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Took Bystolic For High BP. Had Lower Heart Rate, Fatigue By Exertion And Had Bouts Of Breathlessness. Suggest?
Question: I took 2 mg of Bystolic for about a week, for high blood pressure, and had a heart rate of 50 beats/min. I couldn't deal with the severe fatigue caused by any exertion, so I have tapered off to zero over about a week. While I was doing that I started to develop sudden bouts of breathlessness. I've been off the Bystolic for 3 days now. How long before this breathlessness quits?
Brief Answer:
You have taken the correct action.
Detailed Answer:
Hi,
Thank you for using Healthcare Magic.
Bystolic is a beta-blocker and known to cause a slow heart rate is less than 1 in a hundred people. If the heart rate is too slow then this may cause breathlessness and fatigue as not enough blood is pumped around the body. This is the most likely cause of your symptoms. The dose of Bystolic you were taking was relatively low so it is slightly unusual that you experienced this side-effect. The correct action was to tail it off as you did. In most instances, your breathing would have returned to normal by now. However, some people metabolise Bystolic more slowly than average. Therefore, the drug lasts longer in the body as do the side-effects. This may be what has happened with you. Therefore your breathing is likely to return to normal over the next few days.
However, there is a possibility that you may have a minor degree of heart failure causing your breathlessness. Therefore, I suggest you see your doctor who prescribed Bystolic for examination. You will also need review for an alternative blood pressure medication. There are many options available and your doctor will, no doubt, have a favored drug for someone who has side-effects with Bystolic.
I hope this is of help. If you have any further questions, please do not hesitate to contact me.
Regards,
Dr K A Pottinger,
MBChB FRCA
You have taken the correct action.
Detailed Answer:
Hi,
Thank you for using Healthcare Magic.
Bystolic is a beta-blocker and known to cause a slow heart rate is less than 1 in a hundred people. If the heart rate is too slow then this may cause breathlessness and fatigue as not enough blood is pumped around the body. This is the most likely cause of your symptoms. The dose of Bystolic you were taking was relatively low so it is slightly unusual that you experienced this side-effect. The correct action was to tail it off as you did. In most instances, your breathing would have returned to normal by now. However, some people metabolise Bystolic more slowly than average. Therefore, the drug lasts longer in the body as do the side-effects. This may be what has happened with you. Therefore your breathing is likely to return to normal over the next few days.
However, there is a possibility that you may have a minor degree of heart failure causing your breathlessness. Therefore, I suggest you see your doctor who prescribed Bystolic for examination. You will also need review for an alternative blood pressure medication. There are many options available and your doctor will, no doubt, have a favored drug for someone who has side-effects with Bystolic.
I hope this is of help. If you have any further questions, please do not hesitate to contact me.
Regards,
Dr K A Pottinger,
MBChB FRCA
Note: For further queries related to coronary artery disease and prevention, click here.
Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar
Answered by
Dr. Kerry Pottinger
Pain Medicine & Palliative Care Specialist
Practicing since :1983
Answered : 1337 Questions
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