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  4. Beta Blockers

Beta Blockers

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  • Beta Blocker Types

    Beta blockers, also called beta-adrenergic blocking agents, are prescription medications that act on the sympathetic nervous system to block the hormones epinephrine, or adrenaline, and norepinephrine from binding to beta receptors on the nerves. These hormones trigger the "fight or flight" response. This response increases bodily functions, such as heart rate and blood pressure, two conditions for which physicians prescribe beta blockers.

  • How to Taper Off Beta Blockers

    Beta-blocker medications, also called beta-adrenergic blocking agents, treat a variety of illnesses, including high blood pressure, migraine headaches, chest pain and glaucoma. Beta blockers cause the heart to beat more slowly and with less force, thereby reducing pressure in the blood vessels. Your doctor might have prescribed a beta-blocker medication for your condition, but doctors sometimes recommend patients wean themselves off of beta blockers because of adverse effects, lab abnormalities or other reasons. Stopping beta-blocker medications can be dangerous, so it is important to know how to taper off of beta blockers in a safe way.

  • What Are the Treatments for EPS Beta Blockers?

    The extrapyramidal system, or EPS, is part of the central nervous system involved in movement coordination. Many patients taking older types of anti-psychotic medications develop motor symptoms because of effects on the EPS. Taking beta blockers can help treat some of these symptoms.

  • How to Switch Beta Blockers

    Doctors commonly prescribe beta blockers to treat high blood pressure, heart failure and irregular heart rhythms. They may also alleviate chest pain and migraines. Some common examples of beta blockers are nadolol, atenolol and propranolol. Sometimes, beta blockers can result in side effects. If you have problems with your medication, talk to your doctor about switching to a different beta blocker. Unless your doctor instructs you otherwise, do not stop taking your medications abruptly. Doing so can make your symptoms worse.

  • How to Wean Off of Beta Blockers

    The use of Beta blockers has proven to be effective in treating a multitude of illnesses, including migraine headaches, high blood pressure, and stress and anxiety. However, due to side effects such as weight gain, fatigue and memory loss, some people choose to stop taking the drug. Stopping cold turkey, though, can lead to discomfort and an accelerated heart beat. This is especially dangerous for the elderly. When choosing to discontinue the use of a Beta blocker, it's important to wean off of the medication; but speak with a health-care professional first.

  • Nursing Responsibilities in Administering Beta Blocker Drugs

    Beta blockers are a class of medications used to treat angina, irregular heartbeat, high blood pressure and other conditions. According to the Mayo Clinic, beta blockers work by blocking the effects of the hormone adrenaline, also known as epinephrine. Beta blocker drugs slow the heart down, expanding blood vessels for better flow and allowing the heart to beat with less force. Although physicians prescribe heart medications, nurses are responsible for administering and monitoring the effects of beta blocker drugs. There are important nursing responsibilities to consider when administering beta blocker medications.

  • How to Safely Stop a Beta Blocker

    Beta blockers are prescription medications doctors use to treat high blood pressure and some types of heart conditions. They work by blocking receptors for epinephrine and norepinephrine, hormone-like compounds that speed up the heart rate and raise blood pressure. By blocking these receptors, beta blockers cause a drop in blood pressure and heart rate. Because these medications have powerful effects on the heart, they shouldn't be stopped suddenly. Most doctors recommend that beta blockers be tapered gradually to avoid sudden changes in heart function and blood pressure.

  • Beta Blockers Most Commonly Used by EMS

    Beta-blockers are a class of medications that "block" your body's natural hormone epinephrine, also known as adrenaline, according to the Mayo Clinic. Primary uses include reduction of blood pressure, as the reduction in adrenaline slows the heart down, reducing the force of your heartbeat and, consequently, your blood pressure. Beta-blockers often prescribed to individuals include Atenolol, Metoprolol, and Coreg. EMS personnel administer beta-blockers and other medications in emergency situations.

