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beta blockers and blood test
Beta blockers neutralize some, of the effects of t4/3 in your body. if that's the right way of saying it. do they also affect your results??(TSH> FREE T3 T4) before a blood test should you stop taking beta blockers to get a true result??? / if so for how long before. how long do beta blockers last in your system thanks . kevin? )T
i took it that day. only on a low dose .05 and i figured it stays in your system 24 hours anyway so i ddin't think it would matter that much if i skipped it anyway.
I've had tachycardia all my life (episodic) due to a congenital heart defect. All my life (I'm almost 60), I've had 3-6 episodes a YEAR that I controlled without meds. The minute I started taking levo is when the tachy went wild (20-30 episodes between going to bed and falling asleep and many more throughout the day). Definitely related...although my PCP looked at me like I had three heads when I said there was a relationship! Raised eyebrow, "you've had this all your life, right?", more eyebrow, "your labs would have to be above range to cause tachy", more eyebrow. LOL But, she did have me convinced I was going nuts for a while.
Beta blockers have done wonders for me in controlling tachy, too. I can't imagine what I'd have done without them since I couldn't even tolerate 25 mcg levo without them. I still have to increase very slowly, but that's less of an issue now (have been on a stable dose for 1 1/2 years now).
Hashi's can be diagnosed by biopsy if it's within your means to go that route and you don't mind a bit of pain.
Beta blockers have done wonders for me in controlling tachy, too. I can't imagine what I'd have done without them since I couldn't even tolerate 25 mcg levo without them. I still have to increase very slowly, but that's less of an issue now (have been on a stable dose for 1 1/2 years now).
Hashi's can be diagnosed by biopsy if it's within your means to go that route and you don't mind a bit of pain.
All,
Yes, Thank you goolara for posting those last sentences. NEVER stop beta blockers suddenly, always slowly wean off with dr supervision.
I too take Atenolol for tachycardia ( worse too at night too). The tachycardia started immediately after my thyroid problems first began. For me, I feel they are most definitely related.
The practioner I am seeing now believes I may have undiagnosed Hashimotos causing the heart racing/palps. He says 10-15 % people have negative antibodies, but actually have Hashimotos.
For me the beta blockers help control heart rate, and I have not notice any noticeable change in my thyroid lab values since starting to take them.
I go in early am- I always fast, no meds prior to bloodwork , then take meds immediately post blood draw....
so maybe that is why I have no seen any noticeable difference.
Take care!
Yes, Thank you goolara for posting those last sentences. NEVER stop beta blockers suddenly, always slowly wean off with dr supervision.
I too take Atenolol for tachycardia ( worse too at night too). The tachycardia started immediately after my thyroid problems first began. For me, I feel they are most definitely related.
The practioner I am seeing now believes I may have undiagnosed Hashimotos causing the heart racing/palps. He says 10-15 % people have negative antibodies, but actually have Hashimotos.
For me the beta blockers help control heart rate, and I have not notice any noticeable change in my thyroid lab values since starting to take them.
I go in early am- I always fast, no meds prior to bloodwork , then take meds immediately post blood draw....
so maybe that is why I have no seen any noticeable difference.
Take care!
Whether or not BBs lower your FT3 levels is not really the issue here. Sorry about the bad glucose example…I was referring to fasting for an entire day (24 hours) before the draw (similar to d/cing your meds for 24 hours before). If fasting all day is not your usual routine, then you are going to be skewing the test by doing so, since on a daily basis, you eat. Your glucose level as tested is virtually useless.
I’m making the distinction between something that really lowers FT3 levels and something that might cause the test to return a falsely low level. IF you think that BBs actually lower FT3, then you should take your meds as you do daily because this is your “real” FT3 level at the moment and the level is causing your current symptoms. On the other hand, if you think that something in the BB is just “masking” some of the FT3 and your serum FT3 is actually higher than the test result will report, then you should not take it
I think what both of you are concerned with is a real reduction in FT3 from the BB. My argument is that the medicated (with BB) level is a more true reading than unmedicated. This has been your FT3 level for a while now and your symptoms (or lack thereof) are being caused by your current medicated level (including all the meds you take). What are you accomplishing by allowing the levels to rise by delaying the BB, then taking the pill and immediately having them fall again? To me, this is just manipulating the test.
