Newcomer

[snaps042]

Hi,

I’m 61 and having awful problems with anxiety and heart palpitations.

My GP is doing all he can for me and has put me in a course of meds to combat anxiety (which apparently take weeks to work) and beta blockers for the palpitations.

Would you believe it but I then read up on the beta blockers on the internet and all I can find is horror stories and stuff to make your toes curl.

I think I have now reached a point where I am frightened to take the beta blockers - this is ridiculous on every level.

I’ve posted in the forum (in the relevant section) and hoping to find someone who can get me to take the tablets as these palps are not going anywhere unless I do.

Thanks,

Adam

[venusbluejeans]

Hiya snaps042 and welcome to NMP :welcome:

Why not take a look at our articles on our home page, they contain a wealth of information and
are a great starting place for your time on the forum.

I hope you find the as site helpful and informative as I have and that you get the help and
support you need here and hope that you meet a few friends along the way :yesyes:

[snaps042]

Hi,

Thank you for your reply.

I read through a load of pages before registering, and must admit that the presentation of info and the range of subjects convinced me that this site wasn’t the kind of site that would put me off.

I’m impressed with this place already.

Adam

[Carys]

Hey Adam,

I have no Beta Blocker experience, hopefully someone will come on to the page you have posted about it and reply shortly. The reading of side-effects is something I have a terrible problem with though and actually I have a medication phobia, so taking anything is an extraordinary emotional battle, so I'm not the best person to advise about anything to do with this. Welcome anyway !

A wee question - what are these 'palpitations?' as people use this word to describe lots of different things. Are they what has been diagnosed as 'ectopic beats' that are caused by anxiety ?

[ServerError]

This may be very difficult to do while in the grip of such terrible anxiety, but based on the fact that your doctor believes your palpitations to be anxiety-related and is treating them with beta blockers, you'll need to work on making peace with them. Anxiety-related ectopic beats are very common - I'd wager many many people around here have experienced them. I still get them from time to time if I'm under pressure or have had something on my mind, but I don't fear them or worry about them. It's the added worry on top that can keep fuelling them and make them seem scary. Once you find a way to experience them without the extra layer of panic, they become much less frightening, and you'll find that they tend to burn themselves out in the end.

Beta blockers may well help to eliminate or reduce them, but they're a sticking plaster. If you remain in a state of extreme anxiety and panic, it will be hard to eliminate them completely. As is so often the case, the medication can be helpful, but will not treat the root problem. I know when you're anxious you'll feel as if the palpitations are the root problem and that if you can just make them go away, you'll be fine again. Unfortunately, as I'm sure you know, anxiety isn't like that. So I would definitely recommend getting some treatment for the anxiety as opposed to just trying to cover up the palpitations.

With regard to the beta blockers, I took them for several months when I had my first bout of anxiety and panic. They did help, but as my understanding of anxiety and the physical symptoms it can cause increased, I found I didn't really need them anymore as I no longer feared palpitations. If they happen now, my attitude is much more relaxed. Beta blockers have been around a long time and millions of people have taken them and still do take them, mostly without complications. It's important to remember that the "horror stories" stand out for their rarity - the internet isn't full of people sharing their stories of how they took beta blockers and were fine because who would do that?

[snaps042]

Thank you ServerError,

I appreciate your time in explaining all of that. It’s very clear and I feel a lot better after reading it.

You are quite correct on all counts.

Have a great weekend and again, thank you.

[pulisa]

It is all about your fear response to anxiety-based ectopics/palpitations but as Server says, mentally you may need a bit of pharmaceutical support to help you process this and not continue to see them as a separate entity to "anxiety" as you embark on therapy.

Personally they did nothing for me (I think I was prescribed propanolol) but we all respond differently and I think that if you have decided to take them then you should just go ahead and the weekend is a good time to start.

[snaps042]

Thank you for your reply pulisa.

I think I just have reservations about taking medication (10 mg) that will lower my blood pressure and make me feel lightheaded. I don’t like being out of control.

The palpitations were absolutely spot-on yesterday as they disappeared, but today they’ve come back.

[pulisa]

They are completely harmless, Adam. Uncomfortable but benign. You can ignore them and just carry on with your day.

Do you actually want to take these beta blockers or will they just add to your anxiety?

[snaps042]

Thank you very much for getting back to me on a Saturday evening.

And that’s the problem: uncomfortable.

I don’t want to feel uncomfortable after taking one. I hate being out of control and if chemicals are going to make me feel lightheaded, then that’s where the issue is.

I really should be taking these tablets as I’ve been told that they will help me.

My anxiety is escalating because I don’t want to feel uncomfortable once I’ve taken one, if you understand what I’m talking about.

The other problem is that I live alone, but if I was to take one with someone present, that might help.

[ServerError]

There's no guarantee that they will make you feel lightheaded. I never felt lightheaded while taking them. Not everybody does. Even if you do, it's generally not serious and you can always talk to your doctor again if they make you feel that uncomfortable.

The stuff about control lies at the heart of anxiety. We're humans and we want to be in control, but we live an existence in which so much is beyond our control. The most content people I know have long since realised this and have resolved to enjoy life as much as possible, control only what they can and leave the rest up to fate/destiny/God/the wind etc etc.

It's clear to me that you dislike discomfort, but palpitations are only uncomfortable because you attach that label to them. I assue you I also experience bouts of palpitations and I wouldn't even go so far as to describe them as uncomfortable because that is not how I experience them. They are just part of the background noise of my life and they always fizzle out in the end. But here's the thing, I control what I can control - my reaction, my stress etc - and leave the rest to be what it will be. Would it help to say to yourself that, just for a few hours, you're going to let the palpitations happen without reaction and just get on with whatever you're doing? Take a detached, "let's just see how this goes" approach for a few hours. I mean, let's face it, you haven't come to any harm yet because of them!

[snaps042]

Hello ServerError,

You are quite right. I realise I haven’t come to any harm with these palpitations that being unable to sleep because of them is getting to me.

Of course, if I want them to stop, I should take the beta blockers. I’m trying to summon up the courage to take one.

I’ll try and go for a long walk every day, and sometimes that helps to quell them, sometimes it doesn’t.

[pulisa]

It doesn't actually matter if they happen, Adam. The thing is that they are new to you so you are afraid of what is happening and want them to stop. Your doctor has told you that these palpitations are a manifestation of your anxiety and not an organic issue so this is reassuring. They are a nuisance and uncomfortable but don't actually harm you physically.

You are struggling with making a decision..Take a beta blocker and panic about possible side effects or don't take one and panic about having palpitations. Either way you will be anxious but it's down to what you feel you could manage. You could always cut the tablet in half if you wanted to try medication?

[snaps042]

Hi pulisa,

Thank you for your reply.

Yes, I’m my own worst enemy: worry about the palpitations or worry about the beta blockers. It says on the outside of the box, I’m not to cut the pill in half - I think they are probably slow release. I have been prescribed propanolol.