Atenolol

[sila]

Can improvement of OSA parameters reduce need for atenolol? I’m on 12.5 mg BID (half the lowest prescribed dose) for hypertension and tachycardia. I’m exhausted from what feels like atenolol toxicity. I’ve been on the stuff for years. Now it feels like too much med, with my AHI being down in the 1 range.

I’m not asking for medical advice, and yes, I know about going to see my physician. I’m simply curious if anyone has experienced reduced tolerance for atenolol, or for that matter any BP med, as apnea is corrected.

[gocamels]

Do you keep a blood pressure and/or heart rate journal? The best thing you can do is track both at least once daily from now until you see your doctor. It's much easier to tell if your cardiac issues are under control - or overmedicated - if your doctor has a couple of weeks' worth of data instead of just one reading in the office.

[sila]

gocamels, good idea! I’ll do that.

[gocamels]

gocamels, good idea! I’ll do that.

Good luck to you. One other question comes to mind. Any specific reason your doctor is having you take your atenolol twice daily? The antihypertensive effect usually lasts 24 hours for most patients.

I have known patients who needed to take half their dose twice daily, but it's pretty rare.

[ChicagoGranny]

and yes, I know about going to see my physician

[sila]

Good luck to you. One other question comes to mind. Any specific reason your doctor is having you take your atenolol twice daily? The antihypertensive effect usually lasts 24 hours for most patients.

It was my decision to split the dose. If I take 25 mg once a day I’m bedridden for the day with very low BP. I’ve had extensive cardiac workup. Nothing shows up.

[purple22]

This is a beta blocker. Meaning. We have Beta something levels in our blood which, when reduced (in effect) reduce blood pressure. As we start a Beta-Blocker, our body will try to compensate by increasing it number of Beta (molecules?.) Eventually, the drug overcomes the number of Beta our body creates.

Problem is when we stop a Beta Blocker. Blood Pressure goes super high. This Beta Blocker "Rebound" can cause heart attacks and strokes. Never stop a Beta Blocker without medical supervision. Never miss a dose, on time. "Rebound" is a medical term to describe the Tachycardia, super high blood pressure of missing a dose of a Beta Blocker.

Beta Blocker therapy is know to be associated with pushing a person into Diabetes. For that reason the Lancet (the British Medical journal) recommended that first time treatment for hypertension should not be a Beta Blocker, or a diuretic. For some folks that is the best first treatment because of an underlying cause.

The humor part of that is when a study was done of what drugs most people were taking when most people died, is that in many cases they were taking a Beta Blocker. Because a Beta Blocker is an excellent drug which helps the heart to beat more slowly, but more powerfully. They had their life extended, improved, by taking a Beta Blocker.

Olympic Athletes are checked for Beta Blockers, which are a banned drug.

Oh yes, have your doc check you for Diabetes.

[gocamels]

Beta blockers bind to beta receptors, which are found on many different types of cells in the body. Beta receptors are the sites at which epinephrine (commonly known as adrenaline) and norepinephrine exert their effects. When a beta blocker binds to these beta receptors, epinephrine and norepi are blocked. So when the beta receptors in cardiac muscle, for example, are blocked, adrenaline can't get in to increase your heart rate.

So beta blockers decrease heart rate and force of contraction. They aren't first line treatment for most people with high blood pressure, but they are very common in helping prevent a second heart attack.

[CapnLoki]

I was told by my doctor that atenolol is an "18 hour drug" so twice a day is appropriate.

Atenolol is also a treatment for stage fright and is commonly used by actors. I suffered from mild agoraphobia much of my life but seemed to grow out of it - I realized later that that coincided with starting atenolol.

[sila]

My question was and remains, has anyone experienced reduced tolerance to atenolol as sleep apnea improves.

[ChicagoGranny]

My question was and remains, has anyone experienced reduced tolerance to atenolol as sleep apnea improves.

When you start a thread here, you never know which direction it will take.

[gocamels]

My question was and remains, has anyone experienced reduced tolerance to atenolol as sleep apnea improves.

Here's a study that kinda sorta answers your question:

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3927443/

In adults with moderate to severe OSA and resistant hyper-tension despite optimal anti-hypertensive therapy, treatment of OSA with CPAP improved the mean 24 hour blood pressure after 12 weeks of therapy.

The only real answer is to keep a blood pressure/heart rate journal and see if your BP and HR are lower now that you're treating your OSA.

[zoocrewphoto]

My question was and remains, has anyone experienced reduced tolerance to atenolol as sleep apnea improves.

I don't know about that specific drug, but it is known that many people are more sensitive to their medications (need less) once their sleep apnea is better controlled. Also, since sleep apnea often causes high blood pressure, it makes sense that somebody with high blood pressure may needless medication once treated for sleep apnea.