My recommendation would be to test at your usual time of day (there is a somewhat circadian rhythm to FT3, so you want to control for that) and take BBs as you have been. Your result will be an accurate snapshot of current FT3.
I agree that if you've been taking BBs for several weeks, do not d/c. You have to wean off of BBs once you've been on them for a while. Sudden d/c can cause angina, v-tach and other rarer, but less pleasant, cardiac events.
I’m making the distinction between something that really lowers FT3 levels and something that might cause the test to return a falsely low level. IF you think that BBs actually lower FT3, then you should take your meds as you do daily because this is your “real” FT3 level at the moment and the level is causing your current symptoms. On the other hand, if you think that something in the BB is just “masking” some of the FT3 and your serum FT3 is actually higher than the test result will report, then you should not take it
I think what both of you are concerned with is a real reduction in FT3 from the BB. My argument is that the medicated (with BB) level is a more true reading than unmedicated. This has been your FT3 level for a while now and your symptoms (or lack thereof) are being caused by your current medicated level (including all the meds you take). What are you accomplishing by allowing the levels to rise by delaying the BB, then taking the pill and immediately having them fall again? To me, this is just manipulating the test.
My recommendation would be to test at your usual time of day (there is a somewhat circadian rhythm to FT3, so you want to control for that) and take BBs as you have been. Your result will be an accurate snapshot of current FT3.
I agree that if you've been taking BBs for several weeks, do not d/c. You have to wean off of BBs once you've been on them for a while. Sudden d/c can cause angina, v-tach and other rarer, but less pleasant, cardiac events.
Its much of a case where if the BB's have been taken from day one...then yes, I would continue to take them but if its a case of only taking them recently...I would not take the morning dose.
In regards to glucose levels..fasting IS done from midnight until the labs are done the next day.
This shows the true outcome of the functioning level of the Pancreas.
The same as Cholesterol test...fasting is done from the night before to get a true reading.
All I can say Kevin is two things...
1. If the heartrate is pretty fast...TAKE the meds. Do not put yourself at risk at any stage.
2. If you feel the heartrate is ok....dont take the morning dose.
Only you know yr body better than anyone else.
But I also believe that the fast heartrate is from the meds.....
I was the same...I was on 75mcg everyday and then WHAM! went hyper.
I have never reached the 75mcg since.
Your body may be used to the thyroid meds now...got into the bloodstream at a steady level and has now stabilised at a certain level which is a fraction too high for you.
If you have been on BB's for the last 6-8 weeks then do not stop them.
In regards to glucose levels..fasting IS done from midnight until the labs are done the next day.
This shows the true outcome of the functioning level of the Pancreas.
The same as Cholesterol test...fasting is done from the night before to get a true reading.
All I can say Kevin is two things...
1. If the heartrate is pretty fast...TAKE the meds. Do not put yourself at risk at any stage.
2. If you feel the heartrate is ok....dont take the morning dose.
Only you know yr body better than anyone else.
But I also believe that the fast heartrate is from the meds.....
I was the same...I was on 75mcg everyday and then WHAM! went hyper.
I have never reached the 75mcg since.
Your body may be used to the thyroid meds now...got into the bloodstream at a steady level and has now stabilised at a certain level which is a fraction too high for you.
If you have been on BB's for the last 6-8 weeks then do not stop them.
No, I believe the BBs are only keeping the heart SYMPTOMS in check...they're not actually affecting LEVELS. And you're most likely right...it's the thyroid meds that are causing the "strong beats". It might be that once you have acclimated to the thyroid meds, you will no longer need the BBs. However, the fact of he matter remains...you are currently still taking the BBs, and you want your labs to reflect accurately what you do on a day-to-day basis. For example, if you were testing blood glucose, would you stop eating for a day before the test? After all, food affects glucose levels. But, you have to eat on a daily basis, so what good is skewing the test? You want to be testing reality. I, personally, wouldn't play with the labs...
