Hbp given beta blockers

[Currymetoo]

Hi 👋, I was put on a second type of medication to reduce my hbp it's a beta blocker Atenolol 25mg it's helped drop my BP but it's dropped to 116/66When it was higher it was 168/95

I'm a bit worried if I carry on taking this beta blocker will it drop more?

Also I had a echo scan this morning as I've been getting very breathless too , does anyone know how long I will have to wait for results please

[Happyrosie]

how long you wait for results is down to conditions locally. The receptionist at your doc’s surgery might know what’s going on in your area.

As you will have seen from the website of Blood Pressure UK, it’s very normal to add another medication to the one you were first prescribed, as different medications work in different ways on your body.

116/66 looks pretty perfect to me!

[Currymetoo in reply to Happyrosie]

Thank you, they have taken me off amplodene it's gave me horrible side effects so just on the beta blocker now, it won't drop more as I'm due to have one soon as I have one every evening 🤔 I will contact my GP tomorrow about echo scan or I will just have to wait 😊

[onadiet in reply to Currymetoo]

Same with me.Im 73 & just taken off of Amlodipine. Felt so ill.Now just on 1.25mg Bisoprolol for now.Such a relief .

[Responsable]

Beta-blockers reduce BP by reducing ne heart-rate, meaning by reducing the blood output of the "pump". It is efficient way of pressure regulation, but not without consequences... Reduced flowrate of the blood gives less oxygen transported to your body, so you feel it as breathlessness. Long term, it will have some further consequences. For this reason, I refuse the medication for HBP, despite measuring high values - 180/80 or so.

Lately, I have measured 220/100 and am reflecting upon starting some pills. It is, maybe, the time to react... But, while I was with increased BP and on no pills (for more than a decade), I felt perfectly well, functioned perfectly well and have developed NONE of the disease and syndromes that official medicine connects with high BP. The reason?! High BP is only a consequence of a more complex cause, like many other chronic diseases are (poorer sight, asthma, arrhythmias, psoriasis etc.). Not advising anything to anyone, but maybe interesting to tell you about my "experiment and results".

[cornishgal23 in reply to Responsable]

Hi Responsable. I think it is good that you have been able to go without meds for this long. However, you are right in contemplating starting some treatment with that high a reading. I, too, was feeling fine with fairly high readings until one day my systolic spiked to 217 and I ended up in hospital after suffering a mini stroke (very scary!) So yes, it's great that you have come this far without any ill effects; but maybe now is the time to seek some medical advice before it's too late.

[Responsable in reply to cornishgal23]

Hi, and thanks! I definitely will undertake something. At least, I have avoided medication for a long time, so expect that my kidneys have profited from it.

[katieoxo60]

I took atenonol for years ,it works well but as I got older it was stopped due to other illness not liking it. That's a good drop in you BP . Reports to the GP do take longer but nowadays they are sent by computer, however echo scans are a more specialist report so may take longer for written report to come through.

[RedItalianDevil]

Unbelievable that its dropped that much, amazing really.

I was always informed by my doctor and pharmacist to be careful about coming off atenelol so I've regularly been in consultation with both the doctor and the pharmacist. Not sure if others on the forum have had the same experience!

My Italian cousin always wondered if I experienced breathlessness after taking atenelol. I informed him that I went to the doctors initially complaining of a shortness of breath.

A friend of mine says he had atenelol to help his panic attacks as well as control his BP. I've not had a panic attack since taking the meds. What I do know is that my resting heart rate went from a normal 60-65 to an average reading of 45-50 which I know is low but my doctors and pharmacist assured me that if I felt ok that they were not worried.

I was also on 25mg but after consultation the doctors and pharmacists were happy that I halved the tablet. I m now completely off all the 3 meds.