Blood Pressure Medication And Beer

[colonelsing]

I was recently in the hospital and when I was discharged the nurse handed me a prescription for blood pressure pills called prenolol.I was not in hospital for high blood pressure but I do know for a long time it was higher than the helathy range.The doctor did not tell me anything about the medication but my daughter is a nurse and says I cannot drink beer again with this medication.I looked on internet and it also said don't drink alcohol excessively with this stuff. But almost all of the guys I used to work with took blood pressure meds and still drank occassionally. I am not a heavy drinker,though I did used to be,and now don't even keep beer in the house.But it would be nice to have a beer now and then.

I wonder if any other old guys out there have experience with this and know the real deal.Thanks.

[Gary A]

I'd have a talk with your doctor and find out why he wants you on a beta blocker. My Thai doctor took me off what I was taking (three different medications) and put me on a 20mg Anapril (ACE inhibitor) and a baby aspirin a day. Since I have moved up country and eat 95 percent Thai food, I am taking a half a tablet a day with good results. I drink beer a couple times a week.

[Sheryl]

You say you were not in the hospital for BP. I'm wondering what your doctor's specialty is?

Morei mportant than whether or not you can drink with your medication is:

1) Do you need to be on antihypertensive medication?

and

2) If so, which drug makes the most sense given all other factors?

I'd suggest you

1) Buy a home BP monitor and keep track of what your pressures are.

2) IF you are willing, and assuming your BP is not off the wall high, consider trying to control your BP with life-style changes e.g. weight loss (if overweight), more exercise, stress and caffeine reduction, sodium reduction.

3) If not willing/able to do the above or if you do but BP still high, see a specialist in cardiovascular disease, get a proper work-up and advice on the best medication given your specific medeical history and condition. Thorough work-up shopuld include a stress test to get an idea of the condition of your coronary blood flow since it sounds like you may have had untreated hypertension for a while now.

Beta blockers (which is what you were given) were once a common first choice but have come under some doubt in light of recent research. YIf you need to be on medication, you may be better off on a different class of drug, such as an ACE inhibitor, but that recommendation needs to be made by someone thoroughly familiarwith your medical history and life style etc.

Good luck.

[colonelsing]

Thank you very much for help Gary I am glad you are better now.Sheryl thank you also very much.I think you must be a doctor or nurse.My daughter is a nurse in America in ICU in hosptial in Washington.She tells me take 50 mg pill a day but dr. says take 50 mg pill 2x a day so I do.Go back to dr. tomorrow for check up.I dont know what his specialty is he seems smart but very young. I was in hospital for tachycardia but thought it was heart attack dr. wants me to get heart catheter. I do exercise alot go to gym most every day.Yesterday I bought a bicycle but I think Thai food has lots of salt with all the nam plaa.

Thank you again

[Sheryl]

OK, this sheds a little more light on the matter. The doctor may have prescribed the prenolol (generic name: atenolol) not only for your blood pressure but also to control the tachycardia, and this may be why the twice a day dosage.

I suspect that the tachycardia was due to a kind of abnormal heart rhythm called atrial fibrillation; ask the doctor to confirm. Is the prenolol the only medication they gave you? And have they tested your thyroid function? (I imagine they have, but best to ask and be sure).

Assuming thyroid problem has been ruled out, you may indeed have heart disease and need to have an angiogram (cardiac catheterization) to fully diagnose. This is not something that should be delayed, but it is also not something to have done lightly, i.e. only have done in a well equipped hospital of high standard.

Once they have done that test and depending on what they find, they may advise other treatments such as cardioversion or ablation in an effort to restore normal heart rhythm. With atrial fibrillation, the ideal is to stop it and return the patient to a normal heart rhythm. However if that is not possible, a person can remain in atrial fibrillation with the heart rate controlled by medications such as digoxin. In this case, tho, it is also necessary for you to take blood thinning agents (coumadin etc) to reduce risk of blood clots, and you will need to take medication under regular medical supervision indefinitely with periodic blood tests.

Stay on top of this and don’t delay. Just be sure you are in good hands in terms of both the individual doctor and the hospital facility. I’m sure your daughter will be telling you the same thing.

[ProThaiExpat]

Back to OP's original question, I drank heavily for years while on a beta blocker without any ill effects except from the over indulgence.

I am still on a beta blocker along with an ace inhibitor and a water pill and my pressure is normal.

I wouldn't worry about an occasional beer while on atenolol.

[colonelsing]

Thank you everyone.Good to know I can have beer once in a while,Pro Thai Expat. I can live without it,and once I didn't drink anything for 13 months,but I do love beer.I like Tiger beer especially.

Seryl you know a great deal of medicine and I think you should send me a bill as dr. did not explain any of this.fact is I went to Theppanya hospital as it was closest and I have to say they treated me very well and kindly,but I cannot speak Thai very well and not many people there spoke English.I go back to dr.there today for blood pressure check and maybe more medication.

Dr. said I should get ablation catheter like you said,and probably I will but maybe I will do this in US.

Did not mention thyroid condition.I only take prenolol nothing else. I quit beer but it seems I have more trouble quitting coffee.Thank you very much.

[Sheryl]

Do ask whether your thyroid function was checked.

Most importantly, ask the doctor if you are still in atrial fibrillation. You may also be able to get an idea of that yourself by carefully feeling your pulse for a full minute and seeing if it is regular or if there appear to be some beats close together and some "missed" beats. In a normal heart rhthym, each beat of the pulse is spaced apart evently at consistent intervals. In atrial fibrillation the beats are irregular.

Anyhow, ask specifically if you are in atrial fibrillation. And if you are (as I suspect) and you are not going to undergo ablation or other invasive procedures at this time, you need to be on a blood thinning agent such as coumadin. This is because in atrial fibrillation, even when the heart rate is well controlled, there is an increased risk of forming blood clot which can then cause a stroke or heart attack.

If you are going back to the US soon, you particulalry need to be on top of this before undergoing the flight.

Your condition, while it can be treated, is potentially serious and also possibly chrionic, and you need to have a clear handle on it. I strobgly suggest you either bring along a Thai translator or go to an "international" hospital so that you can be fully informed.

Take care and good luck

[colonelsing]

Sheryl thank you again.I do sometimes miss heartbeats like you said,though not lately since I have been taking bp pills.Here is a story that I think would be funny,except it is sort of serious to me.I had appointment at hospital Sunday for check up.It was for 5pm so I waited quite a while and then asked the nurse when I would see the doctor,who was the guy who prescribed the prenolol meciation for blood pressure.Nurse says'"Doctor not here." So I say I am out of pills.She brings me to see a man with a stethoscope.I don't know if he was a doctor,or nurse,or maybe the janitor.He listens to my heart and says,

"Heart good." Then he asks me do I sweat. I said,yes,it is 100 degrees.Then he says wait outside,and then nurse hands me prescription for more pills.Strange thing about all this is noone ever checked my blood pressure,which was the whole point of going to the appointment.Generally this is the first thing they do no matter why you are at doctor,no matter the reason.Anyway lucky I have you and other people on forum for advice or i wouldbe lostThank you