  • Beta Blocker Substitutes

    Doctors use beta blockers to treat congestive heart failure, high blood pressure, chest pain and abnormal heart rhythms. For patients who develop unpleasant side effects when taking beta blockers and for asthma patients who can't take beta blockers, some doctors suggest trying beta blocker substitutes. These alternatives may relax the patient, thus preventing adrenaline surges that can cause stress when the heart works harder to pump more blood and oxygen.

  • Beta Blocker Information

    Beta blockers are medications that slow heart rate and decrease the force of heart contractions. "Medical News Today" reports that beta blockers mainly help lower the workload of a weakened heart in those who suffer from conditions that tax the heart, such as high blood pressure and heart failure.

  • Mechanism of Action of Beta Blockers

    Beta blockers, which are also known as beta-adrenergic blocking agents, are widely used medications to treat high blood pressure and heart conditions. They have proven to reduce the onset of heart attacks among many other uses.

  • Beta Blockers & Crohn's Disease

    Crohn's disease is a debilitating and hard to treat inflammatory bowel disease. Beta blockers are a class of drugs used to manage cardiac activity (e.g., heart rhythm) and hypertension (blood pressure). Although beta blockers are generally not an important element in the treatment of Crohn's disease, they are considered effective in preventing an occasional side effect, the hemorrhaging of variceal arteries. Since this can cause death, the potential protective effect of beta blockers is important in cases where variceal arteries appear.

  • Paradoxical Reaction to Beta-Blockers

    Beta-blockers are a widely used category of prescription drugs that work to circumvent the body's fight-or-flight response. They are typically taken by heart patients and people with high blood pressure to keep the shock of adrenaline at bay. Also, beta-blockers are common in the treatment of generalized anxiety disorder and work in much the same way as mild tranquilizers.

  • Why Did Toporal Beta Blocker Get Recalled?

    Toprol XL is a brand name for metoprolol succinate extended release (ER) tablets, a beta blocker that is used to treat angina (chest pain), hypertension (high blood pressure), abnormal heart rhythms and other heart problems. Toprol XL has not been recalled. However, two companies that manufacture a generic formulation of metoprolol succinate ER tablets, Sandoz Inc. and ETHEX Corp., have issued recalls.

  • Allergic Reactions to Beta Blockers

    Beta blockers are drugs that are antagonistic towards the effect of the neurotransmitter adrenaline on beta-receptors in the body. Beta blockers decrease the strength and rate of each heart beat. This lowers blood pressure and reduces the heart's oxygen demands. Beta blockers are prescribed for angina, arrhythmia and high blood pressure and some forms of glaucoma.

  • Beta 1 Blockers Vs. Beta 2 Blockers

    There are several different types of beta blockers. Each has a different action and effect on the body. Though commonly prescribed, they should not be taken lightly. Interactions with other drugs and diseases need to be recognized.

  • Beta Blockers & Severe Pain When Fingers Are Cold

    If a person experiences severe pain when his fingers get cold this can be a sign that he is suffering from Raynaud’s disorder. In addition to the severe pain, the fingers will turn white. Treatment for cold fingers and severe pain involves the use of beta blockers, which dilate blood vessels and promote good circulation.

  • Beta Blockers & Exercise

    Virtually all beta-blocking drugs prescribed for hypertensive and cardiac disorders lower the heart rate response to exercise. It is important to understand the heart's response to exercise will be blunted while on beta-blocker medication.

  • Indications for Use of Beta Blockers

    A beta blocker is a class of medicine. It is the commonly used name for a beta-adrenoceptor blocking drug. Its main function is to inhibit the flow of certain types of neurons known to cause anxiety. Beta blockers are available under a gamut of drugs and trade names. Some of the more popular beta blockers are: Betapace (sotalol), Brevibloc (esmolol), Cartrol (carteolol), Coreg (carvedilol), Corgard (nadolol), Inderal (propranolol), Inderal-LA (propranolol), Kerlone (betaxolol), Levatol (penbutolol), Lopressor (metoprolol), Normodyne (labetalol), Sectral (acebutolol), Tenormin (atenolol), Toprol-XL (metoprolol), Trandate (labetalol), Visken (pindolol) and Zebeta (bisoprolol).

