Bupropion works but gives me a racing pulse and heart palpitations. Dr has suggested beta blockers.

[Melancholya]

Is there anyone here who takes beta blockers? My pdoc said this might be a good way to help with the cardiovascular side effects I'm getting from bupropion. 

What should I know about beta blockers? Are there any not associated with weight gain? And not associated with fatigue? And not associated with sexual dysfunction? 

Otherwise we scrap bupropion and try something else. I'm bummed though because aside from the heart stuff bupropion has really helped me. 

[notloki]

BB lower heart rate and blood pressure. THey also work for other things like hand tremors which is what I take them for. No they no do no cause weight gain. They don't make me fatigued. They have been around a long time so they seem safe. I also use them to lower my heart rate because with the Adderall and the bupropion my restinmg pulse is 111 bpm bur with BB it is normal, in the 70-80's bpm.

[Melancholya]

1 hour ago, notloki said:

BB lower heart rate and blood pressure. THey also work for other things like hand tremors which is what I take them for. No they no do no cause weight gain. They don't make me fatigued. They have been around a long time so they seem safe. I also use them to lower my heart rate because with the Adderall and the bupropion my restinmg pulse is 111 bpm bur with BB it is normal, in the 70-80's bpm.

Thanks so much for replying. That's weird, the website I was reading said weight gain, fatigue and sexual problems can be side effects. 

I'm asthmatic so I'm not sure if I can have them now. Maybe there is one that is OK for asthmatics. 

[notloki]

well, BB don't cause those effects with  me. I've taken them for years.

[Iceberg]

I’ve never had those issues either. Though my doc was concerned about possible mood lowering but that was specifically propanolol 

[notloki]

There are a number BB to choose from. I take propranolol because it is the treatment of choice for the kind of tremor (EPS derived) that I have. If you take a lot (100's of mg) of propranolol its' rate limiting of your heart rate can get in the way of getting to the highest heart training zone. I take an ER version so the dose is distributed over 8 hrs and I just tale 60 mg which is nothing. I believe the rate limiting is, among the BB's, most pronounced in propranolol. The usual dose is in the 100's for blood pressure. More likely to have side effects here.

[Iceberg]

I take 40 ir BID- roughly the same as @notloki s 60 er. They tried switching me to Er once but I had a weird reaction so i stayed on ur- for like 7 years now and it’s been fine 

[Melancholya]

@notloki @Iceberg thank you both.

I don't think I'd need to be on a high dose. My blood pressure isnt affected but my resting heart rate went from mid to high 50s up to high 70s. I know this is still the normal range but I get mega heart palpitations which freak me out. Sometimes my bpm goes up to 111 randomly. Additionally I've started feeling my veins pulse in my arms and legs, and sometimes they get really big and show more under my skin. These are making it really hard for me to be compliant on bupropion and I've already skipped it a few times because I'm anxious. I think a high dose of BB would probably be bad for me. 

Edited November 7, 2019 by Melancholya
Typing on my stupid phone