Blood pressure medication

[honeyb]

Hi
Please can someone put my mind a rest. I went to the Drs on friday after having a racing heart on the way to work (I turned round and when straight to the drs) my blood pressure was up, so he has put me on 25mg of Atenolol. I have a phobia about medication and am convinced that i will have a really bad side effect. My blood pressure is ok at home and my heart doesn't race all the time. I'm worried that it will lower my blood pressure too much or stop my heart. I did my usual and read all the side effect now i'm convinced it will get them. I told the dr that i hate taking tablets and he said that it's a small dose and i should be fine, but i'm not convinced. He took some bloods and had booked me in for an ecg and also refering me to a cardiologist (He did say that he didn't think it was a heart problem) I'm in such a state at the moment and convinced that i have a problem with my heart. Please help.

[James1983]

I was exactly the same convinced the heart was going to pack up, i had high bp and pulse, had all the tests and all was well. dont worry you would need a lot of those drugs to make you have dangerously low blood pressure. my gp was on the team that developed them and and they were used as guinea pigs to test the drugs and they said the only time noticed anything wrong was that they where all too tired to run up the escalators at the underground station! they were taking a lot more than 25mg! dont worry we are all here to help

[kittikat]

I was on Atenolol 50mg for quite some time with no ill effects at all, the thing was although it helped slightly with the palps, it was not lowering my blood pressure enough, so doc changed it to Bisoprolol, which I have to take with 2 other types of BP meds. My BP is now stable and I have been on this combination of 3 tablets for a few years now quite successfully. I also have a fear of meds and I get where you are coming from. The worst that I felt was a little more tired than usual, but that was only once I started the 3 meds together. If it lowers your BP a little too much, which I very much doubt, at worst you would probably just feel a little dizzy or lightheaded. It has probably been prescribed more to control the palps than your BP anyway which is fairly common. You will be fine, it's a low dose and as you say they are doing all the necessary tests, and will no doubt be monitoring you on a regular basis to ensure they are helping to control racing heart and/or BP.

Take care,
Kitti

[honeyb]

Thanks both, my Heart rate has gone down to around 51 up to 60 bpm and bp when i measured at home was 115-69. Now i'm panicking it's gone the opposite way. Will this panic ever end?

[Jenwales]

Thats me too. I've been put on atenolol though I think it's just my anxiety and i hope they dont ask me to do anything else.
Spent a week or more worrying about side effects and the rest what the doctor will say tomorrow. I'm not sure if i have a blood pressureproblem or not but i keep worrying. atenolol is also prescrbed for anxiety.
since ive had a bit more experience of being on it I can tell you I havnt had my heart stop or anything. I've only had tiredness but that could have been me. So you should be fine on them, I'm been working and stuff.

I can completely relate to you as this is exactly what I'm going through right now. I'm going to try and get an appointment tomorrow and not worry.
I think doctors are uselss.
doctors just increase my stress, going now before my worry takes over
all the best

[honeyb]

Thanks Jenwales, this anxiety never ends does it?

[Jenwales]

No.
I'm anxious about the doctors tomorrow I'll let you know if its my bp or not, chances are if I'm having this problem so are others. Always best to get it checked, so i tell myself.
ive had enough
If I can help others with my own experiences I guess it's good really, here's hoping this next attempt at easing my anxiety will stick.
lifestyle change maybe

[Jenwales]

Well I went today and they told me im fine, blood tests back later this week. just gave me atenolol for good to take when i want/need to
its a beta blocker

[honeyb]

Great news, thanks for letting me know. I worried about the side effects of it. I took it last night (3rd night). Not sure whether it's anxiety or side effects. I do think it's more anxiety because i'm taking tablets though. I'm just worried that it will slow my heart rate down too much as is doesn't race all the time and my bp was always ok at home and up in the drs, so i worry that my bp will lower too much.