  • Diet for People on Beta Blockers

    A beta blocker is a drug that prevents increased cardiac action and reduces high blood pressure. Beta blockers are used to treat cardiac arrhythmia, which is an irregular heartbeat, and they are given to people who have had heart attacks. People on beta blockers are usually advised to adopt a diet that works toward the same goal as the beta blockers: reducing high blood pressure and stress on the heart.

  • Is Flomax a Beta Blocker?

    Flomax (tamsulosin) is a medication designed to treat the effects of benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH), also known as an enlarged prostate. It is not a beta blocker, but rather belongs to a class of medications called alpha blockers.

  • Beta Blockers & Glaucoma

    Approximately 4 million Americans suffer from glaucoma, a condition that results in elevated pressure within your eyes, reports the Glaucoma Research Foundation. One of the treatments that doctors prescribe for the disease is class of prescription drugs called beta blockers.

  • Use of Beta Blockers Post Stent

    Insertion of a stent is a common treatment for a variety of heart problems caused by narrowing of the arteries, which impedes blood flow to your heart. Following the insertion, doctors prescribe a medication regime which often includes beta blockers. The purpose of the medications is to reduce the likelihood of any kind of blood clot, which could cause further damage.

  • How to Monitor If Your Beta Blocker Is Working

    Beta-blockers are a class of medication used to treat heart disease, abnormal heart rhythm and certain blood pressure problems. Beta blockers allow the heart to relax, which can help reduce rapid heart rates. According to WebMD, beta blockers may help to improve the heart's pumping ability over time. Common beta blocker drugs include Sectral, Zebeta, Brevibloc, Inderal, Tenormin, Normodyne, Coreg and Toprol-XL. Beta Blockers also can help treat glaucoma, headaches and hyperthyroidism.

  • Noncardiogenic Uses of Beta Blockers

    Beta blockers, a class of drugs prescribed most widely for the treatment and control of hypertension and heart-related ailments, are used also to treat other conditions that fall outside the parameters of cardiovascular medicine. These medications, also known as beta-adrenergic blocking agents, work by blocking epinephrine and norepinephrine from binding to the beta receptors of nerves, according to MayoClinic.com.

  • Beta Blockers and Hair Loss

    There are several prescription drugs that may cause hair loss as a side effect. Beta blockers are among them.

  • Cardio Selective Vs. Non-Cardio Selective Beta Blockers

    Beta-blockers treat hypertension (high blood pressure) by blocking the effects of adrenaline on the beta receptors of the heart. Cardioselective and non-cardioselective beta-blockers have the same functions, but work on different beta receptors.

  • List of Cardioselective Beta Blockers

    Beta blockers, also known as beta-adrenergic blocking agents, are a class of medication widely prescribed for the treatment of high blood pressure and cardiac arrhythmias. They are also helpful in treating migraines and glaucoma, according to MayoClinic.com. The second generation of beta blockers brought to market is described as cardioselective, in that drugs in this group mostly block the binding of norepinephrine and epinephrine to beta-1 adrenoceptors, which help to control the heart's rate and contractile force.

  • Selective Beta Blockers Vs. Nonselective Beta Blockers

    Beta-blockers treat high blood pressure, anxiety, glaucoma and migraines by blocking the effects of epinephrine to the heart. Selective beta-blockers and nonselective beta-blockers work on different beta receptors, but produce similar treatment effects.

  • What May Occur If a Beta-Blocker Is Discontinued Abruptly?

    Beta-blockers treat hypertension, glaucoma, migraines and anxiety. Once the body adjusts to their effects, abrupt withdrawal from beta-blockers may cause serious complications. Avoid these complications by working with a physician to stop beta-blocker use.

