Ectopics with Beta Blockers

[seansavage17]

Hi Guys,

Been having problems with skipped heart beats for just over a year or so now and they're getting increasingly worse, as is my anxiety.
As I posted before I've had countless checks done, all blood work, countless ECG's, 24 blood pressure monitor, Echo... The only thing I've still not had is a 24 hour ECG monitor, which I'm waiting to get.

Around 5 different doctors have all told me they're 99% sure this is an anxiety problem, but unfortunately it's still happening.

I've been put on atenolol beta blockers to relieve racing heart and skipped beats when having panic attacks. They work to control the racing heart definitely, but they haven't really helped the ectopics. It seems like I can just get them out of nowhere, like I have today (however I was very stressed about 2 hours before the ectopic) ... A long (3 second) pause, then a weak beat will kickstart the heart again. When this used to happen, it would send me into a downward spiral of panic, but now because the heart can't physically beat at 160bpm after an ectopic, my anxiety calms down within a minute (which is good).

But WHY am I still getting these horrible ectopics and how/when will they stop?

Cheers

[Izzie2494]

I am on beta blockers aswell and notice my palpitations don't always go, are you think about your heartbeat when it happens?

[seansavage17]

Yeah I do think about it.
I think probably subconsciously I'm always aware of it to be honest.
I've noticed the skipped beats normally occur when resting but also, when I'm going from one place to another, i.e walking, taxi, bus etc etc... Weird I know

[Izzie2494]

I get that aswell sometimes and when I'm rushing round and stop for a minute they start! Have you been to the doctors about it? They're such a horrible symptom of anxiety!!

[seansavage17]

It's not so much when I'm rushing around, just I think the fact I know I'm not in one place and it ould delay any help if needed... Stupid thought I know!!

And yes I've had blood, echo, 24 bloop pressure, ecg's but still yet to have 24 hour ecg.

[Izzie2494]

I know exactly what you mean I always worry when I'm away that I don't know where the hospital is if I needed to go !

[Catherine S]

I think my advice might not be really what you want to hear...in the fact that I have suffered from these ectopics since my mid 20's and i'm now 61 and still get them. So ok they haven't killed me and I no longer live in fear of them, in part because the propranolol I take deals with most of them so I can live with them better than I could in the past. But I realise that you might not want to hear that they could be with someone as long as mine have been with me.

Don't get me wrong, they came and went over the years and in the early years I could go a year or so without them, but gradually they became more frequent. However...my main problem was drinking every evening for many years. I wasn't an alcoholic in that I didn't crave a drink from the moment I woke up, but I was a regular evening drinker at home. Not wine but spirits with a mixer...more spirits than mixer I confess. Then I gave up and the ectopics became much easier to deal with...not so extreme and less frequent. My BP also came down really well too. I still don't drink unless I go out for ameal which isn't that often, but I have made a concious decision not to drink at home. The benefits are amazing.

I don't know if you're a drinker or not, but i would say that betablockers are the best thing for these ectopics by a long way, its just a matter of finding the one that suits your system and finding the right dose. I take 40mgs split into 20x2 daily, but I take more if the ectopics unsettle me too much. I no longer think i'm going to die from them but I acknowledge that they are still scary when they happen and I will still try to lessen them if i can. That's the great thing about beta blockers really, we can take them on an 'as and when' basis if we want because they only act on the physical side of things and are not mind-altering like other meds are.

Perhaps you could look into upping your dose? Remember these can be given up to over 300mgs a day so what we take is just a small amount in comparison.

ISB x

[Junot]

I'm on nebivolol (Hypoloc). I still experience the classic anxiety symptoms, the main difference is that my heart beat doesn't race anymore as much as it did before. Prior to beta-blockers it would race up to 120-140 bpm, now it rarely beats faster than 90 bpm when I'm anxious. When I'm relaxed it usually beats at 60-70 bpm. As to the ectopics, I guess that I usually don't feel them except when I'm having full-blown panic attacks. However, one time I was arguing with someone and all of a sudden I felt like I was going to faint and vomit and then I got a strong thump in my chest (this happened in a matter of a few seconds). I guess it was an ectopic and I my cardiologist confirmed it. By the way, I got 6 ectopics (5 supraventricular and 1 ventricular) on the last holter monitor I had done but I guess I didn't feel any of them. Are you on antidepressants and anxiolytics as well? By reducing your anxiety levels they can help reducing the ectopics as well. When I was on fluoxetine my heart rate wouldn't even get as high as 90 bpm at rest.

[seansavage17]

Hi,

Thanks for the info, yeah my heart rarely races now I've started the beta blcokers but I do still feel the random ectopics... Difference is I won't have a run of them or feel really scared afterwards.

As for the other meds, I don't really like the idea of trying them. My girlfriend's mum was a psychiatric nurse for 10 years and is recommending I start on Citralopram, but I don't fancy the side effects.

[dac0273]

Hi I still believe just read your post ,is the Proponolol 10 mg safe to take over years as I'm worried they could damage my heart . I keep getting ectopic beats all the time have done for years I'm sat here right now worried about them along with left arm ache and shoulder ache
I'm so scared I'm also thinking they may cause the ectopic beats ??? Not sure . I take 1 nearly every day already had 1 today but do u think I should have another 1 now to calm the ectopic beats ??

[kezzal]

im on 80 mg of propanolol a day so another one shouldnt hurt but check with your doctor before upping meds try relaxing arm and shoulder ache can be caused by being uptight it can also be triggered by heart burn/indegestion i suffer terrible with sever left arm pain sometimes in my case its linked to my gastro system

[Catherine S]

Hi dac, just read your post and taking them for any length of time won't hurt your heart for sure, and 10mg is very low tbh. My old mum took them at 20mg for over 20 years and came to no harm. She doesn't take them now because she doesn't need them. So don't be scared of them.

ISB x