Beta Blockers and PVCs - Heart Disorders Message Board

chill200 · 03-22-2004, 12:51 PM

Two weeks ago I started the beta blocker (50mg Toprol) to try and relieve fast heartrate (intermittant tachycardia) and PVCs that I'd been having. It seemed like things were going fairly well at first. This could've been related to the fact that I had started taking a good vit/mineral supplement 2 weeks before I started the beta block.

As I said, everything was going along good until about 2 days ago when these PVCs seemed to have come back with a vengeance. After looking thru the internet, I'm now wondering if this beta block isn't making the situation worst instead of better. It's been approx 2 weeks since starting the BB. I read that when your pulse slows down, you will develop something called "escape beats". These can feel just like PVCs but they're not. The beta block could be causing it.

I'm not sure how to handle this. These last 2 days have felt WORST than I did before starting the beta block. Can 2 weeks be long enough for the beta to be doing this??

Any thoughts? Ideas? Opinions?

thanks

kimma5202 · 03-22-2004, 09:12 PM

i have sinus tachycardia and LOTS of pvc's i was given atenolol it made my pvc's constant and probably twice as bad. i wont be trying another BB for a long time or until my sinus tachycardia gets worse. After i stopped the BB i had the best month with pvc's maybe like a 100 a day and i havent been like that for over a year. my PVC's are back now just as bad as they were before. i also have low blood pressure 88/56 BEFORE atenolol so it made me feel like crap.
kim

hilery79 · 03-22-2004, 09:41 PM

Hi,
I also take toprol xl for tachycardia. I remember having a few side effects along with frequent PVC's when I first started taking it, but these symptoms subsided after several weeks(I still feel some skipped beats, but not near as often). I've now been taking it for about 9 months and my main problem(like the previous poster) is that the BB makes my bp drop too low. Yet, my heart rate is still pretty fast.

I would talk to your Dr. about it, but I really think these pvc's or "escaped beats" will probably subside with time.
Take care,
hilery

chill200 · 03-23-2004, 06:41 AM

Kimma, are you taking anything (meds) now for the PVCs? Since you stopped the BB, did they give you anything else to take? Also how long were you on the BB before you stopped?

Thanks so much for the info !!!!!

chill200 · 03-23-2004, 06:43 AM

Thanks Hilery79
Just curious about one more thing. Did your doc say that you could quit the BB if you wanted to? I'm kinda scared that once I started this BB, I will have to take it from now on. I'd like to have the option of stopping (without rebound problems) if I choose to.

thanks so much for posting!!!!