Propranolol Chest Pain Information

Propranolol Chest Pain

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I've had this chest pain on and off for years, when is it bad enough that I need to see a doctor? Background: I'm a 24-year-old female. I'm overweight, but my blood sugar and blood pressure are normal (and tested regularly). I have no family history of heart disease or diabetes. I take 120 mg of propranolol CR (beta blocker) daily for migraines. For years now I've been having occasional sharp, stabbing chest pains lasting maybe about 30 seconds. The pain is always located just under my left breast and it hurts to breathe or move. It was always such an occasional thing, and I knew other people who'd had similar pains and it wasn't anything, so I never asked a doctor about it. I've always gotten regular check-ups. In the last few weeks, the pain has gotten worse. I get pain every few days, often more than once a in a day, and it feels a little more intense and lasts noticeably longer. But at bottom, it's still very intermittent and it's the same pain I've been living with for years. At the moment, I don't have health insurance or a job. I can't afford to go to the doctor to "check up" on a health problem unless it's very, very serious. At what point does intermittent chest pain like this become very, very serious? (And don't you dare just say "Chest pain is ALWAYS serious" - it hasn't killed me yet, it's been going on a long time, and I've had plenty of doctors look me over and not find anything abnormal about my heart. As a young female with no family history and normal blood pressure, I'm not at high risk for heart disease. The bottom line is, I don't live in a magic happy land where I can just hop over to the doctor's office for any health issue that "might" be serious. I'm not going to pay hundreds of dollars out of pocket to have some MD laugh in my face and accuse me of being a hypochondriac.) Angina is described as feeling like pressure/squeezing. This is a stabbing pain. I had normal blood pressure before starting propranolol. They wanted to take me off it at first because it made my blood pressure too low. I'm fairly certain I was having this pain before going on propranolol. I very definitely have migraines. I have been thoroughly examined, tested, and diagnosed by a neurologist. I have been having migraines since before I was overweight. I've never mentioned this to a doctor because I had more serious issues to address (thyroid condition, bipolar disorder, menstrual problems) and because I HAVE had a doctor laugh in my face and call me a hypochondriac - for being worried about a lump near my breast, another one of those things you're "always" supposed to see a doctor for. Oh, and since I have no job/insurance, I can't afford a chiropractor either. Keep in mind that I am on several expensive medications that I can barely afford right now. I know that if I go off those medications, I'll probably end up in the hospital for a long time, and may even die. Any money I spend seeing a doctor for chest pain is money I can't spend on those medications, so it had better be worth it.

Hina-chan replied: "i know it sounds weird...but it might actually be back pains. they can strike from the front. Try going to a chiropractor maybe..."

jpo499 replied: "You may be experiencing Angina Pectoris. There are a lot of types and I think yours is getting worse. A type of angina, prinzmetal, may lead to myocardial infarction unless there is an early intervention. Angina is being treated with a nitroglycerine. This come in patches, hardly do i see a tablet for this drug. or you can use Pearl of Amyll Nitrate-with this you have to crush it. I dont think you're experiencing heartburns because it only happens right after you've eaten. considering the weight that you have, you might have thought you have a normal/regular BP because you are taking Propranolol, it is an antihypertensive. I think you're not having migraine, its a headache bropught about by your rising blood pressure. Having dizziness or nape pain lately? At this point in time, i strongly suggest that you see a doctor right away!"

megsy replied: "Well sorry I am going to say it - any chest pain should always be investigated and am left wondering why you didn't mention it on previous checkups - and get your moneys worth while you were at it I have looked at several websites and found information for you on your meds - its used to treat heart problems and also migrane - perhaps that is part of your problem"

min replied: "Sweetheart any chest pain should be investigated immediately, whether it's from a pulled muscle from lifting. You might have mild Angina, or it could be a stress thing. Even more importantly it could be a mild heart attack or a series of them. But please don't mess around we only have one life & 1 body, go get it checked out ASAP. If you can't afford to go to the Dr.'s aren't there any free women's health or medical clinics in your area? Do you have any friends in the nursing profession? I know it's expensive, but believe me I'd rather be alive paying a bill on a plan than 6' under. You are not being a hypochondriac either."

