So if beta blockers lower the blood pressure, can I take as much as possible?

[deadendgame]

So if my BP was 150/110 I can just keep taking propanolol or other beta blockers until it reaches 120/80. So why do people with hypertension just not do that? It's a simple fix.

 

[JackiePeyton]

They do but it doesn't work long term. You want to maintain a more steady blood pressure. Long acting meds are a better bet....lifestyle changes the best

 

[sekio]

your body will eventually adapt to the presence of beta blockers in your blood 24/7

 

[Hippie Slay]

So if my BP was 150/110 I can just keep taking propanolol or other beta blockers until it reaches 120/80. So why do people with hypertension just not do that? It's a simple fix.

seems like an easy fix, doesn't it. The problem with that is, your body is used to the current BP you're at, and it will adjust as needed, when you have a stark, immediate drop in BP (e.g. if you've ever jumped up after taking a long nap and gotten dizzy, this is essentially what is occuring) you will experience signs and symptoms of shock (hypotension-related) and that can be life-threatening if the BP drops too much too fast.

 

[Lightning-Nl]

seems like an easy fix, doesn't it. The problem with that is, your body is used to the current BP you're at, and it will adjust as needed, when you have a stark, immediate drop in BP (e.g. if you've ever jumped up after taking a long nap and gotten dizzy, this is essentially what is occuring) you will experience signs and symptoms of shock (hypotension-related) and that can be life-threatening if the BP drops too much too fast.

Fun fact, this is a problem for asthmatics. There have been times when I've been struggling to breathe, so I used my rescue inhaler. It delivers... let me check the canister... 180 micrograms of Albuterol per puff (albuterol being a potent beta-adrenergic agonist) which mimics Epinephrine at beta receptors. If inhaled, this has an immediate effect on bronchial tissue which causes it to expand rapidly. The drug itself reaches the nervous system slightly faster than Nicotine (according to studies); about 4 to 6 seconds after inhalation.

There have been times when I've had such a hard time breathing that I've used my inhaler and stood up the moment I used it (using gravity to propel more of the aerosol into my lungs). Problem with this is, a couple things. My body is already lower than normal in terms of Oxygen, and since albuterol is a vasodilator, it causes a huge, sudden drop in blood pressure. Not to mention the fact that the propellant for albuterol is tetrahydroethane which starves the body of oxygen.

There's one time in particular that I remember standing up at the same time I used my inhaler. You're supposed to hold your breath for as long as you can so more of the medication can be absorbed. And while holding my breath, I became really dizzy, and started to loose my vision. Everything became a kaleidoscope within about 10 seconds and the next thing I remember is opening my eyes on the floor. I felt a huge surge of pain hit me in my lower back and realized that I'd fallen straight backwards onto the brick of my fireplace.

I remember this so vivdly because I scraped the side of my head on the brick (ever so slightly). It took me about 80 seconds to really come to senses and realize what had just happened. When I did I instantly thought, "Holy shit... how the fuck didn't I slam my head into that brick?! I should be dead! I should be fucking dead!...."

------------------------------------------

Anyways, just like any drug. Your body will become tolerant to the effects of propranolol and over time you will no longer experience the anti-hypertension effects of the drug. Tbh, this isn't sustainable anyways. Not to mention the fact that you'll be dead tired all the time.

Try to get to the root cause of your hypertension. Are you overweight? How much do you sleep at night? How much do you exercise? Do you smoke? Are you overworked? Are you exceedingly stressed? Are you taking a large amount of stimulant drugs? Are you drinking a lot of coffee or soda? Etc.

Ultimately fixing the problem in your lifestyle will be a much better solution to solving your hypertension.

 

[Hiltoniano]

^same shit happens to me with albuterol inhaler and standing up. Triply shit like hitting nitrous or duster ( duster---don't do it!—Please) but also a little different idk. More like a mix of that and standing up after a long horizontal nap lol


Edit: don't do any of that and be careful fuckin with blood pressure like that OP. Don't be a fool and get it down in a healthy and realistic Long term success oriented lifestyle or diet changes ...

 

[Kittycat5]

You could potentially lower your HR, induce respirtory distress, cause hypoglycemia and a million other things before your BP falls to ideal levels if you just keep adding more and more propranolol. I agree life style modification is valuable but lifestyle changes + pharmacological therapy is usually superior. Changing the drug is probably a good idea. Its not that propranolol is ineffective, but it has far more side effects than other beta-blockers and many other BP drugs.

Swampfox, you need some asthma education. First the Albuterol HFA inhalers provide 108mcg albuterol sulfate, equivalent to 90mcg albuterol per spray and the propellant is tetrafluoroethane also called HFA134a.

One or two sprays from a meter dosed inhaler provides so little HFA134a, which is eliminated in minutes, it isnt starving any oxygen.

And while albuterol certainly can cause vasodilation, you arent getting enough in a couple of sprays to have any relevant effect on the smooth muscles around the vasculature. Up to 80% of inhaled beta agonists miss the lungs entirely, go to the gut, and are subjected to first pass metabolism. The amount that does reach the lungs is nearly completely distributed to systemic circulation and studies do show measurable extrapulmonary effects. But while the results may be statistically significant, they are clinically unimportant in most people. HR and BP, even at doses 10 or more times therapeutic ones, only raise a few beats or mmHg. This is related to vasodilation as a combo of direct stimulation of cardiac B2 cells and the body compensating for vasodilation via peripheral B2 agonism is why BP and HR increase. But again, these effects are minimal, and very unlikely to cause dizziness or anything like you described. The only patient population who needs to worry about adrenergic effects outside the lungs are people with known cardiovascular disease new to beta agonist therapy as there is some link to new cardiac events in this group. I think you just stood up to fast.

Oh, an you are supposed to hold your breath for as long as you can up to 10 seconds after inhaler use, not just as long as you can.

 

[Memantine]

I've been on propranolol 20mg daily for some time. One day when i didn't take it it felt like i had an overdose of efedrine. My heartrate was around 150bpm all the time.