  • Foods to Avoid When Taking Beta-Blockers

    Beta-blockers treat high blood pressure, anxiety, migraines and glaucoma. These drugs block the effects of epinephrine on the heart so it does not have to work as hard to pump blood. Since beta-blockers affect the heart, it is important to avoid foods that can reduce their effectiveness or that increase blood pressure.

  • Beta-Blocker Safety

    Beta-blockers reduce blood pressure by blocking the effects of epinephrine on the heart. Because these drugs affect the heart and blood vessels, caution should be used when taking beta-blockers or administering them to children.

  • What Is an Alpha Beta Blocker?

    Alpha-beta blockers treat high blood pressure (hypertension). These drugs work on both alpha and beta receptors, reducing the amount of blood pumped through the circulatory system. This reduces blood pressure levels.

  • Beta-Blockers & Kidney Disease

    Kidney disease is one of the major risk factors for high blood pressure (hypertension). If hypertension develops, it may be necessary to use beta-blockers to reduce blood pressure levels and prevent additional kidney damage.

  • What Is the Site of Action for Beta Blocker Drugs?

    Beta blocker drugs are commonly used to treat cardiac and other conditions. The efficacy these drugs have in patients are due largely to the fact that they have more than one site of action in the body.

  • Is Avalide a Beta Blocker?

    Avalide is a combination drug that is used independently or in combination with other medicines to treat high blood pressure. Avalide is not a beta blocker, a group of medications that lower heart rate and cardiac output.

  • How to Monitor Beta Blockers

    Beta blockers are used to reduce the heart rate and cardiac output in a patient. They do this by blocking the effects of stress hormones on your heart. Beta blockers are used to treat hypertension and heart problems such as congestive heart failure, chest pain and abnormal heart beats. There are two types, selective and non-selective. Selective beta blockers only block beta 1 receptors and non-selective beta blockers work on both beta 1 and beta 2 receptors.

  • Alpha Blocker Vs. Beta Blocker

    High blood pressure, also known as hypertension, can lead to serious health problems such as arterial damage, heart failure and kidney disease. Alpha and beta blockers are common medications prescribed to lower blood pressure.

  • How Beta Blockers Work

    According to the Mayo Clinic, beta-blockers, also called beta-adrenergic blocking agents, are used to treat conditions such as high blood pressure, glaucoma, migraines, tremors, heart failure, heart attacks and hyperthyroidism. Psychiatrists also use certain beta-blockers to reduce performance and public speaking anxiety. For example, one function of beta-blockers is to keep epinephrine (adrenaline) from allowing its hormone production to work effectively. In this way, beta-blockers slow the flow of blood, thus reducing health concerns such as hypertension. Two kinds of beta receptors exist: beta-1 and beta-2. According to Brian Brennan, M.D., McLean Hospital in Belmont, Mass.: "The beta-1 receptor is…

  • Why Are Beta Blockers Prescribed?

    Beta blockers may also be referred to as beta-adrenergic blocking agents. Beta blockers are most commonly prescribed for heart-related conditions.

  • Beta Blockers & Lung Problems

    Beta blockers slow down the heart to minimize the effect of stress. However, they have been known to worsen breathing problems by causing constriction of the airway and contraction of the muscles in the lungs. Beta blockers have triggered attacks in asthma sufferers and have worsened respiratory function in patients suffering from chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, or COPD. But researchers have developed a beta blocker that offers marked improvement for such patients.

  • About Beta Blockers & Weight Loss

    Beta blockers are prescription drugs which are designed to manage high blood pressure and heart arrhythmias. There are many different types of beta blockers such as labetalol, atenolol and metoprolol. The side effects from beta blockers can make it more difficult for some people to lose weight. Beta blockers do improve the hearts ability to relax and maintain normal pressure, but these drugs can halt weight loss by slowing the heart rate down, which can cause a person to feel tired more often.

