Atenolol efficacy vs PVCs

[stlcard1521]

Hi, I'm a healthy 21 y/o male who was recently prescribed atenolol for PVCs. I've been taking half a 12.5mg tablet for 3 days now; I think the tablets are making them worse. I'm getting about 10 or so a minute since I've been on the atenolol. I have some minor regurgitation in my pulmonary and tricuspid valves. I took atenolol for 1 day last month when my doctor first prescribed it (took a 25mg dose) and my PVCs were really bad that day so I quit taking it. I went back for a 30 day follow up, told him it made them worse and he said I just needed to take it for 4 or 5 days atleast to get a steady state blood level (He told me to maybe try going to 12.5mg when I restart, which is what I'm now doing). I restarted taking it again this week, it's been 3 days now and my PVCs have been more frequent than normal. Just wondering if the medication should be working, or if I need to take it longer. Otherwise excercise and good nights sleep seem to minimize them, I'll just drop the atenolol and go back to dealing with them. Thanks

[Abeybaby]

Do you have an email I can contact you direct? I am 40 yrs old male and they are driving me insane. My cousin is a cardiac surgeon here in Toronto, Canada- noted as one of the best and he says live with them. Easy for him to do when you are not the one suffering with this condition. What other beta blocker did you change to? What were you on and what dosage? I am on 12,5 mg of atenenol and its plainly not working out. I cant tolerate higher dosages because my heart goes too slow around 38 at night. I would prefer no BB but my heart goes fast without them especally when the PVC's come. DO you ever get runs of them? What did your doc ever say to that? Let me guess ignore them?

Thanks Very much

[stlcard1521]

note- i meant 5/min when theyre at their worst off of medication, its usually less and theres days i only feel maybe 10 the whole day.

[stlcard1521]

alright thanks a lot... yes I have cut caffeine out of my diet and I dont drink that often. They do occur most frequently when I lay down and/or when my heart rate is slow; I told my cardiologist that... I counted them, im getting 5-10/min at times when im on the atenolol, and i usually dont have more than 5 a minute off medication. And usually when im getting the bumps, i can usually stop them for atleast few hours by swimming or jogging. Thanks for the second oppinion.

[upbeat63]

A little background on me, which might help you out too.

Had PVCs since age 18. When I was 30 the PVCs were driving me nuts so I went to the MD and a cardiologist. I was diagnosed with unifocal benign PVCs just happened to be 450/hr. The cardiologist said the only treatment recommended for PVCs was beta-blockers, but that in a young person he didn't recommend them because I would have to be on them for the rest of my life and that the BB might actually make them worse. I decided to live with the PVCs. But it definetly was not easy.

Now at age 42 the PVCs have increased to 1220/hr and the only thing the MD suggested was a beta-blocker. Well I was reluctant given the previous information. But when the PVCs went into constant bigeminy I had to try something. Toperol at 12.5mg for three days stopped the bigeminy, but made me feel like a zombie. So I stopped the BB and the bigeminy has not come back. Yippee. I've just become accustomed to the high frequency, I really don't know how, but I know the BB are there just in case. So you might want to try a different BB before you give up them.

Just to add, to everyone who knows my situation because I've written many times, I actually went to sleep the other night and the PVCs were pounding in my chest and shoulder blade, and as I was falling off to sleep I had this thought about how reassuring it was that my heart was doing "it's thing" at a pretty constant-arrythmia--it became kind of like a familiar lullaby. How's that for strange.

[tickertock]

You might want to ask your doctor about another beta blocker, acebutolol(sectral) a beta blocker within the last few years approved for the treatment of PVCs and it doesn't slow your heartrate too much, just a thought, apparently many have had success with it and it's not proarrhythmic.

[Abeybaby]

Hi I too suffer from PVC's and have been taking small doeses of atenenol to combat the arrythmia which I must add is not working at least for me. I take 12,5 mg because anything higher reduces my heart rate at night to high 30's and I become very susceptible to more PVC's on a low heart rate.  I also notice that taking atenenol gives me runs of them 2 sometimes 3 or even 4 PVC's in a row-string of them. My cardiac workup is normal- ie: normal stress, echos, holters etc ...40 yr old male pretty fit.

I cant explain them but i know that the atenenol is not really working well. If i get off the atenenol i notice that I get tachycardia with the extra beats and then I dont know what is worse- the tachycardia or the runs? I did get runs of them without atenenol too.  My cardio just says ignore them you are in good company they wont kill you.  I want some relief so bad but i am not getting it ... I am thinking about changing the drug to something else but again afraid of the change in beta blockers. I really dont know anymore to be honest with you.

Tired very tired of them they are crippling my life and happiness and its not fair to my family nor myself.

Any other suggestions??? Thanks