BYSTOLIC (Nebivolol) - New Hypertensive(Beta Blocker)Medication
Several weeks ago my (Cardio) doctor prescribed a new beta blocker which was just released in the U.S. (and currently in use in 50 other countries) called BYSTOLIC the generic name is Nebivolol. I can say after just a few weeks, that the many side-effects I experienced in the first few weeks with many other beta blockers and HBP medications such as (dry mouth, cold hands, exhaustion, confusion etc.) have not ocurred with this medication.
I have had side effects with numerous medications over the years (too many to mention)
The only other medications which I'm currently taking or have taken in the past with minimal side effects is BENICAR, ACEON and BISOPROLOL. BYSTOLIC (so far) definitely tops the list. Unfortunately, medications which work great for one person may not necessarily work well for others, especially when higher doses are concerned. As side effects can sometimes take months/years to develop, I guess only time will tell. (So far so good)
Re: BYSTOLIC (Nebivolol) - New Hypertensive(Beta Blocker)Medication
Quote:
Originally Posted by Vanessa74
I am very glad that you have found something that works for you
Is this the only medication that you take for HBP?
Vanessa
I'm currently taking ACEON 2 mg and BYSTOLIC 2.5 mg (I break the pills in half). Luckily, my doctor likes to keep the dosages low and in combination, than he can work his way up. My first 2 pill combination about 8 years ago were TOPROL XL 25mg and ALTACE 5mg. (According to my doctor he said these 2 pills were the best of the best. I never felt well while taking these 2 pills, I had a dry mouth, cough, skipped heart beats, poor memory, poor sleep, nightmares (occasional insomnia or waking up during the night)
among others. I thought I would adjust to the meds.. Once he added 10mg of LIPITOR to the mix, I had neck and shoulder aches and a frequent bloody nose.
Were many of these sysmptoms related to the meds?? Probably. I was then switched to DIOVAN and TOPROL. I felt alot better... I eventually dropped the TOPROL and my pharm.company switched me from DIOVAN to COZAAR.
COZAAR gave me an almost constant tickle in my throat... I then went to BENICAR and a low dose of BISOPROLOL. I switched the BISOPROLOL to try the new BYSTOLIC med, and ACEON in place of BENICAR...
Re: BYSTOLIC (Nebivolol) - New Hypertensive(Beta Blocker)Medication
Quote:
Originally Posted by ACE28
... I never felt well while taking these 2 pills, I had a dry mouth, cough, skipped heart beats, poor memory, poor sleep, nightmares (occasional insomnia or waking up during the night)
among others. I thought I would adjust to the meds.. Once he added 10mg of LIPITOR to the mix, I had neck and shoulder aches and a frequent bloody nose.
I really appreciate your taking the time to mention the side effects...not too many people mention poor sleep, nightmares and occasional insomnia although they are listed as known side effects.
Quote:
...Were many of these sysmptoms related to the meds?? Probably.
I would be willing to think so, too. I blamed these symtoms on the sleeping disorder that I was diagnosed with, but surprise, surprise, now that I am med free, I sleep just fine (providing my cpap is working properly, ).
I'm pleased to learn that the new med is working well for you...and it sounds like you've got a doctor who understands the importance of dosage that's low and slow. Do keep us up to date with the new med!
Re: BYSTOLIC (Nebivolol) - New Hypertensive(Beta Blocker)Medication
Hi Ace,
Your doctor was right. Altace and other drugs in this class help treat several conditions and have been shown to be very effective for blood pressure control, especially in combination with diuretics. Thank goodness I can tolerate this medication. I am on 20mg and had the ugly cough initially. It went away after a while.
Sounds like you've had your share of side effects or, more accurately, adverse reactions (as Beth pointed out they are called now) with prescription medications. As helpful as Lipitor is supposed to be, I can't get over the feeling that it is damaging my muscles. I get the weirdest aches and pains. Most notably in my calf. My joints hurt, especially the right hip, knee and leg, so much so that I have to take the pain medication I was given for it. I am also on an antibiotic at the moment which made me extremely fatigued and sleepy after I took it with the pain meds at work. I don't remember ever feeling so tired. Somewhat concerned I stopped at the pharmacy after work to ask about any possible interactions. According to the pharmacist, (a new one I don't like) none of my meds are supposed to interact. Yeah, right! I happen to know of SEVERAL interactions even before these two new additions........ so will have to check for interactions myself. I think Lipitor is causing the muscle aches you and many others experienced as well. Why is it we always end up discussing our adverse reactions (side effects)? Could it be because they are much more common than our doctors believe?
