3.11.2008
Beta Blocker...A little scary....
My doctor called me with the results of my heart monitor and said that he didn't see anything serious, I was just having "non-threatening arrhythmias." He suggested that I try taking a beta blocker for thirty days. He prescribed the generic for Toprol for me, and I have been taking it for almost a week now. At first I was very excited about having a possible solution to my annoying irregular heartbeat. But I have to admit that now I am almost more scared about taking the beta blocker than I am about having an irregular heartbeat! I've just felt kind of "out of it" ever since I started taking it, and I know that tiredness and fatigue are a common side effect, but I just can't seem to get out of this "haze" I'm experiencing. I've been experimenting with taking it at different times of the day, but still haven't found the magic time. Last night I took it right before bed, and all of this morning I felt like I was drugged. So, tonight I took it earlier, around dinner, to see if I will feel more awake tomorrow morning. I've been reading all about the possible side effects, and it's a little scary. One weird one is crazy vivid dreams, which I have in fact been having. Vivid in the sense that they feel very real and I remember them so clearly when I wake up. Fortunately I haven't been experiencing the insomnia I keep reading about--I was pretty much an insomniac already, and I think the sluggish effects of the drug are actually helping me sleep. I think it might be upsetting my stomach though, and I think I also might be feeling little pangs of anxiety that I've read about as a possible side effect. I have never been an anxious person before so this worries me. I came across this terrifying website tonight full of horror stories and awful symptoms that people have had with Toprol, and now I am wondering if I should just stop it now before things get any worse! If anyone has any input or advice, please let me know!!!
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4 comments:
That is so crazy. You don't really need any more ailments!!
btw i love reading your blog! especially since we can never find a time to chat! well good luck..can you still drink while taking it? (of course..that is what i would be worried about)
Doug started taking this medicine while he was in med school and it took a while, but now he is used to it. I can't remember the exact side effects he had, but I remember they were bad for the first few months.
Beta blockers can be scary. But the good thing is that many, many people take them and after awhile, like Katie said, they get used to them. I'm sure they make you feel tired, though, and that does stink. Hopefully your body will adjust soon. A friend of mine takes it and she said it was hard at first, but it's been a couple of years now and she can't even tell when she takes it. So, good luck to you. I hope you get back to feeling like your old self again. I know it will be nice not to have to feel those stupid irregular beats anymore. Good luck!
Oh my, Al! I don't know anything about this so I can't give advice, I just hope they get to the bottom of it and you don't have to do anything else!
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