In Reply to: high blood presure posted by Jim on December 06, 2000 at 17:09:59:
: Hi. Im 34 yrs. old about a month ago I started having chest pain on & off, had this for years but much more offtone the last 30 to 45 days. also a flash of light in my left eye useally at night when driving & sometimes when resting.Last week I almost past out 4 times at work I went to the emergency room they kept me over night and did many test, my heart is fine the doc. says blood presure a little high. Doc put me on Atenolol 25mg one daily I feel very weird some times. Very strang, some chest pain,mild,very aware of how I feal in side,woozy,nerves like,panicy. I never have felt this before. Is this normal???
Atenolol is in a class of drugs called a beta blocker. They can have side effects such as you describe, especially when you first start to take the drug. This may decrease or go away after a couple of weeks as your body gets used to the drug. However, if you are still suffering adverse after two weeks, usually the maximum period to adjust to the drug, contact your doctor for a possible change in medication (there are many beta blockers). Do not stop taking Atenolol on your own without consulting your doctor.
If you are experiencing a flash of light in your eye from time to time, I would definitely have your eyes checked out by a regular eye doctor (ophthalmologist)to make sure everything is O.K. It may be the result of your high blood pressure, but I have been told that if you experience flashing of light in your eyes, you should have your eyes checked by an eye doctor to make sure everything is O.K. By the way, I wear glasses, and I must have my eyes checked by a regular eye doctor about every year because I am a Type II (Type 2) diabetic.
Ken