  • Alpha Blockers Vs. Beta Blockers

    High blood pressure is common, and there are plenty of medications used for its treatment. Most medicines primarily affect one of the four different sites: the heart, peripheral blood vessels, brain or kidneys. Both alpha and beta blockers block alpha and beta receptors in the peripheral blood vessels.

  • What Are Some Common Beta Blockers?

    Beta blockers are prescription medications used to treat several health conditions. These drugs allow the heart to beat more slowly and less forcefully, and they also help blood vessels dilate, which improves blood flow.

  • Beta Blocker Therapy in Diabetics

    People with types 1 and 2 diabetes are prone to cardiovascular diseases and stroke. Major therapeutic medications are advised for those with diabetes to prevent these conditions. Beta blockers used to be administered to control the cardiovascular complications in diabetes; however, because of dangers of side effects of beta blockers among diabetic patients the medication's use with diabetes patients is highly discouraged.

  • Herbal Substitutes for Beta Blockers

    Beta blockers are also known as beta-adrenergic blocking agents. They treat many health problems but are most often used in the treatment of heart or circulatory conditions. This class of drugs works to reduce blood pressure by blocking adrenaline to the heart. The medications allow the heart to beat less forcefully and slowly in order to reduce blood pressure. Some herbal substitutes can be used in place of beta blockers; however, all remedies should be approved by a physician.

  • Is Toprol a Selective Beta Blocker?

    Toprol (metoprolol) is a prescription medication that is part of the group of medications called beta blockers. Beta blockers function by blocking receptors that bind with epinephrine and norepinephrine (adrenaline and noradrenaline).

  • What Are Beta Blockers Used For?

    Beta blockers are one of the most useful drugs available, providing solutions for myriad health issues, from the fairly trivial condition of performance anxiety to the debilitating effects of heart disease. Beta blockers can be lifesavers in more than one sense of the word.

  • How to Discontinue Beta Blockers

    Beta-blockers treat several conditions, many of them related to the heart. Discontinuing beta-blockers requires a gradual reduction of the dose until it is eliminated entirely from your routine, especially if you have been using them for more than a month. Keeping track of this reduction is important to ensure a smooth transition and minimize the risk of any "rebound" effects that may occur.

  • Beta Blocker Withdrawal Symptoms

    Beta blockers are medications widely prescribed to treat high blood pressure, angina pectoris, arrhythmias, congestive heart failure and also for the prevention of migraines. According to IMS Health, beta blockers ranked fifth among the top 15 classes of drugs dispensed by prescription in 2008, accounting for nearly 160 million prescriptions. Patients who take beta blockers should never stop taking these drugs abruptly, because the withdrawal symptoms can be severe and even life threatening.

  • What Do Beta Blockers Do?

    To best explain what a beta blocker does, you need to understand a little bit about the nervous system and what beta receptors are. A beta receptor is a protein molecule that processes specific messages carried by the central nervous system and various hormones. There are a variety of different types of beta receptors. They are mostly found in the heart and blood vessels. Their job is to increase blood pressure when stimulated. There are three types of beta receptors--Beta 1, which are found in the brain and the heart, Beta 2, which are found in the lungs, blood vessels…

  • Beta Blockers for Headache Prevention

    We all know how unpleasant a headache or migraine can be. Unfortunately, some people suffer from chronic migraines. For these patients, medication exists that can help prevent those pulsing, painful attacks. One category of medication used for migraine prevention is beta blockers.

  • What Are the Benefits of Beta Blockers?

    There are a number of uses for beta blockers. The main purpose deals with the heart and blood pressure, but other benefits have been noted. For example, public speaking can make a person anxious, possibly resulting in a panic attack. A beta blocker may be prescribed to eliminate these symptoms.

  • Definition of Beta Blockers

    A beta blocker is a medication used to treat heart problems and high blood pressure. It works by blocking the harmful effects of the stress hormones epinephrine and norepinephrine on the heart and by slowing your heart rate.

