Atenolol side affects.

[Auntkk]

I’m still struggling with Atenolol side affects. That copd feeling in my chest and the ache and heaviness it brings with it. . I lost a lot of weight throughout my whole ordeal and wondering with the less fat I’m feeling every twinge, every ache and every flutter. I was given a strong heart diagnosis 4 months ago so the pill is the only thing that I seem to be sensitive to. I was feeling like I was really adjusting and then boom I feel yucky. My mind goes to allergies because it’s the heavy fall here. And anxiety is involved. Am I the only one that feels this? Thank you so much.

[irene75359]

Four months should be long enough for you to get used to medication, I have never taken Atenolol but the side effects sound very similar to Bisoprolol which I take. Do you take it at night? I found the side effects slightly less if taken then. Otherwise it would be worth a visit to your doctor to see about an alternative. I'm sorry you are still feeling so anxious, too. How is your AF?

[Auntkk in reply to irene75359]

I’ve been anxious because I’ve been feeling the side affects recently more. Some issues with family illness that probably is unsettling. My AF is under control and flutters make me nervous as I think they do for most. I’ve actually been feeling on an upswing. Was wondering again if the season change has affected me with the lung feelings. I am seeing my doctor soon to discuss. Again I do tend to be ultra sensitive to drugs. Nice to see your name replying to me. Thank you Irene💜

[Auriculaire]

Some people can't tolerate beta blockers. I changed from Bisoprolol to Nebivolol which is supposed to be more cardio specific ie not affect other tissue such as the lungs as much. At the moment I am reducing my dose as I want to wean off it altogether. I have definitely noticed with even a tiny reduction in dose an improvement in my chest- less asthma less feeling of heaviness. Late summer and autumn are my worst seasons for allergies ( ragweed and then mold spores from rotting leaves- we live in a heavily wooded part of France) but with the reduction in the beta blocker this autumn is not as bad. So it could be a combination of allergies being made worse by being on the beta blocker.

[Auntkk in reply to Auriculaire]

Thank you Auriculaire for your reply. I am super sensitive to drugs in general. I take mine at night to reduce side affects but noticed over last couple of weeks (heavy fall) I’ve been more aware of side affects. Having been in AF I’m not sure I can go off a beta blocker. This is all new for me. And honestly the doctors really don’t seem to think any of them cause side affects but they clearly do. I’m waiting for the leaves to come down to see if that makes a difference too. Not sure if I can be reduced down lower but I will be seeing my doctor soon. Again thank you for your reply💜

[Auriculaire in reply to Auntkk]

My attacks of afib are about once every 7/8 weeks and they last 8- 12 hours. In between I am fine with a normal heart rate and only the occasional ectopic. I am convinced I only need a beta blocker go reduce my heart rate during an attack as it usually runs about 140 bpm. I too am supersensitive to drugs . On 5mg Bisoprolol I felt like a zombie .

[KMRobbo]

I tried bisoprol and atenolol when first diagnosed with afib. The bisoprolol has terrible side affects at minimum dose, so I tried atenilol at min dise wich was 25mg, and although less worse than bisopril was still crao. Very tired, 5 hours awake and I want to go to sleep, I went to work but came home at lunchtime as I was worried about driving so tired. Also had very poor excercise intolerance and after 2 weeks with no improvement I went back to my GP. She said maybe I am INTOLERANT to beta vickers and switched me to Verapamil a calcium channel blocker on 120mg Mod release. No side effects. Could run and breathe. Happy days.

[Auntkk in reply to KMRobbo]

I was taken off Atenolol with no transition and out in a calcium blocker. In 3 days I had an AF episode. Then back in the beta blocker. I thought you had to be put on a beta blocker with AF. Thought there was no alternative. Again very naive to all of this. Lots to ask my cardiologist. And felt normal in the calcium blocker and happy too.

[KMRobbo in reply to Auntkk]

Rom being on this forum I have gathered that there is a vast range in responses to rate control drugs. I was clearly very responsive to bisoprolol as it dropped my Heart Rate from 70 to mid 40s which was too much for me. So the rate control was too good. Verapamil had only a small effect on my HR and I had no side effects. But after 20 months my afib progressesd and even adding extra 40mg verapamil normal release could not control the high rate. So it was no longer good enough. I then went onto flecainide rhythm control with 200mg diltiazem rate control. That's another calcium channel blocker but that was also too much for me, nowhere near as bad as the beta blockers, but still breathlessness a bit of tiredness and brain fog. But in afib it kept me at 140 rather than the 165 resting up to 220 moving which I had with no control. Everything drugs is a compromise. It is all about finding the best one (or the least worst)I decided to have an ablation and get rid of the afib and fhe drugs and happily that worked for me.

I am not medically trained just recounting what happend to me and how I reacted to things and what I learned.

But we are all different.

[Bennera513]

I've been on and off Atenolol for 20+ years. Dosages from 6.25mg to 100mg. Over the years I seem to respond differently. I know the heaviness and lung feeling to which you refer. I have titrated up and back off many times. When getting on it I start to feel side effects after 2 days and they peak around 4-7 days and then subside by the second week. What's left is low heart rate and lethargy and a bit of depression. My respiration tries to compensate so I get out of breath much quicker. Coming off, it's by day 3 that any rebound is felt. By 2 weeks it seems I've adjusted to the reduction but heart rate may remain higher for another couple weeks as the adrenergic receptors continue to down regulate. From my research Atenolol is certainly cardio selective but not as much as other beta blockers. I also found that Metoprolol gave me similar symptoms. The calcium channel blockers (Diltiazem and Verapamil) did not give me the same fatigue or lung feeling, but I did have other issues (Constipation). You may do better with a different medicine. Atenolol is quite old in the tooth and has fallen out of favor in some circles. I do still take it because I know what to expect but there are newer generation agents that you may find more favorable.

[MYM1975]

I just had a conversation with my doctor about this yesterday. FYI this doctor is new. My physician who has been my doctor for years up and moved and didn't give me any information. So as I am telling this new guy he tells me it's all in my head. Needless to say I'm looking for a new physician. It is so important to have a physician that actually listens to you and doesn't try to over talk you and make you feel like your crazy.

[Auntkk in reply to MYM1975]

It is not in your head trust me. We’re having damp weather and at least 4 days prior I could feel the change in my chest. It feels heavy as if I have an upper respiratory infection. I’ve been on Atenolol long enough now to see a pattern. I’ve spoken to my cardiologist also younger. I have asked him to please work with me. I’ve never been on meds and have tried to stay fit most of my 65 years and know that this is not ME. If anything he can learn from me. It truly is important to have someone who truly wants to understand and take the title Doctor to another level. I too stay with Atenolol for now because I know what to expect but come May my doctor knows if I’m not better then it’s time to look into something else. Stay true to yourself and know you’re not alone. That’s why this site is so wonderful. Best of health to you