to Liillians Axe - High & Low Blood Pressure Message Board

kaykay5 · 04-11-2005, 02:34 PM

Have you begun your process of weaing off of Atenolol? How are you going to go about doing it? How long do you think it will take? Were you originally put on the med for HBP or Anxiety? Are you on other meds also?
I was on it for one week to lower my heart rate, but it made me feel awful. You say it is an older medicine, what do you think is a better one?

Random2 · 04-11-2005, 02:53 PM

I plan to start next Monday. I am going to wean slowly. I was put on it for HBP, but when I take 2 mgs of xanax a day it gets rid of the anxiety. I have no heart problems, so I don't know why I am on it. It is awful with the side-effects. I would not recommend Toprol either. If you don't have heart problems & have really good insurance, I would recommend going to a hypertension specialist. There are supposedly BP Meds. that do not have the side effects of Atenolol or Toprol.....or find a GP that understands the difference between anxiety and HBP & understands BP Meds. as well. Lotrel gives me very little side-effects.

Looly · 04-13-2005, 04:47 PM

Have any of you experienced waking up in the middle of the night sweating, or feeling very heated, on Atenolol. And, have you noticed that the side effects of Atenolol appear after you've been on it for a few months? Just curious. Thanks!!!!!

mrmojo · 04-13-2005, 05:53 PM

the first thing my doc put me on was atenolol (why i dont know, other than its cheap & i think he was trying to help me out)

Worked fine for 2 or 3 months, then i started to get dizzy, lightheaded, etc & it just quit controlling BP

Random2 · 04-14-2005, 07:00 AM

Lolasmom,

Not really. It just messes with my stomach in the morning at 100 MGS and makes me feel extremely lethargic. I can't feel this lethargic working a job that requires me to be alter 24/7. In addition it causes dizziness & feeling lighheaded from time to time as well like MrMojo.... It has made me feel 94 & not 34. I need a cup of coffee in the morning a one in the afternoon as well as a caffeinated soda just to feel normal. The side effect of yesterday was dizziness & I woke up with a nice hacking cough. I hope that Lotrel isn't starting to cause problems as well.... My B/P is 110/65, so by weaning off of it, I'm sure that it may got up a little, but I have no idea why I was ever put on a beta-blocker in the 1st place. Toprol was 1st. Too many side-effects!!!! Atenolol was supposed to be much better, because it doesn't go to your head 1st, but it was a big fabrication. If I have no heart problems & Atenolol doesn't do much for controlling BP or the new evidence shows that it doesn't prevent strokes & etc. then why I am on this junk that just causes side-effects? Weaning starting today.