I hope your low doses of medication will prove to be high enough for a good blood pressure control. Because the side effects are usually dose related, it is in our best interest to remain on the lowest doses of medication possible.
Thank you for sharing your experiences with both the old and the new antihypertensives. Good luck with Bystolic!
flowergirl
Last edited by flowergirl2day; 01-30-2008 at 07:14 PM.
Re: BYSTOLIC (Nebivolol) - New Hypertensive(Beta Blocker)Medication
Quote:
Originally Posted by flowergirl2day
Hi Ace,
Your doctor was right. Altace and other drugs in this class help treat several conditions and have been shown to be very effective for blood pressure control, especially in combination with diuretics. Thank goodness I can tolerate this medication. I am on 20mg and had the ugly cough initially. It went away after a while.
Sounds like you've had your share of side effects or, more accurately, adverse reactions (as Beth pointed out they are called now) with prescription medications. As helpful as Lipitor is supposed to be, I can't get over the feeling that it is damaging my muscles. I get the weirdest aches and pains. Most notably in my calf. My joints hurt, especially the right hip, knee and leg, so much so that I have to take the pain medication I was given for it. I am also on an antibiotic at the moment which made me extremely fatigued and sleepy after I took it with the pain meds at work. I don't remember ever feeling so tired. Somewhat concerned I stopped at the pharmacy after work to ask about any possible interactions. According to the pharmacist, (a new one I don't like) none of my meds are supposed to interact. Yeah, right! I happen to know of SEVERAL interactions even before these two new additions........ so will have to check for interactions myself. I think Lipitor is causing the muscle aches you and many others experienced as well. Why is it we always end up discussing our adverse reactions (side effects)? Could it be because they are much more common than our doctors believe?
I hope your low doses of medication will prove to be high enough for a good blood pressure control. Because the side effects are usually dose related, it is in our best interest to remain on the lowest doses of medication possible.
Thank you for sharing your experiences with both the old and the new antihypertensives. Good luck with Bystolic!
flowergirl
My doctor is well aware of medication side effects. When I mentioned the TOPROL occasional nightmares and vivid dreams, he commented that these side effects are not typical. When I did further research, I discovered that beta-blockers (as TOPROL) cross the blood and brain barrier which can cause these type of symptoms. When I mentioned the neck and muscle aches he said this is a rather common side-effect and told me to stop LIPITOR. He later switched me to 10mg of PRAVACHOL which worked better for me.
Drug Interractions (as you mention) are very common, they are the cause of most drug related fatalities. The more drugs you add to the mix the greater the sid-effects. No Doctor or Pharmacist can state with certainty that pill combinations are 100 % safe. They will always say "To the best of my Knowledge" Which means they really don't have a clue......
P.S. Remember the LIPITOR Interraction with Grapefruit Juice about 8 years ago? The LIPITOR blood levels increased enough to cause severe muscle aches and damage.. It was later discovered that approx. 500 + medications have this negative interraction. Are there any other Interractions we are not aware of??
Re: BYSTOLIC (Nebivolol) - New Hypertensive(Beta Blocker)Medication
ACE,
you've raised several good points.
I don't think anyone can be fully aware of all of the existing interactions between prescription and non-prescription drugs. They exist and people are experiencing them every day. They are not always recognized as such and are attributed to other causes - aging, ANXIETY, etc. Few drug combinations have been tested over extended periods of time (years...) and their numbers are very limited. As people age, more health problems arise, making it difficult or even impossible to distinguish a side effect of a medication from a symptom of a developing medical condition.
As far as the safety of prescription drugs - I read an article stating that the number of people dying each year from rx drug use is about the same as the number of casulties of an illicit drug use. It pays to do one's research and be very careful, especially when using multiple drugs.
