switching beta-blockers

[mongo_jones]

hey all,

quick question:

my cardiologist recently suggested i switch from toprol to atelonol. the main reason for this he said was that toprol messes with the brain more--not in a bad way, just vivid dreams, more sleep disturbance etc. which i'd been having a lot of. being a cheapskate i waited till my last refill of toprol, which still had 2 months left, ran out and then made the move to atelonol. i was pleasantly surprised to find how much cheaper it was, and while this may be psychological i do seem to be sleeping better.

i was taking 50 mg a day of toprol, my new prescription is for only 25 mg a day of atelonol. my cardiologist said this was an equivalent dose; the pharmacist seemed to think that he might be starting me low and building me up (my previous cardiologist did the same with the toprol).

okay, now here finally is the question: is 25mg of atelonol really equivalent to 50 mg of toprol? don't make sense to me--not that it needs to.

mongo

[Sarah]

Re: switching beta-blockers

i would read the prescribing info on each but it is certainly possible for the doses to be equal as they are not identical drugs, merely in the same family.

i too just went on atenolol after avoiding it for years (was over medicated on it when i was in high school) and my lack of bizarre dreams is refreshing (was on nadolol).

take care,

s

[Cynaburst]

Re: switching beta-blockers

I have only ever been on atenolol - varying doses...and I have quite vivid dreams. I sometimes feel as though I am at the movies in my dreams. I wonder what it would be like for me on Toprol?? Maybe its the doseage, as I take alot of atenolol - 150 mg. and my doc wants me up to 200 by the end of the year or so.

[Burton Borrok]

Re: switching beta-blockers

I’m only on 50mg of Atenolol, and I don’t remember any of my dreams of late.

A number of years ago, (I was medicated then too), I remember having wonderful dreams – in color too – and the strangest thing was that I was able to get previews of coming dreams. I guess the previews came in the mornings when I was mostly awake, and thinking about them when going to sleep the next night made it happen. It was great fun, and at times I could act as director, and steer the dreams along the lines I wanted.

I hope you all get as much enjoyment out of your dreams as I got out of mine.
Burt

[mtlieb]

Re: switching beta-blockers

Mongo,

I was up to 350mg of Toprol-XL at one time and was switched to 100mg of Atenolol because the Toprol was turning my brain to mush... terrible nightmares, depression, the works. I was on a pretty high dose though, so i don't want to knock the drug itself.

When i switched, my doc brought me back slowly on the Toprol until i was at 100mg, then i traded that for 100mg of Atenolol and i never felt better. Atenolol has been around forever, it's effects are well-known, and you can't beat the price. It has been very effective in bringing down my heartrate and for a while i was living pretty symptom free. Unfortunately for other reasons i will need to try some other drugs along with the Atenolol now, but i think you'll be very happy with it. The side-effects for me were negligible at the lower doses.

Since they are two very different drugs, even though they're both beta blockers, perhaps your doc just wants to see if less Atenolol will be equally effective. It seems smarter than simply trading dose for dose and never knowing if less Atenolol would have done the trick.

Jim

[mtlieb]

Re: switching beta-blockers

Burton,

I got a kick out of your post regarding dreams. My dreams tend to be quite the theatrical experience sometimes, and i can remember quite a few that were 'continued' from one night to the next. I read somewhere once that people who wake up very slowly tend to remember their dreams more, because they 'bring them out' with them as they wake. It's interesting to think about.

My dreams have always been vivid, and the atenolol hasn't changed that much. On the Toprol-XL however, i seemed to have nothing but night after night of horribly graphic nightmares. It wasn't pretty.

Jim

[Lisa Salberg]

Re: switching beta-blockers

I too have vivid dreams ... at times I feel like Dorathe from the Wizard of Oz... I walk into my office and say 'I saw you and you and you" then enter into a story that could have only come from the mind of Tim Burton or Steven King! I however I like the dreams I think they are fun.

The properties of the 2 meds are different and therefor the dosing may be different between them. Please ask your doctor for more specific details as to the differences.

Lisa

[Reenie]

Re: switching beta-blockers

Burt, I'm with you on being able to steer the dreams. I haven't had a dream like that in a long time but I no longer take meds for my heart. I never thought about it, but I wonder if the meds DID have something to do with my dreams? Hmmm.

Reenie

[mongo_jones]

Re: switching beta-blockers

thanks for all your replies--it has been almost 2 weeks since i made the switch and i think i like the atelonol better. i won't say the dreams have gone away but they're less freaky than the toprol ones and more importantly don't wake me up. of course, this is 25 mg atelonol as opposed to 50 mg toprol. i hope i'll be able to stay on this low dose for a good while to come. and not just because of the cost saving!

[mtlieb]

Re: switching beta-blockers

Glad to hear you're doing well on the Atenolol. There really is no 'equivalent dose' among beta blockers, so don't sweat it. They each work a bit differently depending on your individual physiology. That's why when a doctor switches us to a new beta-blocker, they almost always start over from scratch and try to find the lowest dose possible that works. For me, 100mg of Atenolol was equivalent to 350mg of Toprol-XL. For you, it may be 25/50.