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BDD Moderators: Keif’ Richards
stims and beta blockers
- Thread starter phsycra
- Start date
Short answer - no..
Longer answer - stimulants and beta-blockers are a dangerous combination. There are two parts to your sympathetic nervous system (your sympathetic nervous system deals with the body's fight-or-flight response and causes a lot of the physical effects of stimulants including fast heart rate and vasoconstriction) - one part works on alpha-receptors and the other on beta-receptors. These receptors are activated by adrenaline (known as adrenergic receptors).
Beta-blockers knock out the beta-receptors in your heart (beta-antagonism) - this is how they slow your heart rate down. Non-cardioselective (ie not just relating to the heart) beta-blockers also have effects elsewhere but this is getting a bit complicated and isn't hugely relevant to your question.. Most beta-blockers have no affect on alpha-receptors. Alpha receptors are primarily found in smooth muscle and are responsible for stim-induced vasoconstriction.They are also found in the heart and elsewhere in the body and have various other functions.
If you knock out your beta-receptors without your alpha-receptors you get a slowed heart rate but with constricted blood vessels. This can cause a dangerous increase in blood pressure, ischaemia (reduced oxygen supply) and puts a lot of strain on your heart. It can lead to myocardial infarction (heart attacks), heart failure, damage to limbs from reduced blood flow and a hypertensive crisis (out of control or dangerous high blood pressure).
Don't take them together
Longer answer - stimulants and beta-blockers are a dangerous combination. There are two parts to your sympathetic nervous system (your sympathetic nervous system deals with the body's fight-or-flight response and causes a lot of the physical effects of stimulants including fast heart rate and vasoconstriction) - one part works on alpha-receptors and the other on beta-receptors. These receptors are activated by adrenaline (known as adrenergic receptors).
Beta-blockers knock out the beta-receptors in your heart (beta-antagonism) - this is how they slow your heart rate down. Non-cardioselective (ie not just relating to the heart) beta-blockers also have effects elsewhere but this is getting a bit complicated and isn't hugely relevant to your question.. Most beta-blockers have no affect on alpha-receptors. Alpha receptors are primarily found in smooth muscle and are responsible for stim-induced vasoconstriction.They are also found in the heart and elsewhere in the body and have various other functions.
If you knock out your beta-receptors without your alpha-receptors you get a slowed heart rate but with constricted blood vessels. This can cause a dangerous increase in blood pressure, ischaemia (reduced oxygen supply) and puts a lot of strain on your heart. It can lead to myocardial infarction (heart attacks), heart failure, damage to limbs from reduced blood flow and a hypertensive crisis (out of control or dangerous high blood pressure).
Don't take them together
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