Can beta blockers cause heart failure?!
Question: The question is pretty much that simple, I take 12.5 mg of metoprolol a day for high heart rates associated with panic attacks. I am curious if this drug can cause or increase the risk of heart failure (22 male , not overweight , only smoked a limited amount of time a year total .. quit , dont drink , and dont exercise)
Thanks
Answers: The question is pretty much that simple, I take 12.5 mg of metoprolol a day for high heart rates associated with panic attacks. I am curious if this drug can cause or increase the risk of heart failure (22 male , not overweight , only smoked a limited amount of time a year total .. quit , dont drink , and dont exercise)
Thanks
Anything that compromises the heart's function can cause heart failure.
If the heart is weak it cannot pump efficiently, you can have heart failure. If it is too "stiff" and doesn't have much compliance it cannot pump efficiently, you can have heart failure. If it beats too fast or too slow, it cannot pump efficiently. So to answer your question, yes.
BUT, most people, and certainly someone your age, it is unlikely that it would cause heart failure in you. You are also on a very low dose of the med. You should monitor your HR and blood pressure at home, and bring it to your next doctor's appointment. Also, a lot of people cannot tolerate this medication because it makes them feel very tired. If you don't like the way it makes you feel, see if there is something else they can try?
Hope this helps.
Id really give up the smokes! I take Inderal wich is a beta blocker for my migraines and it says it can cause congenative heart failure, if you are young and healthy and no family history of it I wouldnt worry though
Yes, most certainly beta blockers can (and do) cause death,
from both cardiac failure (when your B/P is low) and stroke due to bursting of blood vessels when your B/P's are high enough.
This is because slowing the pulse rate incontrovertibly RAISES systolic pressure for any given cardiac work level (it must), and -at the other end of the spectrum-, prevents the heart from doing work properly which SHOULD be performed.
Quite simply, lowering pulse rate from 'optimum' forces the heart do do its work at a lowered efficiency, -effectively increasing its own work-load. If it's already struggling to do its work, this extra load impels it even further towards failure.
There are many medications to alleviate the effects of panic attacks. Beta blockaging is the most potentially lethal way to treat the problem.
Why? - Quite simple. The raised pulse-rate is not the primary cause of your malady. Raised pulse-rate in fact isn't even a problem. When additional blood flow is called for due to exercise (say), the pulse rate rises automatically anyway, -quite harmlessly.
In your case it is the brain's method of dealing with the original cause. So treating the symptom
(high pulse) not only ignores the problem and fails to address it, but it OPPOSES the body's own natural way of dealing with it, and the brain of course has to react in yet another way, the best it can.
Quite obvious when you think about it, isn't it.
EDIT: I totally believe you Charles, and was merely pointing out that a fast pulse is (of itself) not life-threatening, because a fast pulse is one normal reaction of the central nervous sytem... but I well can see how disturbing it must feel to you.
I would say again, however, that merely bringing down your pulse rate doesn't address the problem of what the causes of your (panic) attacks are. They will continue until found and solved.