beta blockers

SHERRYLLAC
SHERRYLLAC Posts: 25 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
I am on beta blockers for heart arrhythmia, anybody else out there have the same issue. If I exercise too much I get palpatations and have to stop, yet I am suppose to exercise my heart...Also, this lowers my metabolism to maybe a negative number lol. Any advice...
Thanks

Replies

  • Mama_Jag
    Mama_Jag Posts: 474 Member
    No advice, unfortunately, but want to wish you luck. Mine ticker doesn't need meds right now, but no stimulants for me (which will make for a rough cold season).

    Anyway, I hope you find relief, arrhythmia is scary and unnerving.

    :flowerforyou:
  • SHERRYLLAC
    SHERRYLLAC Posts: 25 Member
    Thanks,
    Yep, I suffer from anxiety too, so just a vicious circle I can't do coffee etc...either. :explode:
  • rhardy69
    rhardy69 Posts: 4 Member
    I'm on a beta blocker and have no problem, this is my second one and doing better with it. You might want to speak with your doctor.
  • Luv2Smile55
    Luv2Smile55 Posts: 133 Member
    Hello SHERRYLLAC :D

    I've been taking a low dose beta blocker for 8 years now. I never lost weight easily so this just threw another element into the already TOO slow mix.

    Keep going my friend. I know I will never give up. Life is precious, God is good and We CAN Do This!!

    God Bless You ():-)
  • chelovik
    chelovik Posts: 200 Member
    I have no issues and my resting hr is always in the 50's the only issue I have is standing up too quickly
  • SHERRYLLAC
    SHERRYLLAC Posts: 25 Member
    rhardy, what med do you currently take. Iam taking atenolol.
  • SHERRYLLAC
    SHERRYLLAC Posts: 25 Member
    chelovic,
    funny, my resting heart rate used to be 99
  • SHERRYLLAC
    SHERRYLLAC Posts: 25 Member
    luvtosmile,
    thanks for the encouragement. Mine is low dose too, maybe it's partly my age 49:sad:
  • wsbrown176
    wsbrown176 Posts: 6 Member
    Depending on how your doctor instructed to take the medication. Beta blockers can make you sleepy so it may be better to take it prior to bed time. After my injury I was placed on them for blood pressure issues and I was still able to lose weight and work out without an issue. By getting my weight and diet under control I was able to come off the medication.
  • SHERRYLLAC
    SHERRYLLAC Posts: 25 Member
    wsbrown,
    You know, you are right. I think my dr did say take them at night but I am no good at that. I forgot my chol meds for a whole year, next physical I was in big trouble with doc and my numbers were horrible. I will try to turn it around and take at night thanks!
    I appreciate everyone's support :flowerforyou:
  • Luv2Smile55
    Luv2Smile55 Posts: 133 Member
    I take propranolol. I have to take it during the day ... NO choice. I take mine for neurological issues.

    Being a female and 55, I am already fighting too many issues. Makes me crazy just thinking about all of the challenges. NO whining here, just saying that slow is better than nothing.

    There are several beta blockers. I personally don't know if one is better than another. This one that I'm taking nearly killed me when I first started taking it. Landed me in the ER with almost NO pulse.

    So ... all that being said, your DR is definitely the one to consult.

    Again, Great Luck to you SHERRYLLAC! :)
  • fishgutzy
    fishgutzy Posts: 2,807 Member
    I'm on a BB for migraines. I found that when I use an elliptical or recumbent bike I had to keep my heart rate below 120 or I'd get a headache. Swimming is the only thing I can do and get my heart rate up without any headache.
  • SHERRYLLAC
    SHERRYLLAC Posts: 25 Member
    Thanks again for the advice and support I really, really appreciate it!
  • SHERRYLLAC
    SHERRYLLAC Posts: 25 Member
    I could use supportive friends, feel free to add me
    Thanks again,
    Shery
  • alsatty
    alsatty Posts: 28
    I've been on Troprol for years. No problem during exercise. Takes a while to increase heart rate.
  • SHERRYLLAC
    SHERRYLLAC Posts: 25 Member
    alsatty,
    I love your profile pic lol
  • sijomial
    sijomial Posts: 19,809 Member
    I used to take propanolol for migraines. My only issue was when I was working really hard it would feel like I had an artificial cap on my heart rate. I would be working out or playing squash at a rate that demanded 150+ but my heart seemed not to want to go over 140 so I ended up in distress. I gave them up in the end because of it and found an alternative drug to prevent the migraines.