You don't get any muscle aches on Pravachol? I'll do some reading about it. It seems to me that everytime I mention the wonder drug (Lipitor) as a possible cause of my aches the doctor gets MAD and says they are caused by -what else?-anxiety. I even quit taking it once because of scary muscle/nerve coordination problems and was persuaded to go back on it by my nephrologist. That's why I am not sure I have the option of stopping it completely or switching to another drug (unless it is very effective in reducing cholesterol). Oh well. I am lucky I am not on a high dose, I guess.
Re: BYSTOLIC (Nebivolol) - New Hypertensive(Beta Blocker)Medication
Pravachol (at the 10 mg dose) did not give me the muscle aches. PRAVACHOL ZOCOR, LOVASTATIN are the only (NATURAL - Red yeast) statins proven in Large Research studies to reduce all cause mortality. The FDA has approved PRAVACHOL and ZOCOR for almost every CARDIO-RELATED problem. LIPITOR has not been proven (By far). LIPITOR (Pfizer) marketing has been phenomenol.. Doctors push LIPITOR like crazy. CRESTOR is most similar to PRAVACHOL (except about 5 times more potent) when you add NIACIN to either of these Statins (Regression of Atheromas and CAROTID artery improvement have been noted in many studies)
P.S. You can search out the FDA information on these STATINS. <removed>
Last edited by mod-anon; 02-01-2008 at 11:59 PM.
Reason: do not discuss other forums
Re: BYSTOLIC (Nebivolol) - New Hypertensive(Beta Blocker)Medication
Thanks for your response and advice, ACE.
The red yeast rice and related products are not available in Canada.
Many of the Chinese health and medicinal products are being recalled almost daily by our government. (I get e-mail notices with every recall). I can't believe how frequent the recalls are. I think it's safer to consider all of these types of herbal, weight loss and other medicinal products UNSAFE unless proven otherwise! The red yeast rice was not available the last time I inquired, which was several months ago. I am not sure any of the products you have suggested are. I will definitely look into it. Many thanks once again!
P.S. I read many horror stories from former users of Lipitor. It's a Catch 22, taking chances either way.
Re: BYSTOLIC (Nebivolol) - New Hypertensive(Beta Blocker)Medication
Quote:
Originally Posted by flowergirl2day
Thanks for your response and advice, ACE.
The red yeast rice and related products are not available in Canada.
Many of the Chinese health and medicinal products are being recalled almost daily by our government. (I get e-mail notices with every recall). I can't believe how frequent the recalls are. I think it's safer to consider all of these types of herbal, weight loss and other medicinal products UNSAFE unless proven otherwise! The red yeast rice was not available the last time I inquired, which was several months ago. I am not sure any of the products you have suggested are. I will definitely look into it. Many thanks once again!
P.S. I read many horror stories from former users of Lipitor. It's a Catch 22, taking chances either way.
flowergirl
Flowergirl,
The Statins I mentioned are all approved FDA drugs. MEVACOR (Lovastatin) was the very first statin drug on the market to be approved by the FDA, It was manufactured from Red Yeast Rice. Then ZOCOR (simvastatin) and PRAVACHOL (pravastatin) followed. They are all red yeast based (synthetic) medications. ZOCOR and PRAVACHOL are now being sold as generic drugs. Only LIPITOR and CRESTOR are not generic.
Re: BYSTOLIC (Nebivolol) - New Hypertensive(Beta Blocker)Medication
Quote:
Originally Posted by Vanessa74
Hi Ace
I am glad that you have found good control -- and more importantly - FEWER side effects with these meds - that is GREAT!
Hi Vanessa,
Yes, I definitely have less side effects with BYSTOLIC. I'm not feeling as tired and I'm not having the TOPROL nightmares. I'm also not getting as many skipped heart beats (PACS etc.) I would sometimes have with TOPROL. In my experience with different beta blockers, I would say that BYSTOLIC is by far the best beta blocker (Though everyone responds to meds. differently and only time will surely tell). Sometimes out of the blue after taking a med. for awhile, all hell can break loose. A close second place to BYSTOLIC (so far) is BISOPROLOL which produces a stronger calming feeling which can be great if your stress level is through the roof.
