Hi Syrah,

I think the doc is being completely irresponsible!!! Seeing as the elderly are often at risk for falls anyway (often because they have untreated low B12), to allow a patient to remain on a drug which will increase the risk of falls due to dizziness caused by medication-induced low blood pressure is reprehensible, in my humblest of opinions.

As far as I know, for elderly men at least, falls which cause hip fractures for example, can actually end up being fatal. I don't know if the same is true for women, but who wants someone to fall and have a fracture? In the case of the elderly, falls often result in fractures due to frail brittle bones. This can result in the person ending up in hospital, which are one of the deadliest places you can be, after a car.

I think it is completely irresponsible for him to just say "Give her some salt" and don't worry about it.

I bet magnesium would be better for your mum, too.

amanda

Ah yes, Amanda, I've had issues with that doctor ... don't even get me started!

But in this case, there had been just a few fleeting episodes of wooziness, and his advice seemed reasonable. He was reluctant to disturb her system, for fear of setting off unwanted reactions. Must say, one of the few times the guy seemed to me to make sense. And things have been uneventful for about a year now.

The magnesium idea is a good one, but I'd be reluctant to rock the boat for fear of other bad things happening.

I was in a similar situation to yours: arrythmia, prescribed betablocker, low blood pressure. I was taking the pills 4x/day, eventually they cut it down to 3x/day. Eventually I quit them all together, my dr told me I can't do that. That was 10 years ago. I learned ways to calm my nervous system and get the arrythmia to stop without drugs.

Have you ever investigated mitral valve prolapse syndrome(mvps)? Its a problem with the autonomic nervous system. Your complaints are very similar to the symptoms; light-headedness, chest pain, faint, all types of arrythmias, fatigue for no reason. Beta blockers are prescribed because they block the effects of adrenaline on the heart and are the usual prescription for mvp/mvps.

My dr gave me the salt test for heart rates over 90. Take heart rate, drink 1/4 tsp sea salt in a glass of water. Wait 1 hr take heart rate again. Every time I've tried this my heart rate has fallen back into the 60s and the light-headed, weird feeling has left.

With a heart condition, you don't want normal levels you want optimum. Magnesium is an important one!

I was put on antenolol and it caused my legs to swell, and pain in my calfs, and hard to breathe.
I have MVP and also One Adrenal Gland, I should have never been put on it. So I complained to my DR and gave her the info on my Adrenal gland, and she thanked me, and said taper off, and put me on another Diovan. But it is so expensive.

I would get off this drug, you don't need to pass out in front of your child.

saw dr today.. she put me on 1/2 dose of metoprolol(12.5mg) she says it will not help 100% but it is a start. the other one just lowered my bp too low.