Print this page
Email a friend
Was this information helpful?
(0 votes)What do you think? Click "thumbs up" or "thumbs down" to vote!
If you have more to say, post a comment below!
Q. I’m not a pill taker, but my doctors insist I get my blood pressure down to 120/80. I started on beta blockers (first propranolol, then atenolol and now metoprolol). They make my joints ache and I feel tired, depressed and disappointed. Diovan makes me weak and dizzy. My hair is falling out, my cholesterol is going up and my breathing is bad.
I used to feel great. I stayed active by walking and golfing. Now I can barely drag myself out of a chair. Are there any better medications or natural remedies I could ask my doctor about?
A. As important as it is to control hypertension, you should not have to curtail your activities because of blood pressure pills. Your medicines could well be contributing to your symptoms. Beta blockers are no longer considered the best first treatment for high blood pressure.
Exercise is important. Other natural approaches include pomegranate, grape or beet juice. Magnesium can also be helpful.
You will find more details on these and other natural approaches along with the pros and cons of various anti-hypertensive medicines in our Guide to Blood Pressure Treatment.
DHA (Docosahexaenoic Acid) in Fish Oil helps to control blood pressure.
By taking four 300 mg Fish Oil capsules per day (each capsule contains 120 mg of DHA) I was able to discontinue my prescribed drug for blood pressure.
http://www.umm.edu/altmed/articles/docosahexaenoic-acid-000300.htm#Uses
Hypertension often improves to the point that medications can be reduced or even eliminated on a diet that restricts sugars and starches, especially wheat grain (ven "whole" grain).
Most likely the improvement is due to lowered insulin production (insulin i s a fat storage and growth promoting hormone) and less fluid retention (fluid retention is a side effect of a high carb diet), resulting in weight loss. Most people who reduce their concentrated sugar and starch intake to a minimum, substituting with non-starchy vegetables while consuming enough protein and ample natural fats, find this way of eating very satisfying (no gnawing hunger as on calorie restricted and low fat/high carb diets) and the weight stays off while health improves.
Blood pressure can improve so rapidly when sugars and starches are eliminated from the diet, that it is wise to consult closely with a doctor to adjust any dosages of BP medications downward to avoid over medication.
I am taking metropropol for a high heart rate. Would you suggest the same natural approaches to reduce that so I can get off the medication?
I am a heart patient and a beta blocker atenolol was prescribed by my cardiologist almost 2 years ago. It was during the year from the start of taking atenolol that I was suffering from depression to severe depression, so bad that it was a great effort to get downstairs to fix dinner for the kids. All I wanted to do was lay on the couch and sleep. Had no desire to do the things I enjoyed doing. Found no pleasure in anything. I attributed it to menopause. Then I suffered from severe headaches, and the vascular neurologist prescribed verapamil, a calcium channel blocker but that caused severe constipation. I also mentioned the the vas. neu. that I felt I was getting more depressed using verapamil.
He reviewed my meds and stated that if anything it's the beta blocker atenolol that caused the depression. Looking back, the timing coincided. Fast forward, in Feb. 2008 I suffered 2 heart attacks...that partially explained the headaches. The cardiologist wanted me to continue on a beta blocker, which is important for heart attack sufferers. She tried me on several different b.b. and thank god, her research resulted in my now using bi-soprolol fummarate...no depression. As an aside, in June 2008, it was discovered that my right carotid was over 90 percent blocked...that is what caused that headaches. BTW, I am 55 youngster, but it's never to early to start taking careful of yourself and get with good specialists for preventive care.
In April 2008 I started taking Atenolol for atrial fibrillation. It made feel exhausted all the time. I was hardly able to get anything done and didn't have the energy or motivation to walk or go to my water aerobic class. I had maintained a 75 pound weight loss for two years and as soon as I went on atenolol I started gaining.
The heart doctor lowered my dosage but that wasn't keeping the heart rate normal. I went to my endocrinologist and she changed my medication to Bystolic (nebivolol) and within 3 days I started feeling better. I now have much more energy and am back to exercising and walking again and have had the motivation to get back to Weight Watchers to take off the thirty pounds I gained in 3 months.
After taking Atenolol, how much time occurred before your depression started?