Results of Blood Pressure Check-up >>>

[Hydrox]

I had my BP checked on Thursday (have been on 150 mg of Toprol XL daily) and it was 150/98. When I was taking 200 mg, my BP was about 107/70. Doctor was trying to decrease the meds because of hair loss and because my BP was decreasing.

On Thursday, the doctor took me completely off the Toprol XL and started me on an ACE-inhibitor..... 20 mg of Accupril. (I was reading the discussions about the cough from ACE-inhibitors and asked my doctor about it....he said it doesn't happen very often, but if it does, he'll try something else.)

My problem is now that I'm noticing that my heart is beating faster than it used to ....esp after I take the Accupril, probably for about two hours or so afterward. I take this at night; the Toprol was taken early morning. Is this a result of not taking the Toprol anymore?

Incidentally, the doctor also did a complete thyroid scan. Seems that the hair loss that I was attributing to Toprol can also come from an underactive thyroid. In addition, I do have other symptoms that point to that as well.

I'm 48 years old, am 5.4, and weigh about 124 pounds. I do not consume much caffeine, exercise with arm weights about an hour a night, and walk anywhere from 2 to 8 miles every day, depending on the weather and my schedule. Oh, and I try to stay away from the salt shaker, too. Can somebody please give me some other ideas to get my BP down??

Thank you so much for your help.

[zip2play]

Hydrox

Beta-blockers like toprol act directly to slow the heart beat. Stopping it cold turkey may not be a great idea.
How high is your heart rate going. If over 100 (or even 90) at rest and considerably higher than it was before you STARTED the toprol, then I'd consider weening myself (tell your doctor). If only back to baseline then all is AOK!
Maybe a weening schedule something like 75 mg a couple weeks then 25 a couple more (along with the Accupril)

At least your doctor has a good sense of humor:

about the cough from ACE-inhibitors and asked my doctor about it....he said it doesn't happen very often.

That line is as funny as a Daffy Duck cartoon!

[wr6969]

Hi there. It sounds as if you are now suffering from "rebound tachycardia", a phenomenon where your pulse increases as a result from beta blocker withdrawal. If you need further information, please read my posting elsewhere on this board; hopefully you'll begin to feel better that you're not the only person experiencing this!

One plus thing about coming off the beta blockers is that I now feel that I am more energetic, and have more "zest" for life! That's what's keeping me going, although when times are bad, the temptation of going back to the beta blockers is great! But once you've made a decision on getting off it, try to stay off it if you can...

And I agree with zip2play, although I haven't had any experience with ACE inhibitors, I have read horror stories about them causing uncontrollable coughs. In fact, my cardiologist started me off on an angiotension-II receptor blocker instead of going to an ACE inhibitor, after I discovered that both beta blockers and calcium channel blockers were not doing a good job of regulating my BP! She acknowledged the side effects of ACE inhibitors, and assured me that the ARBs were much better with almost no side-effects, and had a protective effect on the kidneys

[Catalina_FLA]

I've been on ACE inhibitors for almost a year now, and have had no side effects. I have read about the 'cough' here, but have never experienced it.

You sound like you are doing everything you can. I have always enjoyed walking (very fast). I found, however, that my diastolic blood pressure (the bottom number) does much better if I run, so I have started building myself up to a 2 mile run/1 mile (or more depending on time) walk daily. I plan to build to a 3 mile run eventually. It may not work for everyone, but I talked to one friend who says if she stops running for more than a week or two and just walks the same distance, her disgustingly good 110/70 blood pressure goes up to 110/80-85, so apparently it does work for some people.