Can Beta Blockers cause Autonomic Dysfunction?
Posted , 15 users are following.
I was perfectly fit and well until end of last December when they put me on a small dosage of the Beta Blocker Bisoprolol due to ectopic heart beats that developed into Ventricular Tachycardia.
As soon as I started taking them, I described myself as being turned into an old man overnight who could no longer feel my lungs working, like a drunk zombie.
When they found me in a state of near collapse at work with a heart beat after oxygen given, of only 42bpm, they declared I was allergic to beta blockers and I have not taken any since March.
The symptoms however remain to this day and all the doctors, GPs, cardiologists, they refuse to even consider that beta blockers are to blame and so attribute my illness to anxiety from an abused childhood.
I do not feel anxious, I have worked for over 40 years with no symptoms of anxiety until the day they put me on beta blockers which seems to be a bit too much of a co-incidence.
Beta blockers however, they block adrenaline receptors in your Autonomic Nervous System, so I have symptoms of disruption to my ANS following taking medicine that not only disrupts your ANS, but that I reacted badly too. This seems rather more a logical reason for my current sickness, but how can I get anybody to even investigate the possibility?, they have all told each other it is anxiety so of course I cannot get past this presupposition.
I have found a detailed description of Autonomic Dysfunction on the Dantest site, they make medical machinery for the study of such. they list causes of Autonomic Neuropathy including medications that include " Drugs that decrease sympathetic activity (sympatholytics): alpha and beta blockers (i.e. metoprolol), barbiturates, anesthetics", but of course I would simply be told to not believe things I read on the web!
In addition, I possibly have a genetic predisposition to this as I have a Maternal cousin with Fibroid-Mialgia and Paternal half-sister with the same symptoms as POTs.
My current symptoms are ectopic beats and palpitations that occur mainly later in the day when I get tired, and after eating that can get so that every other heart beat is an ectopic.
My heart rate is around 30bpm faster than it used to be in any given situation, it also seems to fluctuate wildly doing the same activity.
Horrendous heartburn and the feeling that my esophagus is closed so that if I eat half what I used to, it feels painful, I feel full up with just a few mouthfuls.
My sense of hunger and thirst are diminished, a few weeks back I did a little experiment, I didn't eat a single thing for 42 hours and still didn't feel hungry.
Breathlessness and the feeling my lungs do not work automatically. When I talk to people now I sometimes forget to breath and they suddenly see me stop to take a gasp, when I fall asleep I keep waking with a gasp as I forget to breath.
My cardiologist did arrange a lung function test, but this only measured the capacity of my lungs, it didn't measure the lungs gaseous diffusion efficiency.
I had noticed when in hospital that the machine kept beeping because even awake, my blood oxygen level would fall to 87%
So I bought my own Oximeter, sometimes it can be as high as 98%, so there is obviously nothing mechanically wrong with my lungs, but generally it is in the low 90s when relaxing, when I go to sleep however, it spends half the night at 85%
I read that the ANS detects a low oxygen level in your blood and automatically adjusts your breathing.
An eighth month old cough. They tried me on a different beta blocker, Salotolol, this right away put me into a coughing frenzy so my GP told me to come off which I did, the bad cough went right away, but I have been left with a permanent dry cough that gets worst when I talk of when I have a shower it gets so I am nearly vomiting.
Exhaustion, utter exhaustion, I had to go to work to see O/H and chatted to a few friends, so I was there for about four hours, then I had a meal there, that must have used the last of my energy as I could muster up just enough energy to draw breath, had to sit down for a couple of hours before I could get up again. All my symptoms are worst when tired, so I have to spend the following day in bed after doing anything as strenuous as going out. I don't even have the mental energy to pass my time with computer games, often it is hard to force myself to do anything more than just sit and look at the floor.
Brain Fog, when I get exhausted my speech becomes slurred, I cannot walk straight and feel drunk, I have this all the time to a lesser extent.
Tingling in my feet, often when lying in my bed this expands to a quivering I feel throughout my whole body.
I now find myself waking in the night in order to urinate, as much as four times, full loads not a prostate trouble load.
I do not have the POTs symptom, I measured my heart rate as only going up by 20bpm when standing from lying down.
2 likes, 41 replies
peter01729
Posted
Best bit though, was this cardiologist who had never heard of such a thing regarding beta blockers, today informed me that he spoke of me to another of his patients, because this other patient of his has had exactly the same reaction to Bisoprolol as I have.
