Palpitations-Beta Blockers useless.... - Heart Disorders Message Board

worrywart66 · 07-13-2002, 01:12 PM

Hello everyone. I am brand new here as of today 7/13. I am a 36yr old male who has had palpitations most of my life. I finally went to the ER about two months ago, got fitted with a halt monitor (ectopic ventricular beats, APC's, 34 seconds of SVT noted) I then took the results I just mentioned to my regular physician and he said all three of these noted events are found in healthy hearts. I then had an echo cardiogram and it was normal as well. I begged him for a beta blocker and I was given a pescription for ATENOLOL (50mg twice a day) They have not touched my palpitations and it has been 5 weeks. What next?? My palps sometimes go 24/7 and it is starting to drive me nuts as well as worry me. I was told they are secondary to anxiety. Anyone else in my boat?? They are worse at night and after meals. Thanks!!!

lelalo · 07-14-2002, 07:12 AM

I am in your boat. I have palpitations off on and on all day. My resting rate is 110. It is worse for me when I wake in the morning (it was 121 this morning) and after I eat. I was diagnosed with inappropriate sinus tachycardia and orthostatic low blood pressure (I had an events monitor and had the tilt table test done). I feel like crap 24/7 - dizzy, nauseaus, tired, faint, etc.

I also suffer from anxiety - or who knows, it could have been my heart all along. It started about 2 years ago and I was put on an anti-anxiety medication. It helps my anxiety, but not my blood pressure or palpitations.

My cardiologist put me on a beta blocker (I am very sensitive to drugs). I think it was the same one you are on. Within a week my heart rate started to go down, but my blood pressure went down also, so I felt even worse. My blood pressure is usually 80's/50's so when it went down it was terrible. I am no longer on the beta blocker. I am now on a drug called Florinef which is supposed to help my body retain sodium and therefore increase my blood pressure. I have been on it for a week and still feel awful.

I wish I had some success story for you, however, I feel just as terrible as you do. I hope you feel better.

worrywart66 · 07-15-2002, 05:19 AM

Thanks for the reply lelalo. It sounds as if your situatuion is a little different than mine. My palpatations have no other symptoms with them, no pain, no lightheadedness, no weekness, no nothing. Just nasty, all day palps. I wish you all the best!

phja · 08-01-2002, 07:55 AM

hi. have mvp,palpatations ,anxiety.not on meds now,i try to ignore them. was bad a while back so i stopped caffeine, only decaf.much better since.a good beta blocker is kerlone,i wastaking lowest dose and it really helped.took it about 4 yrs ago.good luck.

BriggyNL · 08-01-2002, 03:47 PM

Hi. I know exactly what you're going through. With me it started to go wrong last year (oktober 2001). I tried taking potassium/magnesium/hawtorn berries but nothing helped. Palpitations 24/7 and they were even worse after meals. I was going nuts. So I thought it was time to see my Doc. After a 24-hour holter, he gave me a prescription for Sotalol (betablocker). I took this for 2 months but it didn't help at all. Then he send me to the hospital. In february I had all the tests done (holter / stress / bp / blood etc). Everything was ok, my heart was healthy, but I was getting more depressed. The cardiologist gave me a prescription (this was in april) for Verapamil (calciumblocker). The first 6 weeks I felt no difference, but then the palps became less.
I still have palpitations every day. But first I had 100's-1000's a day and now I only experience them for short periods and only about 10-100 times a day. I feel so much better, I got my life back. I still have bad days, but for 8 months everyday was a bad day. I don't know if it's the Verapamil that did the trick, I also stopped taking coffee, coke and alcohol. Maybe you can ask your doc about the verapamil. You can always try. I wish you all the best, because I know exactly what you are going through.