Does anyone here take an SSRI AND a beta blocker?

[miche31]

I recently tried to start Lexapro for my anxiety/depression and I also take Inderal. It lowered my heart rate and bp waaaayyy down. Like 78/50, and my hr was 50. After two days I stopped, mainly because I developed bronchitis and just couldn't deal with a new med and antibiotic all at once.
I read online that they can make each other worse, so I was wondering if anyone here has taken both. I would have to think that there are people out there that do. I think I will start with the Lexapro one more time and cut my bb back to like a 1/4 dose. It would be cool if the SSRI lowered my hr and then I wouldn't have to be on a beta blocker for my tachycardia and SVT. Any advice? Thanks, Michelle

[CircusSquirrel]

I took beta blockers with high dose SSRIs for years with no problem. I don't take an SSRI now because they just don't seem to help me at all now; I just get side effects. I think I went through them all! As far as your SVT, I would really consider staying on a beta-blocker. That med will ultimately have a much more direct effect on your heart than an SSRI. If you don't already, you may consider asking your doc for a benzo like Xanax, Valium, Ativan, etc. to take during bad periods or an SVT attack. Best wishes. I don't have SVT, but I have episodes of severe sinus tachycardia that isn't brought on by anxiety. Of course, if I'm anxious, it is worse, but anxiety never started it. Beta-blockers pretty much control it for me, sometimes my HR goes waaay down, too, especially if I'm exercising a lot. Then some days my HR seems to want to go fast even though I've taken my meds. I try to just go with the flow, though. Our bodies fluctuate a little every day so it is just normal.

[daftthing]

I've taken different Beta Blockers and different SSRI's/SNRI's together for the last few years. I currently take Cymbalta and Propranolol (which I think is Inderal) together with no problems.

[miche31]

Hey thanks guys for your input. I knew that there had to be people that took both, but that is a rare side effect, so the pharmacist said to just space them out. Like take the Lexapro in the evening, and just one dose of Inderal in the morning. Propranolol is the same thing as Inderal, and actually is what I take too. We talked about Cymbalta, but I don't know if it helps with anxiety issues too, only depression? I have really bad anxiety, and moderate depression. I am on Xanax right now for the panicky times, but there are some days when it just zones me out, and other days I can't even feel that I took it. I tried Ativan with no luck other than being tired and anxious. That is why I am willing to give an SSRI a try. I don't want the side effects, but I know that I have never given them longer than 2 weeks in the past before I quit so if I can hang in there for longer than two weeks to let it kick in, maybe I can get some relief. The beta blocker took 2 weeks before I stopped feeling really dizzy and sick, so maybe I need to do the same with Lexapro. She wanted me to either try Zoloft or Lexapro, and if they don't work, then she wants to try Wellbutrin. I'm a little nervous of Wellbutrin because it looks like it can cause excitement in the people I've seen on it, and I most definetely don't need to be excited. Adrenaline is what causes my tachycardia, when then turns into SVT.
I guess the one thing I don't like about the beta blocker is what you just mentioned CircusSquirrel, some days your heart is wayy down and some days higher. I wish it would keep it regulated, because I never know what I'm going to get. Which keeps me anxious, which is why she wants me on the SSRI. Then I won't keep focusing on what my heart is doing. Honestly, before I knew I had tachycardia and svt, I just thought they were panic attacks, and would move on. Didn't think much about what my pulse is supposed to be, (except when I would get those BENIGN pac's and pvc's) now I'm horribly obsessed.
mothtoaflame, if you don't mind me asking, how often do you take the propranolol and at what dosage? Do you also have anxiety with depression, I am curious about Cymbalta, has it helped you? Thanks guys!!

[nuttygirl]

I took paxil and atenolol for many years with no problems. Recently I tried buspar along with my atenolol and had the same thing happen as with you Michelle. My bp went down really low and my hr was very low also. Scared the crap out of me so I went to the ER. All of the doctors kept saying the buspar wouldn't be causing that....blah, blah, blah. Well, I found online that it is rare but can happen so I printed it and gave copies to every doctor who told me it couldn't be causing it! ha! As soon as I quit the buspar things went back to normal. Now with the xanax my bp is lowish for me 100/60 but my hr is easily elevated like before I started the atenolol except no real crazy racing episodes thankfully. They want to increase my atenolol for that but I won't do it because my bp is already lowish. Some doctors really need to update on their medical info!

Tori