Heart Rate and Beta Blockers

[Guest guest]

Hello,

I bought a heart-rate monitor ($53.00)and it is providing some useful

information. When I am sitting at the computer, typing and thinking,

it is 124. When I get up to walk to the kitchen it is between 128

and 132. Since those are the values I would be aiming for if I was

exercising before GD, I imagine that taking a slow walk is going to

be equivalent to running full-out.

My appointment with my ND (naturopath doctor) is not until Friday,

September 6, so I called the office of my regular GP and the on-call

doctor is going to call in a beta-blocker at 60mg to start off.

She said it would make me feel fatigued. Well, that answers the

problem of having to spend the three-day weekend laying around (when

my brain is saying EXERCISE, EXERCISE, EXERCISE), I will feel like

laying around.

Thank you for the warnings and good information.

Vic

[Guest guest]

Hi Vic,

Excellent ! It sure does feel good to be in control , even if it is only a

tiny bit at this point. Bet you do great. This study and learn is the way to

be successful with this whole thing. One step at a time, and soon you will

be amazed at how much your know.

Hint on the beta blocker. When you pick it up, stop and ask the pharmacist

if the pill can be broken . So if it turns out the 60 mg. becomes too strong

you will still be able to use the pills. The point of a beta blocker is to

help us feel normal, not knocked out on the couch.

-Pam L -

[Guest guest]

Pam L. wrote: The point of a beta blocker is to help us feel normal,

not knocked out on the couch.

Okay, that sounds like good advice. I am wondering, though, about

what it means when it is said that the hyper state is still going on

beneath the beta blocker. Does that mean that you are still in

danger of having a heart attack or going into a thyroid storm even if

you are taking them?

At one point, today, I said I didn't care if I died in a thyroid

storm, to someone who really shouldn't have been the one to hear it.

I realized that I had gone into mourning for the person who use to

have good health; maybe she didn't have much else, but she had that.

I call it " mourning " because I know that the person that I was before

is no more. As with any death, you mourn and then you go on.

Vic

[Guest guest]

Hi Vic, I'm glad you got a beta blocker! I know they are the one thing these

past months that I needed or else.

One piece of advice, once you start taking them... don't go skipping a day

or whatever, your body will get used to them and kind of require

them -that's what it seemed to me. When you start on the herbs and start

getting better, then you might not need as much and you will want to cut

down... but don't just cut down by half one day and expect everything to be

great - you have to wean down your dose - I think I took 2-3 weeks to get to

half the dose I was taking before... I tried a couple of times before

unsuccessfully - the first time by trying to space the time out gradually -

that didn't work, the second time by trying to cut my dose in half right off

but taking at the regular times - that didn't work. So what I did was take

full dose twice a day and 1/2 a pill the other time and I did that for as

long as it took for that to feel fine, not shaky. Then I made one of my full

doses a 1/2 pill again and did that until it felt normal, then the last one.

It was such an accomplishment for me, I was so happy. I think it's time for

another reduction... or I did before my husband's back problem... now I

should probably just keep things the way they are for now so I don't create

extra stress for myself.

Also, people who do regular ATDs are usually able to get off the

beta-blockers within a few weeks, but in my experience, there is no way I

could have gotten off them... maybe I'm addicted, but they are certainly my

security blanket. I really just think it's different because I'm doing the

rest the natural way. Who knows, there aren't too many of us doing things

this way, so it will be interesting to hear how things go for you too!

Pam B.

[Guest guest]

To Pam B.

From what I gather from your message, there is a dosage that is going

to be right for me and I just have to keep trying until I find it.

If I keep wearing my new heart rate watch, could I do it by heart

rate, alone? If I reach for a number, and I see it on my watch - I

am going to say, 80 beats a minute, wouldn't I know, then, that the

beta blockers are protecting my heart?

I am getting practice being my own " proctector " until I meet with my

naturopath/GP in a week from now, right?

Vic

[Guest guest]

Don't be so sure vscottbo. I am doing plenty of

laying around, but my heart rate is still 90 on

atenolol, and I am dying to exercise, even though

I feel awful. I wish they could just put me in

cold storage until I get ATD's or a remission,

this is driving me nuts. I am so negative

lately, too!

Kit

--- vscottbo vscottbo@...> wrote:

> Hello,

>

> I bought a heart-rate monitor ($53.00)and it is

> providing some useful

> information. When I am sitting at the

> computer, typing and thinking,

> it is 124. When I get up to walk to the

> kitchen it is between 128

> and 132. Since those are the values I would be

> aiming for if I was

> exercising before GD, I imagine that taking a

> slow walk is going to

> be equivalent to running full-out.