  • Rashes Caused by Beta Blockers

    A rash in many cases develops while taking a beta blocker, which is used in the treatment of high blood pressure and other conditions. Depending on the severity of the problem, the use of a topical cream or medical attention may be required.

  • Beta Blockers Basics

    Beta-blockers, short for beta-adrenergic blocking agents, are used to treat, improve or prevent various health conditions. Because of their numerous side effects, physicians usually prescribe beta-blockers only when other medications haven't work effectively.

  • Beta Blocker Dangers

    Beta blockers are prescribed to treat a variety of conditions, like high blood pressure, chest pain, panic attacks and migraines. However, beta blockers also impede the effects of epinephrine on your body. The result is a reduction in your heart rate, which results in lower blood pressure. Beta blockers also can open constricted blood vessels. Although beta blockers can improve your health, you should be aware of their effects and dangers.

  • Alternative to Beta Blocker

    Beta blockers are prescription drugs prescribed by doctors for a variety of disorders and diseases, including hypertension, cardiac arrhythmia, tremors, migraines, and cardioprotection after heart attacks. Beta blockers lower blood pressure, slow down the heart and disturb sleep patterns. If you have low blood pressure or have trouble sleeping, beta blockers may not be right for you. There are a few alternatives to treating your ailment that you can discuss with your doctor.

  • What Is a Beta Blocker?

    A Beta blocker is a prescription drug used to lower blood pressure and reduce heart rate. It counteracts the effects of adrenaline to beta receptors, which are located throughout the body including the nervous system and heart. Beta blockers relax the heart and allow it to beat slower, which reduces blood pressure. Beta blockers also help open up blood vessels to improve blood flow.

  • Beta Blockers Vs. Calcium Blockers

    Beta blockers and calcium channel blockers are medications used to treat a variety of conditions relating to the heart and circulatory system of our bodies. Both drugs work in different ways to achieve their therapeutic effects.

  • What Are the Dangers of Beta Blockers?

    Beta blockers are hypertension medications known formally as beta-adrenergic blocking agents. They work by interfering with the actions of norepinephrine and epinephrine and therefore lower the heart rate (they are often prescribed to patients who have abnormal heart rhythms) and help widen blood vessels to lower blood pressure. However, like all hypertension drugs, beta blocker have their own side effects and concerns worth noting. In general, it is one of the safest heart drugs available, but it is powerful and should be understood before using it.

  • What Is the Function of a Beta Blocker?

    An estimated 50 million Americans have high blood pressure. Changes in lifestyle and diet can dramatically lower blood pressure to a healthy range. However, when those changes aren't enough, physicians may prescribe medications such as beta-blockers.

  • Beta Blocker Treatments

    Beta blockers are a class of medications frequently used to treat heart-related problems as well as several other conditions. They slow down the heartbeat and dilate blood vessels (which lowers blood pressure). They work by preventing the hormones epinephrine (also called adrenaline) and norepinephrine from attaching to a nerve's beta receptors. Sometimes they are called beta-adrenergic blocking agents. Many beta blockers are on the market. Which one your doctor prescribes depends on what condition you are being treated for.

  • How to Stop Beta Blockers

    Beta blockers, also called beta-adrenergic blocking agents, are a prescription medication used to treat high blood pressure, headaches, tremors and anxiety. Examples of beta blocker medications include Metoprolol, Nadolol, Propranolol and Nebivolol. Beta blockers are not the right prescription for everyone, but it is not recommended that you stop taking beta blockers cold turkey.

  • How to Use Beta Blockers to Treat Migraines

    Although the cause of migraines is not entirely understood, there are some effective treatments to prevent them. Beta blockers, most commonly used to treat high blood pressure and chest pain, are among the preventative drug therapies used to treat migraines. Beta blockers work on the nervous system and the vascular system. While it is not known how beta blockers help to prevent migraines, it is thought to have something to do with how the vessels in the brain operate.

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