Maybe next time I see him I should suggest he report his findings to the British Medical Journal or the Lancet to save others being fobbed off.
rhonda_08440 peter01729
Posted
I'm sorry I can't be of help as far as answering your question - this is an old post anyway, so you've probably had it answered by now. I just want to say that I understand the absolute frustration of having doctors dismiss physical symptoms as anxiety. I believe that much of the time, it's the easy way out when they have no idea what the true diagnosis might be, but don't want to admit that. If it were isolated to one doctor caring for you, it would be bad enough. However, as you said - many times doctors see that another doctor has determined that your symptoms are anxiety related and they automatically dismiss your symptoms as being just that - without ever thinking for themselves. It's in the chart and you're then stuck with this (oftentimes inaccurate) diagnosis.
You also mentioned that a patient is basically chastised for wanting to know more about what might be going on with their body and attempting to do their own research. I am an RN and I understand how frustrating it is when a patient reads something online and diagnoses themselves as having something that they obviously don't - but, that doesn't mean your doctor should treat every patient as if they are doing that - even when the patient has legitimate ideas. Doctors spend 10-15 minutes with you. You have spent a lifetime in your body. You are the expert on your body and you have a lot more time to "research" your symptoms than they have to spend trying to diagnose you in the office. Sometimes what you find will be very wrong or improbable, but sometimes you will be able to provide your doctor with valuable information... if he or she would not let their ego get in the way.
Of course, if a patient has already been misdiagnosed with anxiety, the "research" will just be seen as another indication of that. You're thought to be obsessed with your symptoms because of your "anxiety."
I've seen this scenario play out so many times on the job and now I am experiencing it firsthand. One thing I'm learning is to advocate for myself and that I don't have to accept a diagnoses that I know is not correct. (unfortunately, I can't change the chart)
It's so frustrating. So, for anyone going through this, you are not alone. It happens all the time. Don't take it personally, don't question reality, and continue to advocate for yourself until you get real answers.
amy90122 peter01729
Posted
ana85762 peter01729
Edited
joshuapryce1987 peter01729
Posted
Work on your body and exercise often, it will help increase good heart function.
peter01729
Posted
Indeed, when at my holiday home in Spain with a pushbike as my only transport, and a good reason to be out every day, I feel so much better, the swelling in my feet and legs is almost gone, and only occasionally do people assume I am drunk.
Last week I returned to UK where I have to be imprisoned in my home for ten days, my feet have gone back to be swollen, I am worst than ever, bumping into walls as I walk around my tiny prison cell.
Interesting that on the flight back I felt it to be sickeningly unendurable, so I had my oximeter to hand, the previous day after walking back from the shops, my blood oxygen was 97%, sitting on this air-plane for over two hours, I measured it at 83%.
I put this down to easyJet saving a few pennies by not having the oxygen in the cabin maintained as high as Lufthansa do, the wearing of masks, and the fact that cabin luggage now has to be stored in front of your feet, so I couldn't even use my legs to help my heart pump some blood around.
PeterAK peter01729
Edited
Back in 2009 I triggered the autoimmune disease myasthenia gravis with simvastatin. The autoimmune disease apparently brought on my autonomic dysfunction, including irregular heartbeat, blood oxygen, blood pressure etc. My mothers’ side of the family has many autoimmune diseases so this was not unexpected. Once the myasthenia was brought under control the autonomic dysfunction went away. When you discussed the symptoms of these two conditions with doctors you either got a recommendation to see a psychiatrist or hints to go away and never come back. Its hard-to-find doctors that understand this kind of stuff.
So, I was wondering if the beta blocker might have triggered an autoimmune disease which then caused the autonomic dysfunction. I do see some similarities between the two of our situations. Especially the fatigue, I would consider it an autoimmune symptom and not an autonomic dysfunction symptom. I know one of the most prominent things my neurologist mentions when discussing adverse drugs in relation to myasthenia is never take beta blockers. They are reportedly one of a large number of drugs that can affect the immune system. I mention this idea just so you have another avenue of investigation. Be careful if discussing it with doctors, as it is not widely accepted in the medical community.
Barobaby peter01729
Posted
Could be MCAS mast cell activation syndrome, maybe?
GeorgeStephen peter01729
Posted
I too developed Dysautonomia after talijg blood pressure medicine. I have almost all the systems of POTS but just like you my heart rate doesn't spike or fall dramatically. You might want to see a specialist who understands Dysautonomia.