Causes of Increased Heart Rate - High & Low Blood Pressure Message Board

Looly · 06-04-2005, 09:15 PM

So, I've been off of atenolol for a few weeks. Thought I was doing well until this week. I had two nights of torture where my heart rate increased from around 75-80 to 113 and of course this happened in the middle of the night which made it that much worse.

Early this morning, like at 2 AM my bp was high ( though it has been good without med for the past 1 1/2 weeks) and like I said heart rate was sky high.

I'd like to know if anyone has an idea why this happens out of the blue?

When this previously happened I went straight to blaming atenolol. Now I can't do that. I went to dr today - he took at EKG - which was fine except for rapid heart rate or tachardia. He gave me samples of COREG. I also have samples from another visit of PROPRANOLOL. Guess he forgot he gave me Propranolol a while ago which I have not taken.

So my question, is a rapid heartbeat that abnormal at times that I have to start again with meds as my bp and heart rate usually fall within the normal range except for an occassional spike. What causes spikes? I asked the dr - he said maybe hormones (over menopause 8 years) so I don't think that's the problem, and anxiety - well, we all have it but when this happened I didn't think I was anxious, except for the fact that I became upset and nervous when my heart was beating out of my chest.

Any ideas on why this happens sporadically and which medication could help without those dreadful side effect potentials. You've been great in the past with your input - I count on you again. Thanks a lotl

CASSIEBEL · 06-04-2005, 10:00 PM

Lolasmom,
Sorry to hear of your troubles. If it doesn't happen in the middle of the night it happens on the week end. Seems like fate just has it in for all of us.

I really can't explain just what is happening. Someone from this board explained it to me but my memory ain't what it used to be. I think it is still probably the atenolol. It sometimes takes months to completely recover from the hold it gets on us. If I recall correctly it has something to do with the adrenal gland and the effect the beta blocker had on it. You may go for weeks with a normal BP and pulse and for no apparent reason WHAM! and it's back. It will eventually go away, if you can hold on long enough.

I couldn't take the anxiety, Palpatations, and extremely HBP that came with it so I still take it (the smallest dose I can get by with) I still hope to get completely off some day. If I were you and had survived this long I would try to tough it out.

Did you ask the doctor if it could still be the atenolol? It probably wouldn't have done any good to ask though. I don't believe even half of the doctors in the US know about how addictive beta blockers are. I have only met one out of 10 or 12 in the past 26 years.

I hope you are feeling better. My thoughts will be with you,
Cass
I hope this makes sense. I took my clonidine about 2 hours ago and I am drowsy.

Looly · 06-05-2005, 06:00 AM

Cass - thanks for your input. I am curious - I read several times that you were on clonidine. I looked up this drug and saw that it did have side effects too, ones that made me not want to ask my doctor about it. I would presume that you do fine with it. Have you ever had a problem on clonidine, like when you first started it. And, do you use it for sleep or for spikes, or for what? I had a great nite last nite. No spikes and slept, finally. Beautiful day here in NY - going on a cruise around NYC with family for birthdays. I would like to cast my problems into the Hudson River and pray that I will feel better without the drugs etc - but, somehow I remember, way before Atenolol, that the reason I started taking it was for a blood pressure spike which occurred out of the blue. So I'm not really thinking that the atenolol may have caused my recent spiking. I've read about tachardia (spell check?) and I guess that's what I have. If I were smart, I'd see a cardio dr but then again, would their opinions differ from my doctor. WHo knows. Maybe I'll give it some thought. Do you see a cardio or a regular primary care physician. It's all very confusing and a problem definitely not one what I'm thrilled with. It s-cks to age - but I guess one has the benefits of living long enough to be a problem to your children.....LOL!!!!!! So, tell me about clonidine. Thank you so much!

