Guest guest Posted May 22, 2004 Report Share Posted May 22, 2004 Kathleen - I take atenelol with ZERO side effect ... you might suggest a switch. I took sotolol and hated every second... it offered me a combination of feeling like I was either going to die, cry or throw up.. not very pleasant... Stef Kathleen Stept wrote: I was just diagnosed this week and immediately put on Toprol and aspirin. I am having a hard time with Toprol and wonder if I can expect this from all the beta blockers: light-headedness, slight dizziness, drowsiness, fatigue, slight nausea, minor chest tightness. Thanks for any feedback! Kathleen S. , MS Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted May 22, 2004 Report Share Posted May 22, 2004 I have been taking Toprol XL for about a year now, and have adjusted to it very well. I do not notice any side effects. I also take other meds, such as HCTC and Norvasc for blood pressure and digitek along with the Toprol XL 100 mg. PLus aspirin. I think all the meds have some side effects, and It is a matter of finding the right one for you. Mandyof CA 110 days in NSR Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted May 22, 2004 Report Share Posted May 22, 2004 > I was just diagnosed this week and immediately put on Toprol and aspirin. I > am having a hard time with Toprol and wonder if I can expect this from all > the beta blockers: light-headedness, slight dizziness, drowsiness, fatigue, > slight nausea, minor chest tightness. Thanks for any feedback! Kathleen, I am also on toprol. I've had the minor chest tightness when the dose was increased, but for me it goes away in a few days to a week. I've never been nasueous(sp?) from it. When I was put on it initially, I had dizziness, etc. and the doc backed the dose off from 50 mg a day to 25 mg a day. I actually wound up taking 12.5 mg in the morning and 12.5 in the evening, which minimizes the side effects also. Eventually I had to go to 50 mg, and 1-2 years later to 100 mg. However the twice a day dosage and initial reduction were helpful in getting used to it. Yes, it does cause lethargy. For me that effect has lasted. For my brother, who takes it for high blood pressure, it only lasted a couple of weeks. I suspect some of my lethargy problem is fear that energetic activity will set of afib, though. If I made myself get up and do stuff more, I would probably not feel the lethargy so much. Note that some of the other meds mentioned by people responding to your post are anti-arrhythics and therefore much less safer than a beta blocker, as anti-arrhythmics can cause fatal heart rhythms. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted May 22, 2004 Report Share Posted May 22, 2004 > I was just diagnosed this week and immediately put on Toprol and aspirin. I > am having a hard time with Toprol and wonder if I can expect this from all > the beta blockers: light-headedness, slight dizziness, drowsiness, fatigue, > slight nausea, minor chest tightness. Thanks for any feedback! Kathleen, I am also on toprol. I've had the minor chest tightness when the dose was increased, but for me it goes away in a few days to a week. I've never been nasueous(sp?) from it. When I was put on it initially, I had dizziness, etc. and the doc backed the dose off from 50 mg a day to 25 mg a day. I actually wound up taking 12.5 mg in the morning and 12.5 in the evening, which minimizes the side effects also. Eventually I had to go to 50 mg, and 1-2 years later to 100 mg. However the twice a day dosage and initial reduction were helpful in getting used to it. Yes, it does cause lethargy. For me that effect has lasted. For my brother, who takes it for high blood pressure, it only lasted a couple of weeks. I suspect some of my lethargy problem is fear that energetic activity will set of afib, though. If I made myself get up and do stuff more, I would probably not feel the lethargy so much. Note that some of the other meds mentioned by people responding to your post are anti-arrhythics and therefore much less safer than a beta blocker, as anti-arrhythmics can cause fatal heart rhythms. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted May 23, 2004 Report Share Posted May 23, 2004 In a message dated 5/23/04 12:28:37 AM Eastern Daylight Time, trudyjh@... writes: am having a hard time with Toprol and wonder if I can expect this from all > the beta blockers *******Snip I was on Toprol XL starting with 50mg x 2 a day. I was very tired the first three weeks then I seemed to adjust to it and I was fine. It did not keep me in NSR so they increased it to 75 x 2 a day and then to 100 x 2 a day. Each dose increase got me a little tired in the first week or two but I adjusted fine. My doctor also told me to take it twice a day like yours did. Toprol did not keep me in NSR for longer than 2 months at a time. The only problem I had with the toprol was my hands and feet were always cold. My hands would actually turn a blue on the finger tips and palms of my hands. This did not happen all the time but when I was cold or it was very cold outside and I went out. My doctor said this was one of the side affects because of the circulation to your extremities. She said some people are more prone to Reynauds Disease than others and that is why I was getting this side effect. a in Massachusetts 49 NSR Sotalol Warfarin Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted May 23, 2004 Report Share Posted May 23, 2004 " Note that some of the other meds mentioned by people responding to your post are anti-arrhythics and therefore much less safer than a beta blocker, as anti-arrhythmics can cause fatal heart rhythms. " Anti-arrhythmics are not necessarily much less safe, since for the people who need them they can be life savers... I would say that their potential side effects can be worse, which they can.. but it doesn't really make the drug less safe per se. All the heart drugs have potential side effects... even the aspirin some people take daily can have bad side effects, and coumadin certainly can... if I had to safety choice to be off my beta blocker, my anti-arrythmic, or my coumadin, the first to go would be the coumadin. Stef Web Page - http://www.afibsupport.com List owner: AFIBsupport-owner For help on how to use the group, including how to drive it via email, send a blank email to AFIBsupport-help Nothing in this message should be considered as medical advice, or should be acted upon without consultation with one's physician. --------------------------------- Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted May 23, 2004 Report Share Posted May 23, 2004 " Note that some of the other meds mentioned by people responding to your post are anti-arrhythics and therefore much less safer than a beta blocker, as anti-arrhythmics can cause fatal heart rhythms. " Anti-arrhythmics are not necessarily much less safe, since for the people who need them they can be life savers... I would say that their potential side effects can be worse, which they can.. but it doesn't really make the drug less safe per se. All the heart drugs have potential side effects... even the aspirin some people take daily can have bad side effects, and coumadin certainly can... if I had to safety choice to be off my beta blocker, my anti-arrythmic, or my coumadin, the first to go would be the coumadin. Stef Web Page - http://www.afibsupport.com List owner: AFIBsupport-owner For help on how to use the group, including how to drive it via email, send a blank email to AFIBsupport-help Nothing in this message should be considered as medical advice, or should be acted upon without consultation with one's physician. --------------------------------- Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted May 23, 2004 Report Share Posted May 23, 2004 " Note that some of the other meds mentioned by people responding to your post are anti-arrhythics and therefore much less safer than a beta blocker, as anti-arrhythmics can cause fatal heart rhythms. " Anti-arrhythmics are not necessarily much less safe, since for the people who need them they can be life savers... I would say that their potential side effects can be worse, which they can.. but it doesn't really make the drug less safe per se. All the heart drugs have potential side effects... even the aspirin some people take daily can have bad side effects, and coumadin certainly can... if I had to safety choice to be off my beta blocker, my anti-arrythmic, or my coumadin, the first to go would be the coumadin. Stef Web Page - http://www.afibsupport.com List owner: AFIBsupport-owner For help on how to use the group, including how to drive it via email, send a blank email to AFIBsupport-help Nothing in this message should be considered as medical advice, or should be acted upon without consultation with one's physician. --------------------------------- Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted May 23, 2004 Report Share Posted May 23, 2004 > The only problem I had > with the toprol was ... She said some people are more prone to Reynauds Disease than > others and that is why I was getting this side effect. I forgot I had this happen occasionally when I first started on toprol, but it hasn't happened for a couple of years. It's a side effect worth mentioning, because it is startling - reach in the refrigerator for something and all of a sudden your fingers go completely numb for a short period of time. Scared me the first time until I learned when it was. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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