Changed betablocker but same weird symptoms

[smoggy99]

Hello!

This is my first post. I'm 53, a type 1 diabetic (well controlled) with hiatus hernia (recently diagnosed). Mid December last year I had a planned angioplasty and a stent. Unfortunately during the op something went wrong and I had a heart attack, but apart from that all went well!! I was put on bisoprolol because my heart rate is a bit high, also asprin and clopidogrel. I'm doing well at the cardiac rehab gym and walk around 5 miles a day, even when I feel tired, and have always been active. But my body is numb, always cold, sometimes with burning/prickling sensations and horrible restless legs.

I totally expect to have cold hands and feet, but I constantly feel like a frozen fish finger! Sometimes I'm warm to the touch but numb/frozen inside. Has anyone else experienced this as a side effect of the beta blocker? Recently my GP tried me on carvedilol - 10 days ago, but this is affecting me in the same way.

I've not been without a BB since my PCI and just hoping it is a side effect rather than something that's changed since the eventful angiogram.

Any shared experiences or suggestions, or just a hello would be much appreciated!

M

[jeanjeannie50]

Welcome to the forum Smoggy, that's quite a lot you've been through with your heart. I take the beta blocker Bisoprolol and feel warm.

I was always cold when I had an undiagnosed underactive thyroid, have you had yours checked?

Hope you will soon feel a lot warmer.

Jean

[smoggy99 in reply to jeanjeannie50]

Hi Jean - thanks for the response - had blood tests recently and I think thyroid was fine but thanks for bringing that up! All suggestions welcome 😀

[smoggy99]

hello hello Andytheextransporter - hope you're having a lovely day.

[Czech_Mate]

Hi Smoggy

I am on the beta blocker Metaprololi succinas, just 12.5mg once a day. Among the side effects listed in the leaflet on the box is cold hands and feet. On the days I feel more grotty my feet get cold in bed so I wear socks on those nights.

What I'm trying to say is that it's not a serious or continual problem for me. (Only when I try to warm my feet up on my wife 😉).

[smoggy99 in reply to Czech_Mate]

hehe, yes weirdly my skin feels warm sometimes to touch even though i still feel cold/numb. maybe i'm cold blooded now ! mr smoggy is usually colder than me so no luck heating up any extremities on him!!!

[Hidden]

Hello

You made me smile all went well even though I had a heart attack

You obviously can take things in your stride

I was always freezing when I was on extra strong blood thinners again made me smile you feel like a frozen fish finger which is one way to put it

It could be your meds and you need to talk with your Doctor again and as suggested make sure you are up to date with your blood tests and if not ask them if they will take them as low iron and thyroid along with other things can sometimes contribute to feeling cold

Let us know how you get on x

[smoggy99 in reply to Hidden]

😃 yes it was quite an eventful end to the year...i feel so much better now apart from the frozen fish finger-ness of course !

that's really interesting about the thinners... i'm on clopidigrel, so wonder if that's something to do with it - and low iron/thyroid - will ask doctor google! thanks again for reaching out - very reassuring.

[Hidden in reply to smoggy99]

Hello

Be careful with Dr Google though but those thinners until I came of them eventually I was like a frozen fish finger all the time so I would be edging towards those but see what the Doctor says and let us know x

[smoggy99 in reply to Hidden]

ha yes i take doctor google with a huge pinch of salt... will mention to my GP when i next see him. also going to get a vitamin B12 test as i believe that can make your arms and legs numb and tingly.

[Hidden in reply to smoggy99]

Hello

When it comes to Dr Google I take it that seriously my Doctor asked me to make a choice between her and Google

Yes get some blood tests done as well just to check and hopefully we might have a good Summer and you might start thawing out a bit x

[smoggy99 in reply to Hidden]

haha! "it's me or Google!" fair enough, except Google is right here and my GP is incredibly busy. Here's to thawing out and enjoying that elusive yellow thing in the sky 🌞

[Hidden in reply to smoggy99]

Hello

I love that and if she says it again I might just say that to her

That yellow thing seems to have got lost but let's hope it shines soon x

[Hrty]

I was on bisoprol until about 6 weeks ago and was always cold. My feet especially although my wife said they felt warm. I had two duvets over me at night at times.