>

> My appointment with my ND (naturopath doctor)

> is not until Friday,

> September 6, so I called the office of my

> regular GP and the on-call

> doctor is going to call in a beta-blocker at

> 60mg to start off.

>

> She said it would make me feel fatigued. Well,

> that answers the

> problem of having to spend the three-day

> weekend laying around (when

> my brain is saying EXERCISE, EXERCISE,

> EXERCISE), I will feel like

> laying around.

>

> Thank you for the warnings and good

> information.

>

> Vic

>

>

__________________________________________________

[Guest guest]

Vic,

You absolutely right about how health affects

your self image. You can't see yourself as the

robust person you were with whatever habits you

maintained, because your health now dictates

everything you do.

I can SO relate! I have been really ill with

celiac disease (which I am finally able to treat

due to the recent diagnosis). I never EVER saw

myself as a helpless worthless human being until

I got sick, and tended to measure my worth by my

accomplishments and ambition and POTENTIAL! Well

that didn't serve me so well when I became too

sick to work for 14 years. I have to wonder what

people do who don't have a husband with a good

income, I would be dead now, since my docs said I

wasn't sick enough for disability since I could

walk right into the doc's office. Boy, were they

wrong. When circular logic dictates their

answers: " You are not sick because I cannot find

what is wrong with you, " you may go quite nuts!

Anyway, mourning is the proper term. You have to

do what you can to see yourself in a positive

light, and not let depression get the upper hand.

This much you CAN do, when so much else is out

of your control. How are you handling your

disease? What are you doing to let your family

and friends know you are trying your hardest to

be a positive force in their lives, even if you

fail at times. These are the things you can now

measure your self-worth by, surely you are doing

the best you can.

At least our prognosis for Graves' disease can be

good, most are nearly normal. Believe me, nearly

normal is great, something I haven't seen in a

very long time.

Kit

--- vscottbo vscottbo@...> wrote:

> Pam L. wrote: The point of a beta blocker is

> to help us feel normal,

> not knocked out on the couch.

>

> Okay, that sounds like good advice. I am

> wondering, though, about

> what it means when it is said that the hyper

> state is still going on

> beneath the beta blocker. Does that mean that

> you are still in

> danger of having a heart attack or going into a

> thyroid storm even if

> you are taking them?

>

> At one point, today, I said I didn't care if I

> died in a thyroid

> storm, to someone who really shouldn't have

> been the one to hear it.

> I realized that I had gone into mourning for

> the person who use to

> have good health; maybe she didn't have much

> else, but she had that.

> I call it " mourning " because I know that the

> person that I was before

> is no more. As with any death, you mourn and

> then you go on.

>

> Vic

>

>

>

__________________________________________________

[Guest guest]

Kit wrote:

****At least our prognosis for Graves' disease can be good, most are

nearly normal. Believe me, nearly normal is great, something I

haven't seen in a very long time.****

I am sorry to hear about your terrible situation. It is thoughts

about people who are so much worse off than I am that keep me from

feeling sorry for myself. I feel sad that I can't be who I was

before, right now, but I am being encouraged by you and others.

I am handling my disease on a day-to-day basis. The inderal has

helped me to feel more secure that I won't cause myself to have a

heart attack. I feel close to normal, but I am still short-of-

breath. My muscles are weak and I can't lift as well as I used to at

my job. I have informed my supervisors that I need to take it easy

and they have accepted that, so far.

It's only been two weeks since the initial diagnosis based on only

one blood test. As time goes on, I see myself accepting the

situation more and more.

Vic

[Guest guest]

Hi Vic,

>>>My muscles are weak and I can't lift as well as I used to at

my job. I have informed my supervisors that I need to take it easy

and they have accepted that, so far.<<<

Should you need to, Graves Disease is recognized by the Americans with

Disabilities Act and we are eligble for short term disability. Something

you may want to discuss with your doctor, especially if work gives you a

hard time.

Jody

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[Guest guest]

Jody wrote: ****Should you need to, Graves Disease is recognized by

the Americans with Disabilities Act and we are eligble for short term

disability. Something you may want to discuss with your doctor,

especially if work gives you a hard time.****

Thank you very much for that information. That's good to know even

if they don't give me a hard time. I am doing okay, so far, at work,

but it's possible that things may not continue that way.

There have been some hints that I might be more comfortable at home,

so I think my supervisors and Human Resources are going to allow me

to do what is best for me.

Thanks, again.

Vic