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Dr. Bob is Robert Hsiung, MD,
bob@dr-bob.orgShown: posts 1 to 2 of 2. This is the beginning of the thread.
Posted by Peter on March 12, 2002, at 1:39:45
Hello all:
I've been taking adderall XR for a few weeks now. I'm up to 20mg each a.m. Among the many side-effects are intense dry-mouth and freezing hands. But the most disturbing is an abnormally high resting heart rate (sometimes up to 125 bpm). My p-doc has prescribed me atenolol 25mg. I'm a bit concerned by the fact that I'm taking one drug that lowers heartrate because another drug is raising it. Common sense tells me the use of both these medications would have a 'tug of war' effect on my heart, which is disturbing. Does anyone know if it is ok to take a beta-blocker with adderall for this reason? Is it not dangerous? I would think it safer to decrease the adderall dosage rather than add another drug to counteract this side-effect, but the problem is that the adderall's motivational and focus-increasing effects don't occur for me at lower doses. I'm just afraid there's too much of a strain on my heart with both drugs. What do you think?
Posted by Mark H. on March 12, 2002, at 19:44:43
In reply to beta-blocker for adderall-induced tachycardia?, posted by Peter on March 12, 2002, at 1:39:45
Peter,
Beta-blockers are unpleasant and dosage has to be regulated carefully, but they are used to protect your heart, not to put it into a tug-of-war with your Adderall.
I was originally put on 5mg of Pindolol, but had to cut the pill in two and take half in the morning and half at night, because *it* gave me tachycardia (my heart would stop and then jump around for a couple of minutes or so in the middle of the night).
Also, if you didn't have high blood pressure before taking a beta-blocker (mine was always almost clinically low), you may after taking it for awhile. The rebound effect from beta-blockers is quite strong. Sometimes, the wrong food (or something?) will bind with the Pindolol, and it will be as though I haven't taken any. I get a headache and intense pounding in my chest and ears. Note that this is *caused* by taking a beta-blocker, in my case.
Also, you can expect sexual side-effects from taking a beta-blocker; however, Viagra really does help, at least with the mechanical aspects if not the underlying motivation.
Beta-blockers limit your heart rate, so they also limit how hard you can exercise. Early on, I made the mistake of pushing a little too hard on a bicycle ride, and I wound up needing to lie on the side of the road for about 15 minutes to recover.
However, it was only when I tried to discontinue the beta-blocker when I was feeling exceptionally good last year that I realized how much it was doing for me, both in terms of allowing me to sleep peacefully at night, and in terms of potentiating the Effexor I take for depression.
On balance, for me the Pindolol is worth it. But beta-blockers are definitely heavy medicine and should be taken very carefully.
Best wishes,
Mark H.
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