dcs316

Hi!
I'm new to this board. I'm a 45 yr. old female. Last November I began having A LOT of pvc's and pac's. I had always had them here and there in the past and thought nothing of them but they suddenly became a frequent daily occurence. I eventually went and had the ekg, echocardiogram and 24 hr. holter tests and they found that there was a minor problem with my mitral valve and the monitor did record the irregular beats that I was complaining about. (I am also in perimenopause and they believe this is a contributing factor as well.) So the cardiologist recommended I go on atenolol. Because I am a long term daily exerciser and already have a pretty low pulse and BP he only put me on 12.5 mg. daily. So I've been on it about 3 to 4 wks. now and the pvc's/pac's are greatly reduced which is a relief but I'm wondering if the side effects of the atenolol are worth it. First of all there is the lightheadedness. My resting pulse is down to around 45 (not sure about the BP since I have no way to check that myself) so God help me if I stand up too fast! Then when I work out it is nearly impossible to get myself to my target heart rate. I am working twice as hard for half the usual results and my muscles are suffering (and aching!) for it -- not to mention my weight, which has already started to increase. Then there is the worst of all -- the constipation/bloat/ gas which has gotten progressively worse as the days go by. (Sorry if that's TMI!!) Has anyone else had these problems with beta blockers? Has anyone else just decided not to take them and live with the irregular beats and done fine?? They drove me nuts and had me worried since they were so constant but I'm almost thinking they weren't so bad compared to how I'm feeling now which is bordering on miserable. I'd hate to see how I'd feel on a larger dose!! I'm aware that I can't just stop cold turkey, but I'm seriously considering going off of the atenolol. Any input anyone can offer would be greatly appreciated. Thanks!