that's true also. i was just thinking that the bb are artificially keeping the numbers in line when im over medicated. and the doctors don't realize that so they will keep me on a higher dose. also im thinking on the right thyroid dose i won't need the bb that its been prescribed to me from back to the TT operation when my heart when haywire and went into arrhythmias . but since then its been steadily reduced as symtoms also been reduced , so basically im thinking the thyroid meds are causing the heart strong beats all that nothing else. if shown on the test right get the thyroid med dose right, no more need for bb. thanks. i never had any heart problems before the thyroid . been completely checked out, they all say its the thyroid meds. its also one of the last symtoms remaining, OK thanks. we'll find out in a week .Kevin
I've been on BBs (atenolo, 50 mgl) for a couple of years now, and my experience has been slightly different. I take my BBs for HR, not HBP, and am instructed to take them once a day, first thing in the morning, along with my levo. Since I only take them once a day, my interpretation is that they last approximately 24 hours. Furthermore, when I first went on BBs, my tachycardia was worst between the time I went to bed at night and when I fell asleep (20-30 episodes). I only took them at 7am, yet they controlled the nighttime tachy almost immediately, an indication that they were still working 16 hours or so after taking them.
Both my cardio (electrophysiologist) and my endo have indicated that the more thyroid meds you take, the more atenolol you may have to take.to control symptoms, especially when moving from hypothyroid to euthyroid But the reverse is not true...more BBs do not require more thyroid meds. However, BBs control only the symptoms of hyper or overmedication or moving up in the ranges, they do not affect the FT3 and FT4 levels.
For the sake of arguement, IF BBs did alter FT3 levels, do you really want to stop taking them before bloodwork? Wouldn't that give you a false reading? In reality, you ARE taking BBs, so don't you want to know your thyroid profile as reflected by everything you do on a day-to-day basis (including all meds)?
I don't think BBs push down the levels...only control the symptoms by blocking receptors in the heart (and, in effect, inhibiting some of the action of thyroid hormones in the heart ONLY).
I wouldn't stop taking any meds I take on a regular basis. You want your labs to reflect accurately what you do every day.
Both my cardio (electrophysiologist) and my endo have indicated that the more thyroid meds you take, the more atenolol you may have to take.to control symptoms, especially when moving from hypothyroid to euthyroid But the reverse is not true...more BBs do not require more thyroid meds. However, BBs control only the symptoms of hyper or overmedication or moving up in the ranges, they do not affect the FT3 and FT4 levels.
For the sake of arguement, IF BBs did alter FT3 levels, do you really want to stop taking them before bloodwork? Wouldn't that give you a false reading? In reality, you ARE taking BBs, so don't you want to know your thyroid profile as reflected by everything you do on a day-to-day basis (including all meds)?
I don't think BBs push down the levels...only control the symptoms by blocking receptors in the heart (and, in effect, inhibiting some of the action of thyroid hormones in the heart ONLY).
I wouldn't stop taking any meds I take on a regular basis. You want your labs to reflect accurately what you do every day.
thanks just realized that . taking test next week. won't take any the day off night before till after test. they definately help with heart beat, calming you down. but i was thinking it must push down your numbers also. thanks. how come the doctors never tell you any of this???? Kevin
Sorry ...forgot to mention...
There are beta blockers with SR after the name which means ..slow release.
These last a full 12 hours if not split.
Inderal, Athenol etc are NOT SR beta blockers.
Any tablet that has a LINE down the middle CAN be split and isnt slow release.
There are beta blockers with SR after the name which means ..slow release.
These last a full 12 hours if not split.
Inderal, Athenol etc are NOT SR beta blockers.
Any tablet that has a LINE down the middle CAN be split and isnt slow release.
Beta blockers last 4 hours in your blood.
They DO lower your FT3 results as many hyperthyroid people will tell you....beta blockers not only help with fast heartrate and palps but also bring down the FT3 a notch or 2.
Go for labs in the morning and dont take any beta blockers or any thyroid meds.
Kevin.....I was told about the beta blockers by my Cardiologist.
Prior to RAI, it took my FT3 doen by 2 points if thats any help....so if my labs showed FT3 to be 6.0.....the true reading would in actual fact be 8.0
Hope that helps :o)
They DO lower your FT3 results as many hyperthyroid people will tell you....beta blockers not only help with fast heartrate and palps but also bring down the FT3 a notch or 2.
Go for labs in the morning and dont take any beta blockers or any thyroid meds.
Kevin.....I was told about the beta blockers by my Cardiologist.
Prior to RAI, it took my FT3 doen by 2 points if thats any help....so if my labs showed FT3 to be 6.0.....the true reading would in actual fact be 8.0
Hope that helps :o)
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