Can anyone who takes a medical prescription that includes beta blockers report on any difficulties they have with brisk walking and other exercise, especially climbing up-hill at a reasonably fast pace? And any strategies and techniques they have learnt to use to counter or compensate for the effects of these medications? (Other than completely stopping the meds.)
I am on 95 mg / day Metoprolol CR, for controlling blood pressure and to minimise occasional mild Atrial Fibrillation (AF). I am also on a low daily dose of Aspirin to minimise the chance of clots, which can be caused by high blood pressure and especially by AF.
I still get plenty of exercise, but I find I am a bit slower than I would like in going uphill. (Beta blockers are designed to regulate heart beat but also to limit heart rate and pumping pressure.) I can get up hill OK, but I need to pace myself carefully, and take short rests if I get tired. I am 70 years old, so no spring chicken, and a bit overweight, but otherwise reasonably fit for my age.
At this stage I do not feel it safe to stop taking the medications, but maybe sometime in the future it may be possible after some lifestyle changes. My partner is trying to get me to stop eating all grains (except some fermented or sprouting grains) as she considers modern breeds of grain to be inimical to health and a principal cause of inflammation. However I like my bread, so this may be a change too far, at least for now! I am trying to reduce intake of sugars, but I do have a sweet tooth!
sugar is extremely underated for the damage it can do to your arteries and heart.
so are most commercially processed vegetable oils.
Beta-blockers are very good at what they do and they act as a hand brake for your heart, limiting how hard and fast it can work and in turn, limiting how hard you can push yourself. You are better to exercise regularly, so your body can work more efficiently and the heart doesn't have to work as hard, for a given workload. Sadly, you will probably be on the medications for good, but sounds like you are doing pretty amazing for your age!
With all due respect, don't listen to your partner. You are 70, enjoy your food (in moderation) - it sounds like you are exercising quite a bit and this anti-inflammatory. Sure, avoid processed sugars in junk food, but the odd bit of bread will be fine, especially if it is high in fibre
Your partner is right. Grains are proinflammatory. I'm not meant to be eating them either but find it a bit of a challenge, especially when tramping. One alternative is felafels but even then legumes aren't meant to be the best for some people with autoimmune disease such as me.
The whole grain breads are higher in gluten but the gluten-free breads are more refined and processed so unfortunately have a higher glycemic index. Some refined wheat based breads even have a higher glycemic index than glucose. I've read an explanation for how this is possible but can't recall it.
it is possible for some carbs to be absorbed faster than sugars.
some sports supplements use polymers that are in between a sugar and carb because they are absorbed faster. i think in higher doses the body has problems absorbing sugar... cholesterol gets involved somehow.
@antico, I am on daily aspirin, atorvastatin (for cholestrol) plus bisoprolol fumerate 2.5mg (which is a beta blocker) half tablet per day, the hardest part about this is cutting the farty little tablet in half without it shattering. Couple of years younger than yourself definitely slower going up hill but as mentioned else where I had a stent implant, also have a pacemaker which cardiologist states needs further adjustment. 6'4" 104 kg, probably 10 kg overweight, but regular walks with neighbours dog (45 kg ball of muscle) is starting to make some inroad on that. The weight was put on over the past year when I haven't been able to move as I would like. Can move a lot better since pacemaker implanted and if the impending adjustments next week do what they say it will I will be as close to normal as possible,fingers crossed. I also like my bread, but since we obtained a breadmaker and can make bread with selected ingredients the change is telling.
Our pharmacy stocks a various range of pill cutters. Interesting how your home-made bread appears to be less obesogenic.
Those lovely statins reduce the number of mitochondria in your cells. Mitochondria are the powerhouses supplying the cells with energy. I think people with stents have no choice but to take the statins as the stents can block. On the other hand, a gradual exercise regime can build that collateral circulation as happened with my brother when his 3 stents in his right coronary artery blocked.
This post has been edited by the author on 12 December 2015 at 00:37.
Thanks for that bit of info Honora I shall ask at my pharmacy. It's a pain in the proverbial when it shatters and you have to divvy it up, then leave half sitting on a teaspoon till the next morning. Who knows what walked over it in the interim.
Not aware of the evidence that statins reduce the number of mitochondria - however they do reduce the function of the mitochondria by depleting co-enzyme Q10 levels. This slows/limits cellular energy production.
Depletion of co-enzyme Q10 in muscle tissue is thought to contribute to the problem of muscle pain/cramp associated with statin use but the evidence is patchy. Notably, co-Q10 supplementation doesn't appear to help this, but there is good evidence that co-Q10 lowers blood pressure.
People who have been stented don't necessarily need to be on a statin, but likely will be to prevent further narrowing of arteries do to cholesterol deposits on the vessel walls causing plaques, and because prescribing guidelines pretty much have a statin as part of any treatment for cardio-vascular disease. More critical for those with stents are the anti-platelet drugs that stop a clot forming at the stent site.
This post has been edited by the author on 15 December 2015 at 00:59.
high cholesterol gets blamed for all sorts of health issues.
there are actually a lot of people running around with "high cholesterol levels" who are very healthy.
theres more to it than cholesterol, its diet.
theres no such thing as "bad cholesterol"
there is such a thing as bad diet which can cause problems with high cholesterol and the type of cholesterol you have and what happens to that cholesterol causing damage to it.
statins are linked with a lot of health problems, organ and muscle damage.
i consume a lot of cholesterol. I have perfect blood pressure, and cholesterol levels. resting heart rate of 45. low body fat.
a doctor would tell me to change my diet though... eat margarine and vege oils.. which arent recognised for the issues they create damaging cholesterol... and generating the cholesterol that tends to be labelled "bad"
http://www.peoplespharmacy.com/2014/02/06/statins-irreversible-muscle-damage-als-like-syndrome-and-myositis/