[smoggy99 in reply to Hrty]

hi hrty ☺️, thanks for saying hi. so weird isn't it... even when i'm exercising and getting a bit sweaty i still feel freezing... it's reassuring to know you had the same experience!

[Aztec632]

I have been on atenelol for years and always have cold hands and feet. One of the known side effects of beta blockers. I now have developed raynauds disease so fingers and toes in particular go white and blue and numb and tingle. I wear chunky socks every day. I saw next door neighbour a couple of days ago in shorts and a t shirt and it made me shiver just looking at him thinking he must be cold but then remembered he is the normal one not me!! I suppose you could liken me to a frozen fishfinger 🤣

[smoggy99 in reply to Aztec632]

frozen fish fingers unite! i have same reaction to people walking about with bare legs! i'm wondering if i'll feel the same in the summer!

[Aztec632 in reply to smoggy99]

Oh yes! The postmen here walk around in shorts in the winter! What's that all about??

[scentedgardener]

I had cold hands and feet with Bisoprolol, but strangely that has gradually stopped over the last few weeks, coincidentally at the same time as stopping all blood thinners. GP is aware, they just don't agree with me, and I bleed like a stuck pig without them. I'm quite reassured to find bruises back after a bump and blood when I cut myself, which didn't happen while taking them. I hadn't associated the coldness with taking them, but who knows?

[smoggy99 in reply to scentedgardener]

hello! thanks for the reply 😊i've heard a couple of people say that about the thinners now... it's odd! i'm going to get a Vit B12 test too just to rule that out as well... process of elimination i guess!

[scentedgardener in reply to smoggy99]

When you get the results of the VitB12 test ask for the ranges for the test. I asked for one, I was showing all the symptoms my mother had when hers was too low. The GP said that it might be within range, but some people found they felt better with B12 at optimum levels, so I could consider supplementing it if mine was at the low end of the range.Odd about thinners, I didn't connect the dots, partly because I was cautious about seeing things that weren't there, I hated them with a passion.

[smoggy99 in reply to scentedgardener]

i will do that thanks - really useful info. it's in my family too so worth checking. i paid for this one and it looks pretty comprehensive. counting the days til december when i can ditch the anti platelet med - one less side effect to think about! it's easy to connect invisible dots when you're not feeling great. i've had 3 different conditions every day this week 🥳

[smoggy99]

hi anne 😊thanks for that message! i'm happier on carvedilol too, as i sleep better with it. i guess it will be trial and error with the meds... on the lowest dose of carvedilol. GP suggested a calcium channel blocker as an option after giving carvedilol a few weeks to see how that pans out. i've pretty much been discharged so no other clinic appt. or CT so i'm hoping that's good news. hope you get along better with carvedilol too, and feel less fatigued! oops sorry might have posted this twice.

[Deejay62]

welcome to the group smoggy. I take bisoprolol and I’m always warm. I have never had any of the other tablets you mentioned. I’m sorry to hear you suffered an heart attack during your procedure, but you seem to take it doesn’t seem to affect you. I hope they sort out your coldness.

[smoggy99 in reply to Deejay62]

hi deejay 😊 thanks for reaching out. i guess i was lucky that i had a HA on the operating table, surrounded by people that knew what to do. i don't remember much about it except passing out then coming round with a sore chest, surrounded by people. the consultant thinks some air might have got into an artery. i was defibrillated, spent 2 nights in hospital and here i am. Hope you're doing ok too and getting what you need ⭐️

[Deejay62 in reply to smoggy99]

You are so right, the best place to be if you’re going to have one. I’ve never had one, I have heart failure so there’s a chance that’s what will finish me off. Ive managed to try and get a grip of the terminology, from being in this group, learning the difference between a heart attack and a cardiac arrest. I have a device with a defibrillator fitted, but I’m yet to receive a shock from it. Mine was fitted so that I can be kept alive to receive mechanical heart or a transplant.

[smoggy99]

sounds like you have been through so much, hope you're finding ways to stay positive. had no idea that devices with defibs could be fitted like that - pretty extraordinary stuff!