CASSIEBEL · 06-05-2005, 11:22 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by lolasmom

Cass - thanks for your input. I am curious - I read several times that you were on clonidine. I looked up this drug and saw that it did have side effects too, ones that made me not want to ask my doctor about it. I would presume that you do fine with it. Have you ever had a problem on clonidine, like when you first started it. And, do you use it for sleep or for spikes, or for what? I had a great nite last nite. No spikes and slept, finally. Beautiful day here in NY - going on a cruise around NYC with family for birthdays. I would like to cast my problems into the Hudson River and pray that I will feel better without the drugs etc - but, somehow I remember, way before Atenolol, that the reason I started taking it was for a blood pressure spike which occurred out of the blue. So I'm not really thinking that the atenolol may have caused my recent spiking. I've read about tachardia (spell check?) and I guess that's what I have. If I were smart, I'd see a cardio dr but then again, would their opinions differ from my doctor. WHo knows. Maybe I'll give it some thought. Do you see a cardio or a regular primary care physician. It's all very confusing and a problem definitely not one what I'm thrilled with. It s-cks to age - but I guess one has the benefits of living long enough to be a problem to your children.....LOL!!!!!! So, tell me about clonidine. Thank you so much!

Lolasmom, Hope you are enjoying your day. Sounds like a great one! It's much to hot and humid here (SE TX) to spend much time outdoors. I run out after breakfast and tend my flowers and run back to the air conditioning.

For the first 20 or so years I was treated by a GP. I think there have been about 7 of them. The last one wanted me to see a cardiologist. I went through 3 of them and am back with the last GP and doing OK.
I was excited about a specialist, I have very hard to control HBP. I thought I would finally solve my problem. I was sooo disappointed. All they wanted to do was add med upon med upon med till I was either sleeping all day are in a zombie daze so I took some advice from this board and retreated back to my last GP.
The best advice I can give about a doctor is find one that will listen to you and not treat you like a child that won't mind. Someone on this board told me that a she feels that most cardiologist think of themselves as gods and look down on us and our ideas. Only WE know how we feel and we all react to meds in different ways.

Now on to Clonidine. As I said I have stubborn BP. It would be OK in the AM and dangerously high late afternoon and through the night. I tried to adjust my meds (as the cardiologist suggested ) and was taking medication of one kind or another all day.
I was on
10 mgs of altace (ACEI) and .1 mg of clonidine @7am
40/25 Benicar, HCTZ ( ARB + diuretic ) @ 2pm
25 mgs of atenolol @ 7am & 7pm
.1mg of clonidine @ 10pm
This resulted in a BP around 85/55 - 190/101 in a 24 hour period.
Apparently (in my case anyway) the combination of ACEI, ARB, and beta blocker were somehow working against each other

So, now on 10mgs of altace, 12.5 of atenolol, and 25mgs of HCTZ I feel much better and BP is within a normal range.
I take the clonidine on an as needed basis. Only at night. I just take 1/2 of .1 mg and it seems to control my evening BP (when I always got my spikes)
My 10 pm BP is usualy around 125-130 / mid 70s. If I don't take a clonidine I get around 137/85 in the am with the clonidine my am reading is around 120/80. It doesn't help with tachycardia though. The ony other meds that slow down the pulse are two of the calcium channel blockers ( verapimil and diltiazem) I have taken both without side effects - But, that was me.
Do you have a consistantly high pulse or just with the BP spikes? I have delt with tachycardia for many years. I found that it caused me to have severe anxiety which caused my BP to soar.
I am sure that this is way more info than you nedded. Sorry, I just get carried away sometimes.
Reguards,
cass

Editor · 06-05-2005, 05:24 PM

Hi Lola,

The next time your pulse races, take your pressure. I have noticed that when my pulse rate is HIGH, inveriably my pressure will be LOWER than normal. And, the opposite is also true. I suspect that our bodies enjoy a certain BP and does what it can to maintain it. When my pressure is up (160/95) my pulse is about 55. When my BP is low (125/75) my pulse is around 90.

Just a thought, Brenden.