time beta blocker takes to work?

[KisekiShiawase]

For people who know and people who take it.
How long does it take for beta blocker to work after you take it orally?
I thought it could be 20-30 minutes but i heard it could be 1 hour or more. :O

I think a rapid onset beta blocker is needed since suffering in those episodes for long time is torturing.

And what i meant was different than the long term or steady state where it need continous maintainance in days.

Please share your experience and thoughts.
Thank you.

[tom_h]

When I was having frequent episodes of SVT, my physician told me to chew one when I had an episode.  I frequently did this, when one occurred and before I attempted to convert it back to sinus rhythm.  When I visited my cardiologist he asked me about the beta blocker I was taking, I told him of my normal, daily dose, and that I chewed one as directed by my physician when as episode happened.  He smiled and said to me, "It doesn't work that way....".  This left me perplexed for a moment, but then I could see that he didn't want to talk trash about a fellow physician that worked out of the same hospital. "You don't need to do that anymore", he added.  Obviously, the delay in the benefit of taking an extra pill was a problem.  I had the rapid heart rate converted by the time the pill kicked it.  Interestingly, over 4 years after my ablation for the SVT, I still carry a little plastic SD card holder loaded with about 10 Metoprolol pills in the watch pocket of my jeans.  It's sort of like a security blanket I think for just in case.

[KisekiShiawase]

That was so long. Even 30 minute long enough for me :(
I wonder why they dont make the fast acting one. Antidepressant drug usually act faster.
When on episode/worse time you wait 1 hour and more, the condition can change on its own so its ridiculous.
So its either you get lucky it subside on its own which sometimes happen or end up dying. Such an irony.

[KisekiShiawase]

That was so long. Even 30 minute long enough for me :(
I wonder why they dont make the fast acting one. Antidepressant drug usually act faster.
When on episode/worse time you wait 1 hour and more the condition can change on its own so its ridiculous.
So its either you get lucky it subside on its own which sometimes happen or end up dying. Such an irony.

[bigkev414]

Same as RNRita for me.

[RNRita]

I take atenolol and when I have a jump in HR and feel uncomfotable, I will take an extra.  Usually fixes within 20-30 for me.  I also believe it has something to do with how much food is in your stomach, at the time...

[is_something_wrong]

The Metoprolol extended release can have a delay of several hours. As the medication is evenly released through 20 hours, only 1/20 (i.e 2,5 mg from a 50 mg pill) is released the first hour.

Other beta blockers (and Metoprolol instant release) should take effect within a couple of hours. I believe Propranolol is the fastest one.

[Jessy80]

When I had episodes of pulse spikes, I took metoprolol 50mg; while sometimes it seemed to work for me in as little as 30-45 minutes, last time I had to take it prior to my ablation it was taking over an hour to work, around 1 hour 15 minutes. I know, it's torture waiting for it to work; give it time and if it's too long perhaps talk to your doctor about it. I hope you feel better soon!

[CFS56]

I take bystolic and it takes about a hour to start working.  Atenolol was about the same.