Medication

[Chocolatelover21]

I have recently been put on ivabradine after years on propanolol for pots? Has anyone else seen little to no effect on ivabradine. It’s been 7 days and my standing and resting hR is higher than when on beta blockers. I came off those as have low bp. Any help would be great as I was so hopefully this medication would work.

[FrankFrank]

I requested Ivabradine some some years ago from gp as beta blockers were flooring me with exhaustion and making me lazier than I usually am.The dose was adjusted until my heart rate was around 55/60 most of the time.You perhaps need to go back to gp/ nurse/ doctor for review of dose.I am now on 5mg twice a day but have been on 10mg twice a day briefly( resting heart rated too slow on that dose.What dose are you on? and why did you change from beta blockers?I am much happier energy wise with Ivabradine than beta blocker as dont feel so physically tired on Ivabradine but has controlled my resting heart rate sucessfully.

[Chocolatelover21 in reply to FrankFrank]

Thankyou for your reply. When I sore the cardiologist he put me on 2.5mg twice a day but said you might need to up it so I will write to your gp and explain as he’s not seeing me again for 3 months. I’m currently taking 5mg in the morning and 2.5mg at night. I came of propanolol as my blood pressure was dropping too low although it did seem to control the hR better.did it take a while for it to kick In with you?

[FrankFrank in reply to Chocolatelover21]

Fairly instant ,couple of days as far as I remember. I had struggled with beta blocker for quite a few month and spoke to hospital pharmacist about alternatives,she suggested Ivabradine.

[Cookieisland]

I took Ivabradine for around a month for similar issues. I had also taken propranolol previously which worked on reducing my heart rate but I had a few side effects that were annoying.

I didn’t get on with Ivabradine, it didn’t make any difference to my heart rate, if anything it made things worse, and I was constantly dizzy and light headed feeling. When I asked about how long it should take to get some effect, I was told it works fairly quickly so you should know in about a week whether it’s making a difference. I wouldn’t have been able to tolerate a higher dose as even the small dose was giving me side effects.

I’m now on a different medication which does seem help and I don’t have any noticeable side effects.

Hope you get sorted!

[Chocolatelover21]

Thankyou for the reply, what medication do you take at the moment if you don’t mind me asking? I was really rooting for this to work x

[Cookieisland in reply to Chocolatelover21]

I take verapamil now, which I was really worried about and had read online that lots of people didn’t get on with it. But I got a really small dose 40mg twice daily which takes the edge off the worst of the heart rate spikes. It’s maybe not on the right dose yet but waiting for a follow up appointment. I used to get 150bpm just by standing up, or would wake up in the night with it, and I struggled to do any exercise without feeling like I could pass out. Standing up my heart rate doesn’t go above 120bpm now and I notice it so much less (used to hear it in my ears and feel it pounding in my chest all day) and I’ve also been able to get back into exercise which has been the best thing.

Don’t give up as it’s a bit of trial and error but hopefully you’ll find a treatment that helps!

[Chocolatelover21 in reply to Cookieisland]

ahhh that’s excellent that you’ve found a drug which is working for you. I’m going to carry on with it for abit longer. Had awful palpitations today after eating. they feel so strong and fluttery x

[Cookieisland in reply to Chocolatelover21]

Ive had that fluttery feeling too, a few months ago I was getting it daily it was so frustrating! Have you had ecg monitors etc to check? When I get fluttery palpitations it is atrial tachycardia - although the cardiologist said these were harmless as well! I think the hardest thing is getting used to it all and not being scared of it. Easier said than done though! X

[Chocolatelover21 in reply to Cookieisland]

I’ve had a lot of ecgs while on propanolol, none while being on ivbradine as not seeing the cardiologist again until may! It’s just depressing me I seem to have more energy but no control over my hR which the beta blockers seem to do.

[Cookieisland in reply to Chocolatelover21]

What sort of heart rates are you getting and do they last long? My cardiologist wasn’t worried about my heart rate as long as it wasn’t staying high for hours on end. When I started Ivabradine I wasn’t due a follow up with the cardiologist until a few months later but I ended up emailing their secretary as I knew I wasn’t happy with it. If you are still concerned after giving it more time could that be something you could try?

[Chocolatelover21 in reply to Cookieisland]

So its going to 120 most times I stand up, comes back down when I sit down, but if I were to do anything simple like basic chores or walking round a shop its like its running away with itself and not settling back down. So its only staying at a stable rate basically if I'm doing absolutely nothing. Not sure if that makes sense. Thankyou for your help I will keep that in mind xx

[Cookieisland in reply to Chocolatelover21]

Yeah makes sense that’s exactly what I get. I do still get that with verapamil more than when I took propranolol, but I have more energy with verapamil. So it’s almost like trying to find a happy medium of a not too erratic heart rate and having enough energy to do everything. It’s not easy is it! Hope it improves for you soon xx

[Chocolatelover21 in reply to Cookieisland]

whats your standing HR now?? xx

[Cookieisland in reply to Chocolatelover21]

Generally standing it is between 100-120bpm (higher in the mornings) it used to be 130bpm+ with little movement making it go up to 140bpm-160bpm. Although some days I still get that. Exercise heart rate can still be very high (up to 190bpm) but it comes back down quicker than it used to. I have a few other issues though as my resting rate is quite high, and it was over 100bpm resting this morning

[Dizzydory]

hi,

I couldn’t tolerates beta blockers as they lowered my blood pressure too much and was eventually put on ivabradine. It was a bit of trial and error getting the right dose but I was told to persevere as my body would adjust. (Having too high a dose made me worse). I’m pleased to say it did eventually work and my heart rate and bp are at an acceptable level now. I split the dose and have 1 tablet in the morning and 1 in the evening. It took a week on each dose try to see if it was right or not but it has been worth it for me. The tiredness and light headed feelings I got initially have completely gone now.

I hope you persevere and find your ideal dose.

[Chocolatelover21 in reply to Dizzydory]

Thankyou for replying. Do you mind me asking what dose you are on? x

[Dizzydory in reply to Chocolatelover21]

I’m on 2.5mg in the morning and 2.5mg in the evening. I found it better to split the dose as having it all in one go lowered my blood pressure. I also didn’t think it was working but I persevered with it and I’m glad I did.

[Chocolatelover21 in reply to Dizzydory]

Brilliant I’m hoping for the same outcome. Fingers crossed