Beta blockers

Beta blockers can improve the heart's ability to relax and decrease the production of harmful substances produced by the body in response to heart failure. Over time, beta blockers improve the pumping ability of the left ventricle and reduce some symptoms of congestive heart failure. Beta blockers are essential for patients who have mild to moderate congestive heart failure. Certain beta blockers also have been shown to lower CHF deaths, such as carvedilol (Coreg), metoprolol succinate (Toprol), and bisoprolol (Zebeta). Whether patients with severe congestion and symptoms should take beta blockers is still unclear. Some patients may be able to tolerate beta blockers better than others.

Health Tips from Dr. Healy: Video: What men need to know about their cholesterol Choose another disease or condition... Allergic Rhinitis Allergies, Food Allergy & Asthma Center Alzheimer's Disease Anxiety Aortic Aneurysms Arrhythmia Arthritis, Osteo- (OA) Arthritis, Rheumatoid (RA) Asthma Atopic Dermatitis Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) Back Pain Brain Tumor Bones, Joints & Muscles Center Breast Cancer Brain & Behavior Center Brain Tumor Cancer Center    Brain Tumor    Breast Cancer    Cancer Prevention    Clinical Trials    Colorectal Cancer    Endometrial Cancer    Living With and Beyond Cancer    Lung Cancer    Prostate Cancer    Skin Cancer Cardiomyopathy Cataracts Cholesterol Control Clinical Trials Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) Colorectal Cancer Congenital Heart Disease Congestive Heart Failure (CHF) Coronary Artery Disease (CAD) Crohn's Disease Depression Diabetes Center Diabetes, Type 1 Diabetes, Type 2 Digestive Disorders Center Eczema Endometrial Cancer Erectile Dysfunction (ED) Eye & Vision Center Fibromyalgia Food Allergies Gallstone Disease Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease (GERD) GERD Glaucoma Hay Fever Headache Heart Center Hepatitis A Hepatitis B Hepatitis C High Blood Pressure Hypertension Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy (HCM) Impotence Insomnia Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS) Living With and Beyond Cancer Losing Weight Lung Cancer Macular Degeneration Memory Loss Osteoarthritis (OA) Osteoporosis Parkinson's Disease Peptic Ulcer Prediabetes Prostate Cancer Respiratory Disorders Center Restless Legs Syndrome (RLS) Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA) Sexual & Reproductive Health Center Sinusitis Skin Cancer Sleep Apnea Sleep Center Stroke Type 1 Diabetes Type 2 Diabetes Ulcerative Colitis (UC) Weight Control What is your heart risk? Use our calculator to find out. Online resources for congestive heart failure information Congestive Heart Failure-Related Clinical Trials Information Email this page Print this section

Every medication has benefits and risks. Fatigue, dizziness, and lightheadedness are the most common side effects of beta blockers. If you feel dizzy or lightheaded, get up more slowly when you rise from your bed or a chair. Fatigue, bradycardia (a slow heart rate), impotence, and worsening of depression also are common side effects. These may require a change in medication or dosage or more frequent monitoring by your doctor. Fatigue frequently diminishes over time, and so your physician may request that you continue the medication for several months before stopping it. Beta blockers can also cause or aggravate bronchospasm or wheezing, so people with significant lung disease such as severe emphysema or severe asthma may not be able to tolerate these drugs. Also, individuals with diabetes should be aware that beta blockers can mask the symptoms of low blood sugar.

You may experience side effects other than the ones already mentioned. For more information about this medication and its side effects, talk your doctor, nurse, or pharmacist, or search the National Library of Medicine MedlinePlus database.