If I should take the betablocker

[clchen17]

Someone of you from this forum might know that I've been annoyed by PAC/PVC for sometime now.  Also two of my stress tests came back with "possible positive ischemia"reports...I saw two previous cardiologists who said I should not be too worry about it,  and today when I went to see a third one, she prescribed me a betablocker(Carvedilol, I think Roche named it Dilatrend, 6.25mg).
Now from what I understand, betablockers sometimes not calm down PVCs but triggers new ones?  Is betablocker a kind of anti-arrythmia drug too?  Could anyone taking BB share some ideas?  Thank you.

[clchen17]

thank you!  actually my PVCs are not frequent(so far...perhaps 10-20times...not %... a day so i FEEL)but it does make me miserable from time to timeand near depression.  i guess this is part of the reason why why third doc prescribe me BB.  my main fear would be if BB would "trigger"  more than i have right now...and if I got less sensation than i have now, would the doc wants me to stop taking it rather than taking it all my life...again, I am a 40-year-old female, non smoker..

[Nurse2b1982]

I am on a low dose beta blocker for PVCs and it has greatly reduced them from 20% of my beats to 3%....huge difference! I do get bigeminy now which I don't think I had before(not sure though) but I just found this out so I don't know if thats truely related or not. I have not had any problems so far except dizziness and tiredness. GOOD LUCK!

[CFS1]

Beta blockers decrease the force of the contractions of your heart, hence lowering resistance to blood flow.  The beta blocker I take is relatively new and it actually dilates your blood vessels, think it's the only beta blocker though that does that.  But because of the way they work, they decrease angina pain, make your heart not work as hard and at least decrease the sensation of PVCs and PACs. They also block the receptors in your heart that respond to adrenaline, so for me they help prevent episodes of my heart taking off and the cardiac responses to stress.  But all that said, some people have an increase in PVCs while on beta blockers.  I did when I was taking atenolol and lopressor, didn't help my PVCs at all.  However, the bystolic has helped decrease the number that I get.  Still have them every day but not quite as many that I'm aware of anyway.