Re: BYSTOLIC (Nebivolol) - New Hypertensive(Beta Blocker)Medication
ACE,
thanks for volunteering to be a guinea pig.... I am so glad this beta blocker agrees with you. Its side effects are supposed to be less intense than those of other beta blockers. Please keep us posted.
Re: BYSTOLIC (Nebivolol) - New Hypertensive(Beta Blocker)Medication
Quote:
Originally Posted by flowergirl2day
ACE,
thanks for volunteering to be a guinea pig.... I am so glad this beta blocker agrees with you. Its side effects are supposed to be less intense than those of other beta blockers. Please keep us posted.
flowergirl
Flowergirl,
Bystolic side effects are suppose to be less intense as you mentioned, but their are side effects. I've been getting sharp knee pains occasionaly which (I am sure) are a side effect of this drug, especially when using stairs.
I stopped the BYSTOLIC and switched to BISOPROLOL during the past few days, the pain has completely disappeared. The only side effects I've experienced with BISOPROLOL are fatigue and some gastro issues. The fatigue in the afternnon I can tolerate, but having to take an elevator to avoid the steps (because of joint pain) is too much.
P.S. I'm coming to believe that if you do not have any side-effects at all, it means the pill is probably not working to lower blood pressure.
The term "No pain, No gain" comes to mind....
Re: BYSTOLIC (Nebivolol) - New Hypertensive(Beta Blocker)Medication
Hi Ace,
I am so sorry to hear that the new beta blocker is not without side effects. How dissapointing that must be for you! Whether or not it has only few side effects depends on whom you believe. While we were discussing this drug earlier in this thread I read some articles by overseas health authorities about this beta blocker (it goes by another name there). The lists of adverse effects did not appear to be much shorter than those of other beta blockers. I became somewhat skeptical about Bystolic's apparent lack of side effects as claimed. Bystolic (under another name) has been in use for quite some time in other countries, which is why enough information is available. Prior to starting a new medication it sure doesn't hurt to check as many sources as possible.
The Bisoprolol you are on now should be OK with fewer side effects. I am on a low enough dose (because of the breathing problems I experience on high doses of beta blockers) to retain my energy level and keep my breathing problem free. Bisoprolol retains its selectivity at low doses and affects mostly the beta1 receptors. The selectivity is lost with high dosing. I am hoping this is the right beta blocker for you. Good luck with it!
Re: BYSTOLIC (Nebivolol) - New Hypertensive(Beta Blocker)Medication
Hi Ace,
I am so sorry to hear that the new beta blocker is not without side effects. How dissapointing that must be for you! Whether or not it has only few side effects depends on whom you believe. While we were discussing this drug earlier in this thread I read some articles by overseas health authorities about this beta blocker (it goes by another name there). The lists of adverse effects did not appear to be much shorter than those of other beta blockers. I became somewhat skeptical about Bystolic's apparent lack of side effects as claimed. Bystolic (under another name) has been in use for quite some time in other countries, which is why enough information is available. Prior to starting a new medication it sure doesn't hurt to check as many sources as possible.
The Bisoprolol you are on now should be OK with fewer side effects. I am on a low enough dose (because of the breathing problems I experience on high doses of beta blockers) to retain my energy level and keep my breathing problem free. Bisoprolol retains its selectivity at low doses and affects mostly the beta1 receptors. The selectivity is lost with high dosing. I am hoping this is the right beta blocker for you. Good luck with it!
Re: BYSTOLIC (Nebivolol) - New Hypertensive(Beta Blocker)Medication
Hi Flowergirl,
I'm back on BYSTOLIC again. I started taking it again about 2 weeks ago..
While on BISOPROLOL these past weeks the fatigue was really getting to me. I would almost fall asleep at work. I also began to experience more headaches and sometimes shortness of breath.
I guess it was a choice of the knee pain with BYSTOLIC or constantly falling asleep and waking with splitting headaches with BISOPROLOL. I figured, I could always take an elevator at work and take a wait and see attitude. I think I did not give BYSTOLIC enough time to really see if side-effects lessen over time. I can say that aside from some stiffness in my knees the pain is gone and seems to be improving. As I continue.... I will keep you posted....
).
