Rapid pulse after stopping atenolol

[RexWig]

Has anyone stopped taking atenolol and had problems with racing/rapid heart afterwards? If so, what did you do about it? I would appreciate answers from anyone with HBP and racing heart problems.

[irving777]

I recently quit taking Atenolol. My doctor eased me off by cutting from 50mg to 25mg. At 25mg I experienced rapid heartbeat and lots of premature heart beats, this eased up as time passed. I stopped it completly three months later and the rapid (pounding) heartbeat and premature beats picked up again and again eased up after several weeks/months. It's been close to six months now and I had almost forgotten about it. It should go away, it just takes time. Note: It seemed to be worse after eating dinner (my major meal of the day) and then sitting quitly watching TV or reading.

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[SamQKitty]

I believe Atenelol is a beta blocker. One of the things beta blockers do is regulate the heart rhythms. In fact, they are the drug of choice for people who have rapid, irregular heartbeats.

It would seem logical that going off a beta blocker could cause that kind of reaction. It's probably not a concern unless you get extremes in your pulse rate, such as going over 125 beats per minute or much under 60 beats per minute (or even cycling too rapidly, say from 100 to 65 in a short period of time).

You didn't say why you stopped taking the atenelol, and whether or not you're taking something else. Depending on the reason you were on it and the reason you stopped it, you may want to check with your doctor about this reaction.