Atenolol no relief of High B.P.

[dughr]

Hello,

I have been posting some stuff here to find out if others are having similar experiences and have met with a great deal of help from some very kind people. I have a question for anyone who is taking Atenolol or any beta blocker for that matter.

I started on 50 mg./day and am now at 200 and my doc will likely go to 300 next week. The thing is my heart rate has always been about 76 or so and has not changed at all. My BP is steady at about 150/105 and has not changed with the increased dose. My primary care doc (who still calls my disease IHSS) says that beta blockers go first to the liver and some people will metabolize them faster than others. So is this something you have experienced and or heard about? My first thought is if this is going to my liver what the heck will all the drugs to to it? My dad passed away from liver cancer a year ago this month so I am more than a little concerned about what I am doing to my liver with this.

Thanks,


Doug

[Reenie]

Doug, have they done any blood work to screen your liver? That should be one thing they watch. I am on a calcium channel blocker and they do occasionally check my liver. My husband is on atenolol and Zocor (for high cholesterol) and he gets his liver checked periodically too. Maybe you should ask? I don't have any advice on it not lowering your blood pressure. I would be asking some questions.

Reenie

[dughr]

Reenie,

My primary care doc did do work to screen my liver and even went as far as an ultrasound on it. I had some "factor" he called ikt in my blood that led him to believe I had something wrong like scirossis (sp). That was all clear and I had no scarring of the liver...thing is I still am not clear wht the "factor" was he was looking at. My HCM docs at Tufts have not looked at my liver or anything. So I am a bit stumped about why the drug is not having more of an effect on me.

Doug

[Sarah]

Everyone is different. There are plenty of other drugs to try. Zebeta, recently mentioned, is a very selective beta-blocker and is perhaps easier on the liver. Worth looking into.

S

[Karen P]

Hi,

That's a pretty big dose of Atenolol. I've never heard of anyone on 300 or 200 for that matter.

My husband has been on up to 100mg day & my kids are on 50. Hopefully, they find the right coctail for get the job done!

Take care,

Karen

[dughr]

Hi Karen...

Me too. After this morning especially.

Doug

[Lisa Salberg]

I checked with a few docs... re the beta blockers and liver issue... no one I spoke to thinks that this is any problem what so ever.
Re lowering your B/P - you may want to re visit the topic from step one - look at your diet - excersise - sleep patterns and your meds. Talk it over with your doc. Many times you can lower your B/P with diet and excersise better than any pill can ever do.
Just a suggestion..
Best wishes,
Lisa

[jfeu]

Hi Doug: I am on 150 mg of Atenolol for HCM. Two cardiologists have told me that 200 mg per day is the maximum recommended. I am also on Zocor and have blood tests for liver enzymes once a year. Good luck. Joyce

[Pam Alexson]

Hi everyone , Yes this is true 200mgs daily is the max dose of Atenolol according to the Physcians Desk Reference . But... the treatment for HCM calls for pushing the beta blockers higher then max recomendations .All that I have read confirms this as well as specialists for HCM. When I was first diagnosed at Brigham and Womens Hospital in Boston this is one of the many things I was told .I was immediately increased to 200mgs. from 150mgs and was told that that dose could be pushed even higher if indications prevailed. As atenolol was probably the single most important med. that gave me any relief and albeit a small window of activity tolerance it was nonetheless a little more relief. It was interesting that although that was one cardiologists opinion the primary cardiologist that treated me there would not increase the atenolol. He would not give reasons even though I pressed him repeatedly . As I have since decided to stay and follow up at Tufts NEMC the first treatment option was to increase the Atenolol from 200mgs daily to 300mgs daily to now 350mgs daily to 400mgs next week . My blood pressure is maintaining 120/90 pre med to 80 or 90/50-60. My pulse is ranging 88- 60 post med. , my pacer is set at 60 so it paces me more. It is early but I'm not sure that this approach is going to work any wonders but it is at least worth the try before proceeding to the next level of intervention. At these doses the side effects for me are evident but not unmanageable .I'm not sure that they would be the same if I had to go to a job daily. We are indeed all different and effected by this disease uniquely. I hope that this info was usefull or helpfull. Take care Pam

[dughr]

Hi Pam,

That is exactly what I was told as well. I went to 300 mg. but never could get any effect at all. My BP stayed at a consistent 155/105 and pulse at 75 or so. They took me down to 100 now waiting for a myectomy. Maybe if I am lucky I can get off them all together post surgery...that would be very cool. 8-)

Doug

[Lisa Salberg]

Lets talk about that...getting off meds after myectomy. I have to rain on your parade...but... You will likely benefit from staying on some meds post procedure. I know you would rather NOT BUT you still HAVE HCM...
your heart need the "break" the drugs.
dropping the dose is highly likely...but you most likley will still need some meds.
Lisa

[Pam Alexson]

Hello, I think that this is a confusing :? part I also found myself thinking for a moment that I would be off meds after surgery. I think we get caught up with how improved everyone seems to report after their procedures and forget that the docs are only removing ( for myectomy )a very tiny piece of septum . Correct??? It seems that we have probably felt so lousey for so long that it feels like a cure instead of an intervention, and therefor the HCM :( will always be with us like you said Lisa .Thanks for the rain on the parade ..Reality slaps help. Pam

[Lisa Salberg]

HCM is at a molecular level...it is the very way the cells in the heart are formed...removing some thickness removes only a little bit of those "bad cells".
There is no way to remove all the damage to the heart...all the myocardial disarray...so we need the meds to help the heart do its job.
Sorry about the "rain" but heck on the east coast this lovely Memorial Day week end... that all we are getting anyway :(
Lisa