once you start taking atenolol, can you ever stop?

Question

I was diagnose with an irregular heart beat in my lower heart last year.My Dr. put me on atenolol to regulate my heart beat, athought it doesn't make my heart beat completely regular, it does help. But since I started taking it my blood pressure goes way up if I miss a dose(around 145/98). I would like to stop taking it because I don't feel the benifits are worth the risk, and if it doesn't make my heart beat completly regular is it really doing it's job anyway?A Dr's oppinion would be nice for I live on an island with only one Dr so a second oppinions are very hard to get.

Answer 1

You should not discontinue it by yourself as you can have a rebound phenomenon. It has to be gradually tailed down under strict medical supervision.

You may not feel the benefits but they are there and you may feel the bad consequences if you discontinue it by yourself. Consult your doctor about what you have described here.

STRONGLY UNRECOMMENDED to play your own doctor in this situation.

Answer 2

You could stop the Atenolol and if you do not have underlying primary hypertension then your blood pressure should level out after, at most, a couple of weeks. 145/98 is a little on the high side but certainly not dangerous for a couple of weeks.

You make mention that the benefits are not worth the risks. Atenolol is a medication that has been available for decades with an excellent safety record. The risks to that medication are mostly limited to a slowed heart rate - which it sounds as though you are not having.

You don't mention the type of irregular heart rate you are having (though I suspect it is premature ventricular contractions). If it were PVC's then stopping the medication is not an issue as PVC's are generally not dangerous and do not progress to a dangerous condition if left untreated. Vigorous physical activity and reducing stimulants (cold meds, diet pills, caffeine) can be helpful.

If on the other hand you are being treated for atrial fibrillation, then I would not agree that stopping the medication is a good idea - especially without being monitored and without considering other options to treat the condition.

As you see, it is not an obvious answer that can be shared very well over the Internet. Discuss your concerns with your provider. He/she will recommend a safe course of action.
Good luck.

Answer 3

I'm not a doc, but have experience with meds. I know you shouldn't stop the medicine without observation and/or your docs concurrance, cause it can cause your heart rate to go up and be very irregular. That's a high B/P, you need something to control it. My husband has been on Atenolol for 25 years with no problems, (no sexual ones either!) If you want, talk to your doc, there are other meds he can try, but don't try to do it by yourself.