
Can Atenolol And Digoxin Cause Decreased Heart Rate?

She is on: Atenolol, Benazepril, Ranitidine, Isosorbide, Digoxin, Furosemide, Prozosin(after recent hospitalization).
Thank you
I would recommend as follows:
Detailed Answer:
Hello!
Welcome and thank you for asking on HCM!
I understand your concern and would like to explain that at your mother's age it is quite easily possible to encounter adverse medication effects; as the overall metabolism is slowed down and several body system dysfunctions may be present.
I would explain that Atenolol and Digoxin may increase their effects by pharmacodynamic synergism, which may lead to severe bradyarrhythmia and serious life-threatening interaction.
Also Prazosin, Benazepril and Atenolol exert important interaction with each others, leading to potentially serious hypotensive effects.
Remember that your mother is taking five drugs with antihypertensive properties (Atenolol, Benazepril, Isosorbite, Prazosin, Furosemide), so a daily dose adjustment and a careful scheduled regimen of dose fractioning is very important.
I would recommend avoiding from taking Prazosin, as here is a high risk of orthostatic hypotension in advanced age. Instead, more safe alternatives should be sought (adjustment of other existing drugs or addition of a low dose calcium channel blocker).
If Prazosin remains a necessary alternative it is strongly recommended to take it quite apart from Benazepril to avoid an exaggerated hypotensive response.
Kidneys and liver function tests should be done to rule in/out possible underlying dysfunctions, which could be responsible for increased adverse effects of digoxin, Benazepril.
Also blood electrolites should be periodically checked to avoid an important dyskalemia (which could lead to digoxin toxicity).
Thyroid function tests should be performed to exclude any underlying dysfunctions (and consequently any possible triggers for hypertension).
If renal dysfunction is present, digoxin should be totally avoided from therapy.
At the end, my advice is to closely monitor her blood pressure values for a couple of days (several times daily); write them down and discuss with her attending physician about the above mentioned issues, to find a better and more safe strategy for her high BP monitoring.
If after a good BP balance, her complains keep persisting, then a comprehensive neurological status evaluation by a neurologist should be performed (to identify also potential atrial fibrillation implication in any possible cardio-embolic events).
Hope to have been helpful to you!
Feel free to ask me whenever you need! Greetings! Dr. Iliri

Answered by

Get personalised answers from verified doctor in minutes across 80+ specialties