Im 19, and been prescribed propranolol (40mg) and GTN spray while they diagnose me but have chest pains? they are not to severe just a sharp ache the gtn doesn't do a great deal and i have really bad stomach pains and constantly feeling sick, i am barely able to eat a sandwich a day and then i am in pain for hours, i read up and saw it was a side affect but is it a serious one? i am constantly drained and unable to sleep but wondering is it likely to ease up ive only been on the meds 2 days , does it take time for your body to tolerate them? i cant stop the beta blockers because my pulse was currently at 149 beats per minute ( suspected hyperthyroidism), Also i had a blood test earlier and apparently my veins have become thin and stringy, could that be anything to do with the meds? i dont smoke or drink as i also suffer from really bad headaches from time to time , and also im not overweight and am in the healthy weight range for my bmi

Paper P replied: "Is it all worth it? The side affects and all???? Why not lose weight and eat the right foods. Start exercising regularly and you will straighten out all your health problems without taking 1 med... I did it.. I use to be on beta blockers, I was overweight and a smoker.. Now, I'm lean and trim.. No MEDS.. Quit smokes.. EDIT: Yea, you dont smoke or drink and healthy weight.. But, you make no mention of how your suppose to be running 2 or 3 miles a few times a week at your age for exercise.. Your a couch potato and your having chest pains b/c your lazy and sit around on your butt all day long.. Go get a job where you use your arms and muscles.. Run some and exercise and then see how much chest pain you have.. Then see how much meds you need to take.. You dont want to do the work, lazy azzzz.."

Legion replied: "yeah good idea, suspected hyperthyroidism, comes with increased metabolism and weight loss, so losing weight is a good idea you say? you are a moron paper p, not only do you not know her height/weight you have no idea what you are talking about her having a hyperactive thyroid gland is not the same as you being a fat waste of space. talk to a doctor, explain all your symptoms and get a good answer, not a "it will go away in time" you are having serious medical side affects, which could be fatal. oh but one thing that was true, if you are smoking, quit, in fact, everyone should quit smoking period."

I am taking propranolol for overactive thyroid. I also have a heart murmur and low blood pressure.? Should I be worried that I'm still having chest pain? Ultrasound on heart and Echo came back normal but I have a family history of mitral valve prolapse. I'm on 10mg one time a day for now. Why am I having chest pain still?

seelie replied: "there are about a million possible answers to that, and you have not given anywhere near enough information to even guess. normal echo probably rules out mitral valve prolapse. but that is only one possible cause of chest pain, which could be from anything from anxiety to heart disease to gallbladder disease or reflux disease, just to name a few. you need to go back to your doctor and discuss the problem with them to determine the cause."

can I take Ibuprofen for swollen muscles whilst on lansoprazole for acid reflux and propranolol for anxiety? On lansoprazole for gastric reflux and recently been given propranolol for severe anxiety attacks. Taking them together on my doctors advice. However, the panick attacks often cause me to gasp for breath and as a result I have strained my chest muscles. Can I take Ibuprofen for the swelling whilst I am taking these other drugs? Confused and in bad pain!

Gillygems replied: "You should ask a pharmacist for advice on taking drugsand possible reactions also the timing of them. That apart, you can probably take Ibuprofen as I was prescribed it in hospital post surgery two days ago and I also take Lansoprazole. I'm not actually taking the Ibuprofen, however, as I'm already taking stronger anti-inflammatory drugs."

Stephen j Well said (-: replied: "I take lansoprazole propranolol citalopran asprin simvastatin evey day with no problem whats so ever (-; Dont wory."

Rachael H replied: "ibuprofen can badly affect the digestive system which could cause more acid reflux for you, if you are in that much pain visit a&e"

how long for propranolol to work? how long will it take for propranolol to work and get in my system and doctor gave me them for palpatations (heart) as im gettting them all day and night and im taking 40mgs 3 times a day, i had 24 holter monitor and heart scan but showed nothing,, but i wasnt really suffering them then , i just had chest pain then ., any answers please.... ty,, will the tablets make them go all together as they seem to help bit allready but i do feel bit achy in chest and fell tingly in chest up to throat ,, ty agian

iluvJesus replied: "About 2 weeks in your case."

purplegirl replied: "It should work fairly quickly and within a half hour you should hopefully be feeling the effect of the medication. Beta blockers (which is the class of drug Propanolol is) are effective on palpitations and its important for you to take your medication as prescribed and to keep to the schedule of doses as closely as possible."

Rhianna missing Dr Frank replied: "For palpitations about 1 weeks realistically. I'm not a fan of using medication to manage anxiety- particularly beta-blockers which are not without risk. CBT (Cognitive Behavioural Therapy) has a 70% success rate in curing anxieties. Medication is never going to solve your underlying problem. I suggest you seek counselling too. If the 24 hour ECG trace and the echo didn't reveal any pathology then at least you know the discomfort or sensations you are feeling are not the result of an underlying heart problem. And no, the beta-blocker will unlikely banish them completely- nothing will until you resolve your underlying problem..."