    Maybe you could try changing your cardio exercise routine to longer duration but lower intensity? Something like cycling lets you set a very accurate range of heart rate by changing speed or resistance (gears if outdoors). Maybe a HRM would help you work out what you can do comfortably?

    Best of luck - worth discussing with your doctor.
  • chelovik
    chelovik Posts: 200 Member
    I am fortunate to work for Cleveland Clinic and get pretty quick access to care. When you are on a beta blocker it is important to use a HRM when doing your cardio. My baseline HR is in the low 50's. I do an hr when I do a cardio session. I keep my HR to 120-125/min. I got pretty lean doing it that way. Talk with your provider about that. Doing cardio in the fat burning zone is way more challenging than cardio zone because you really have to pay attention to your body
  • diadojikohei
    diadojikohei Posts: 732 Member
    I took Atenanol for 3 years because I have high blood pressure, I also have a mitral valve prolapse which means I have irregular heart beats. It slowed my heart rate down to 49/50 beats per minute when it has normally been 70/72 beats per minute. In the time I was using it I put on 28lb. (2 stone) Which as I was 10 stone is a 20% gain.

    I had it changed 12 months ago managed to lose 14 lb but am stuck trying to shift the last 14lb.

    I'm 47 and female.
  • Azdak
    Azdak Posts: 8,281 Member
    Looking through some comments, there seems to be some misunderstanding about beta blockers and exercise.

    Beta blockers blunt heart rate response. They vary to the degree to which they blunt response, and, depending on the drug, can vary at different times of day.

    The fact that they blunt heart rate response has a modest effect on exercise ability. However, it does "reset" your heart rate scale. Instead of a max heart rate of, say, 180 bpm, you might now have one that is 140 bpm. You can still exercise, still exercise hard or easy, still achieve training results, still burn similar calories to what you did before. They just all occur at different heart rates than previously.

    Say your exercise heart rate at a 70% was 150 bpm without a beta blocker. It might now be 120-125 at the same workload. The literature suggests there is a small drop in VO2max when starting a beta blocker, so one might see a drop in actual exercise workload (e.g. running speed) of 5% or so. Even through heart rate is blunted, you are still burning roughly the same rate of calories as before. That's because calories burned depends on ACTUAL EXERCISE WORKLOAD, not on heart rate.

    People on beta blockers cannot use exercise charts, age-predicted estimated target heart rates, or HRMs to estimate workout heart rate or calories burned. They need to rely more on perceived exertion to gauge workout intensity.
  • Melaniec78
    Melaniec78 Posts: 259 Member
    So glad I found this thread. I was diagnosed with Left Ventricular Hypertrophy about a year ago at only 33. My Cardiologist told me this was something usually seen in 70 year olds (awesome) and that being consistent with my bp meds and exercise could reverse it over time. Well I been doing that andmy palpitations have become more frequent and bothersome since I increased exercise. SO he added a beta blocker the other day because my heart rate is crazy. I am aloud to continue exercise as long as I keep it steady until I am done all my new testing to see what else maybe going on but am feeling hopeless (heart disease runs on both sides of my family at early ages).

    SO anyway took my first pill today and started googling toprol today and got scary results. Crazy weight gain, horrible nightmares, insomnia, laziness and on and on and on. The part that scared me most was weight gain because that would ruin any chance of improving these heart issues for good.

    Then I thought let me go to mfp land and search. Yay!! I found what seems like normal people who take them and they are all still losing weight.

    Thank you all for sharing it has helped my mood immensely!!!

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