well for him and he feels completely well for the first time in several years. That of course has reduced his anxiety, he sleeps better and it put him onto a positive cycle moodwise. Initially he was prescribed beta blockers, but the two more recent medications work much better for him and he was able to stop taking beta blockers with his blood pressure still remaining within the normal range. There were times in the last few years when he felt really down about his health, and thought he'd never be fully well again, but it just required the right medications and now he feels completely normal.

He also had tests to see whether the high blood pressure had had effects on organs, etc. It's completey routine so far as I know. Despite having had high blood pressure for years, there were no effects - so don't worry too much.

Have you investigated the diet and lifestyle ways to reduce blood pressure?

All the best.

Hi moozer! Ok honey, first take a deep breath. We all tend to go straight to the most awful scenario during this stage of our lives.

As far as the testing your Doc ordered, they are Cardiac risk tests. Your C Reactive Protein and Homocystine levels to be exact. These 2 tests are a very reliable indicators of enzymes present in vascular disease, heart attack and stroke risk.

If..and I emphasize IF....your levels are not in the normal range....it gives your physician a gauge as to how to reduce your risk thru medications and also advising you regarding changes in your diet and lifestyle behavior.

Thanks Cg, "snif"

Moozie,
Since I was recently diagnosed with high bp, and I'm not really sure how long it's been high, I did some research. Have you ever heard of Dr. McDougall? He's written a few books and his take on high bp stunned me. Here's something I cut and paste for you and I'll be bringing it with me to my next dr. appointment to get his take. This troubles me on many different levels, but I'm looking forward to getting my doctors opinion!

Hypertension

The 2007 guidelines recommend treating blood pressure more aggressively than I practice. They say, “Pharmacotherapy is indicated when blood pressure is equal to or greater than 140/90 mm Hg or at an even lower blood pressure in the setting of chronic kidney disease or diabetes (is equal to or greater than 130/80 mm Hg).” The 2004 British guidelines, which I follow, state, “Initiate antihypertensive drug therapy if sustained systolic blood pressure is equal to or greater than160 mm Hg or sustained diastolic blood pressure is equal to or greater than 100 mm Hg.3

The current Heart Association guidelines will cause doctors to overtreat hypertension and lower the patients’ blood pressures to too low of levels with medications, and thus harms the patients. Research over the last 20 years clearly shows overaggressive treatment of blood pressure with medications kills. (See my Hot Topics, hypertension). The incidence of heart attacks, death, and/or stroke was three times higher for patients with a diastolic blood pressure (the lower number) of 60 mmHg compared to a person with a pressure of 80 to 90 mmHg (when treated with medications to lower blood pressure).4 When I treat high blood pressure with medications, I am careful to not lower the diastolic (bottom number) below 85 mmHg.

Okira,

That's very interesting, but I would still be treating if I was Dr. McDougal's patient. Really makes us wonder. Please let me know what your doc says, I would be really interested in hearing what he says.

Hugs,

Moozie