gangadharan_nair replied: "Propranolol is used to treat high blood pressure. It is also used to prevent angina (chest pain) and heart attacks. It works by relaxing your blood vessels so your heart doesn't have to pump as hard. Propranolol is also used to treat abnormal heart rhythms. Propranolol is also used to prevent migraine headaches and tremors. For patients having more transient symptoms, a cardiac event monitor which can be worn for a month or more can be used. A cardiac event monitor is a device used to monitor patients with transient cardiac symptoms. An example is the Transtelephonic Cardiac Event Monitor, this monitor contacts ECG technicians, via telephone, on a regular basis transmitting ECG rhythms for ongoing monitoring. The Transtelephonic Cardiac Event Monitor can normally store approximately 5 "cardiac events" usually lasting 30-60 seconds in duration."

what can be the reason for persistent and unexplained pain and weakness? for the last few months i've been subjected to a prolonged flu. After finally getting over it (3-4 bouts of contracting it), i've been having severe headaches, chest pain, eye pain although an eye exam said nothing major was wrong,and weakness and numbness in my arms, legs, toes and fingers. the pain at first concentrated on the left side of the bogy then the headaches began centering my head and moved to the base of my neck just at the base of the back of my head. i went to docs who said it was due to stress and panic attacks. they also said my thyroid may be overacting. i was given propranolol and sleeping pills.. they started working only about a wk after starting using them. however when i stop i get the pain especially when travelling and when its extremely cold. sometimes i feel like i can't breathe and im having a heart attack. my throat will swell up sometimes and be painful to swallow . are these signs of cancer, a thyroid problem, stress and exhaustion or something else

Terry O replied: "This is no place to find a medical diagnosis. You need to find a source for medical consultation that will give you some confidence in the findings. The only way to detect cancer is with a surgical biopsy, and sometimes even those are not 100% accurate. It sounds like you are experiencing complications in reacting to your reactions to basic stress factors. In other words, you are stressing yourself more because you are stressed, rather than trying deliberately to relax because you are stressed. This is easy to say, not so easy to do. Begin by eliminating the possibilities of illness. Have your thyroid levels checked to see that they are within normal limits. When taking meds, have the patience to give them the necessary time to work. Sleeplesness is a behavior, which like all behaviors, easily become habits. Also, when you experience a sleep deficit, there is a recovery rebound when you begin resting again that leaves you feeling more tired. Try to simplify and isolate one by one the strresses affecting you, and take control of your life again. The saying "divide and conquer" has its roots in wisdom."

Propranolol and Asthma Should I take it? Hi I'm 17 male and have a panic attacks and have bad Anxiety, however on Monday my doctor gave me Diazipam which stopped by severe chest pains ( I couldn't move ) The pains were about 80% gone and the other 20% was nothing severe. I saw him today and he has Propranolol 10 mg 3 x a day. However I us to have asthma 2 years ago but my lungs these days fill fine, today he made me do the blow back and I only scored 450 I should of got about 550. Anyhow he wants me to use this drug and I'm not sure as it says DO NOT TAKE IF HAVING ASTHMA but my GP says take my Inhaler 2x 4 times a day. Should I take the medication or not? Also he told me it was a muscle Relax and I read the leaflet and it for treatments of preventing heart attacks and side effects is heart failure now I'm completely freaked out as 6 weeks ago I nealy died in the resuscitation room as my heart was going 200 bpm had a 24 hour ecg since then and It came back with some sinus rhythm but normal. I personally don't think my asthma that bad I havnt used my inhalour for about 6 months and not needed it as I don't have Asthma attacks. but again is 450 on the breathing test bad comparing I should of got 550?

bauerbd replied: "Just keep your inhaler with you and give the propanolol a try. Propanolol also prevents the heart from beating too fast which would fit well with the physical manifestations of your anxiety. If you really want the best treatment you should see a psychiatrist about best diagnosing your anxiety (acute anxiety attacks vs generalized anxiety disorder)."

Just Me replied: "Take the propranolol as your doctor suggested. The primary function of the drug is to maintain a slower heart rate. It is also a rather low dosage and it's doubtful he will keep you on it long-term. Just follow his treatment plan as directed and report back to him if you have any adverse reactions, (I doubt you will.) I take a low dosage of propranolol myself because of increased heart rate due to hyperthyroidism."

Periwinkle Blue replied: "The reason that Propranolol says "Do not take if have asthma" on the label is because it works on Beta receptors, which are the same receptors that Asthma medications work on. Propranolol blocks the receptors. If you were having asthma symptoms, your inhaler might not work as well or as quickly because it has less beta receptors to attach too. Since you haven't had Asthma symptoms in 2 years, you should be safe to try Propranolol. If you start having asthma symptoms, then stop taking it. 450 out of 550 is not bad at all for a peak flow, especially if you have a history of asthma. Getting the maximum predicted peak flow for your age and size is very dependent on your technique. Most patients will not consistently give a maximum effort on a peak flow unless they have practiced it for at least a week. Hope that helps!"

