Cocaine Beta Blockers and Cocaine

[DMFNR]

I've searched the forums and the web for an answer to this, and I haven't found much good information on the subject. I'm prescribed a beta blocker, specifically atenolol for general anxiety and mild panic attack which causes me to have a rather high heart rate at times which concerned my addiction specialist enough to put me on medication for this. My condition tends to be situational, and as such I don't suffer from classic hypertension or tachycardia. The atenolol actually does do quite a good job managing my anxiety and panic by stopping my heart rate from rising greatly in stressful situations causing a kind of loop between my own nervousness and its physical manifestations.

So here's my concern, when prescribing the medication, my general practitioner who is aware of my substance abuse problems (recovering opiate addict stable on suboxone, also regular marijuana smoke) and while he obviously would rather not have me abusing any drugs but recognizes the reality of the situation, stressed to me that I should not use cocaine while on this medication. Also, in the prescription information packet it was stated in all caps that I SHOULD NOT USE COCAINE WITH THIS DRUG. In my research I have not found any information pointing to an immediate danger with this combination above and beyond people with high blood pressure really shouldn't be fucking with cocaine. I am not a heavy cocaine user, and my blood pressure and heart rate are normal most of the time. I do occasionally smoke rock in moderation, and I was just wondering if anyone had any more insight in to why I was given such a stern warning from my doctor. He is usually very realistic when discussing drugs I use, usually he will stress the negative effects and explain how a drug interacts with others and works in my body, but this time he sort of made it seem like atenolol + cocaine = my ass in the ER or worse. I understand the risks involved with using cocaine, I would just like to know if there is anything reason the combination of atenolol and cocaine is more dangerous than cocaine itself.

[MODS: After posting I realized this probably belongs in BDD, please move if this is the wrong place, or close and I will repost. I apologize. My question was sparked by another similar one I saw here, which I later read and realized I posted in the wrong place. ]

 

[HdoubleODeezy]

just imagine one thing slowing down your heart and something else speeding it up.. what does your heart do? it strains, doesn't know which way to go, and a lot of "anxiety" is put on your heart and circulatory system.
it can cause some serious complications.. 1 of which being cardiac arrest and death.

 

[DMFNR]

just imagine one thing slowing down your heart and something else speeding it up.. what does your heart do? it strains, doesn't know which way to go, and a lot of "anxiety" is put on your heart and circulatory system.
it can cause some serious complications.. 1 of which being cardiac arrest and death.

Yeah, now that you mention this I think I'm probably just going to steer clear of cocaine for the time being. Either that or stop taking the atenolol for a few days if I am planning on using, which means probably not at all because even though I'm on a low dose of atenolol (50 mg) worrying about rebound hypertension and possibly a short taper is just silly for a few hours of cocaine use when I'm doing well and very stable on my current medications. You're right though, combinations like cocaine and heroin or cocaine and alcohol actually cause more strain on the heart, and with the atenolol I would be taking all of the risks without the rewards of my previous speedball love affair. I guess this question was just the addict in me coming out and trying to find a way to rationalize using cocaine when I really should just be telling myself "don't use fucking cocaine, I mean come on, haven't you dealt with enough". I guess I'll just stick to my very rare joint and a 40, and if I come across some hard try to tell myself that even though I would probably be fine, my odds of something bad happening are quite a bit higher than normal and its really not worth it.

Thanks for your reply, sometimes something thats pretty obvious is just enough to cause an addicts brain to have the rare rational thought. Might not stop me, but it will at least make me think.

 

[ErgicMergic]

Not mixing the two would obviously be the best idea. Another BL member posted that as long as you take the beta blocker when you are not stimulated yet (hour or two before), it should be OK. I have no idea if that is true, can anyone confirm?

 

[tigershark]

just imagine one thing slowing down your heart and something else speeding it up.. what does your heart do? it strains, doesn't know which way to go, and a lot of "anxiety" is put on your heart and circulatory system.
it can cause some serious complications.. 1 of which being cardiac arrest and death.

Man, i cant agree with you HDOUBLEo MORE!! the beta blocker is doing its damndest to arbitrate your heart rate,blood pressore,volume and diameter of crucial blood vessels to maintain isostacy(fancy words quoted straight from my cardiologist) and then toss in the bull-in the-chinashop cocaine.My ICD would probably blow me across the street. icd is an internal device which blasts your ass just like in the movies,although im sure ya'll already knew that. I would highly reccommend against mixing the two.I think if you use the atenolol as prescribed you develop a steady-state blood plasma level which takes several days to "wash out" not bad-mouthing coke just would hate for you to take a one way trip. P.S. this is probably inappropriately posted .i wanted to agree with Hdouble O and respond to the coke plus atenolol post. dont be shy just cause im a newbie let me have it if i F@@@ed up putting this here. Tigershark