Cardiologist reply only question? If a man presented with sinus tachycardia with a rate of 117bpm 24 hours before taking his 160mg of propranolol; then if he told you that he only get arrhythmias and fluttering feelings when he has stomach movements such a bloating, hunger and so on; what condition would you say he has? He claims that it is cardiac damage due to toxin from 5 years ago that has caused him to suffer from daily problems, sometimes very debilitating. He presents with no chest pain or breathlessness. But cannot climb stairs or even walk on many occasions. He gets the most severe palpitations during such periods.

reney replied: "sounds like positional syncope."

linda p replied: "Do you really think cardiologist are on yahoo answering questions? He should go to a doctor"

Why do I get shortness of breath without any found disease? Hi. Almost a year ago I had an episode of Anxiety, Shortness of breath and dizziness. Went to the ER and after examination and several EKGs been diagnosed with pretty much nothing (neuro-vegetative disturbances) and prescribed to take calcium and magnesium supplements. Checked with my doc and he ran blood tests which came back normal, except for a mild Anemia (low Iron, magnesium and ionic calcium levels, not too low but near-minimum). Doc prescribed iron supplements. Gradually the sensation of not getting enough air pretty much dissapeared. During the summer I experienced a mild sinus Tachycardia (rate about 90-100) treated with Propranolol. Now my pulse is around 70 and I do not take any more pills for it - it sometimes rises especially after exercise, and doc told me I am not in the best physical condition (raises to about 90-95 for a few minutes after stopping). However, I still get a permanent feeling of Shortness of breath, not like my lung doesn't fill normally with air, more like needing a good deep yawning or like my breathing muscles are too tense and can't let me take a really deep satisfying breath - all is well until trying to inhale the last "bit" of air, when I get this sensation. Also my chest hurts, sometimes in the left area, sometimes in the right, almost always near the sternum. The chest hurts when pressed with my finger. Ribs are painful too. When I contract my chest muscles the pain increases slightly. The pain is not intense and goes away for a few days, comes back for a few days in some other area in my chest. Sometimes my ankles hurt a bit and my right hand, the small bones right near my fist. Fingers at my right hand are painful at times. These pains go away quickly when applying Ibuprofen or the like(spelled it right I hope) to the area. However they are back after some hours. I have done blood tests 3 times in the last year, went to 3 different cardiologists, had Echo of the heart, Echo of the abdomen, neurological exam, Spirometry, stress Echo,etc. etc, everything is OK. I went to the cardiologist when I was at peak with my symptoms and nothing was found I am currently taking mineral supplements and following psychological counselling since I have developed a strong fear that something is deeply wrong with me. When in session and days after I feel ok, no more symptoms. My symptoms are generally not very intense, I feel like my fear is amplifying them somehow. I am a 25 year old male, no heart disease or other medical condition, good health, good family health, not overweight, smoker (under 1 pack a day), not in best fitness (sitting job - programmer). My questions are: 1. If sometimes were wrong with my heart, would it have been diagnosed yet? 2. Need I do more investigations regarding my heart? 3. Does all this look more like a psychological condition than a physical one? 4. In a few words: how should I change my lifestyle in order to keep my heart healthy? Thank you for reading this message. Bogdan Vulcan

caligirl replied: "Honey....it is because it is stress. i had the same problem before. It is amazing what stress can do to your body. Sometimes you are not even aware that your body is compensating for your stress in these ways. Good luck"

haslo replied: "Hello..that is probably the longest question I saw on this forum, but that is a good thing, as you've provided all the details. The bottom line is the above poster is probably right. You have had a thorough cardiac and pulmonary check ups it seems, and there were no abnoramilities. The length of the message, the fact that you've seen three cardiologists and the fact that you feel better after your sessions all point to anxiety. Your smoking may not be good for your heart and lungs, but I suspect it actually helps your anxiety. I would still advise stopping smoking, but the bottom line, step up your psychological work-up...may be a low dose SSRI (like Paxil or Celexa) would help. Work with your doctor about it and good luck. I think yo are on a good track thinking about this..."

Cardiologist question only? If a man presented with sinus tachycardia with a rate of 117bpm 24 hours before taking his 160mg of propranolol; then if he told you that he only get arrhythmias and fluttering feelings when he has stomach movements such a bloating, hunger and so on; what condition would you say he has? He claims that it is cardiac damage due to toxin from 5 years ago that has caused him to suffer from daily problems, sometimes very debilitating. He presents with no chest pain or breathlessness. But cannot climb stairs or even walk on many occasions. He gets the most severe palpitations during such periods.

L A replied: "Well he has a tachycardia because the normal rate is 75-80bpm. I think that he should take medication like egiloc."