Has anyone found that taking propranalol increases reflux and hot flushes?

Women's health
1

I didn't put two and two together, but when I had to visit a&e as I thought my face was going to explode and anxiety was through the roof, I was prescibed propranolol and on the script there was also ranitidine prescribed.I only took the propranalol when I needed it, but over the last few days, I have taken it at last once a day, although only 10mg. But the the lump in my throat and discomfort below my sternum became quite bad, so I spoke to my doctor, who said to take the ranitidine 150mg. I read up on the propranalol, and it can cause the muscle preventing acid into the oesophagus to relax and therefore cause acid reflux. It also says that ranitidine can cause hot flushes!!!

Do we really have to take a second medication to counteract a first? I was taking the propranolol for the morning shakes that seem to happen every day. I am on hrt and although I feel better some of the time, nearly three months in of elleste duet sequi, I still have a variety of symptoms!

2

I was prescribed propranolol for rapid heart beat - worst thing ever - my brain suddenly went foggy, I could not put more than a couple of words together (they would get lost on the way from my brain to my tongue), my brain stopped talking to my bladder so I was constantly wetting myself.  When I tried to drive to dr, I could not remember where I was going and more or less let my car drive itself.  Second attempt, I kept telling myself I was going to dr, but then realised I could not remember where the dr was.  Then I realised I could not read the traffic lights.

I got myself home and have not driven since.  It took a couple of years to be able to articulate again, and still have a problem now and then, more often than I like.

I went off them and bought myself a heart monitor like runners use - a strap around the chest and a wrist band that recorded how fast my heart was beating.  I then used biofeedback to reduce my heart rate (i.e. more or less relaxing and thinking my heart rate down).

Having said all that, is it possible your anxiety and lump in throat is really menopause symptoms instead?  When my oestrogen has become insufficient, a wave of anxiety or depression or irritation comes over me and I realise I had forgotton to replace my patch, or in the case of using oestrogen pellet implants, that it had run out.  In restrospect, I realised other niggly symptoms (like back of neck sweats) were actually menopausal symptoms too.

My friend who never took hrt also suffered severe anxiety and lump in throat feelings.

I now realise that I actually need more oestrogen than most women to be symptom free and I feel much better when I am using a higher level.  And just as importantly, my dr now realises it too.  Also my rapid heartbeat problem occurred when my oestrogen was being made totally ineffective due to a pituitary gland tumour.

So I guess I am suggesting that you ask your dr to investigate that side of your issues and see if insufficient hrt is really your problem.

 

3

Hi Shelley,

yes, you're right,it is menopausal symptoms. And it is probably because of a hormone imbalance. However, I am now on 2mg of estrogen, with the added progesterone for part of the month and the anxiety, while greatly reduced, is still there. The doctor won't review for another month and when I told him about the discomfort in my sternum etc. He said to take ranitidine along with the propranalol to prevent the reflux. I feel I should not have to take anything alongside the hrt other than vitamins. What level of estrogen do you take?

4

From estraderm MX 100 mcg, each patch containing oestradiol 3mg, which did not last me the prescribed 3.5 days and I was having to top up with a gel, I went back to 100mg pellet implants.  However, I kept getting back of head sweats, sometimes whole body during the night.  I was trying it find other causes.

Apparently the 100mg was meant to last me 1 year, but in the past only lasted me 9 months.  This time when I started getting those waves of anxiety, or depression or agitation, fatigue and uselessness, I realised it was my pellet that had run out less in than 5 months.

I phoned the chemist who makes them and asked to speak to someone who knew about menopause.  She told me that the pellets are now only meant to last 4-5 months, and that as we get older we need more oestrogen.  She suggested I use 150mg of oestradiol pellets (which has just arrived by mail).

In the meantime, I allowed myself to use more oestrogen to stop those damned head sweats (where it feels like my head is cooking), and discovered that the 3mg pallets were only lasting me less than 2 days so I would apply a gel at the end of the 2nd day, and gel in the morning AND evening on the 3rd day, each gel being 1mg.  This resulted in being symptom free.

While I don't have a uterus, I did have severe endometriosis, and it was suggested by a knowledgeable dr to take progesterone to stop any left over (from surgical removal) being activated by the oestrogen.

Years later, I am thinking that the progesterone is reducing the effectiveness of the oestrogen (as it is an oestrogen antagonist), and may have been causing me to be so oestrogen needy.  So recently stopped using it.  I stopped sleeping.  So back on it, plus some very good absorbable magnesium.  Sleeping well again, so decided to stop the progesterone again.  Still sleeping ok with the magnesium.  If I could find that progesterone is a benefit for me, I would use it, but so far it is alluding me.

Then there are others who find they don't get on well with oestrogen but feel better with progesterone.  So I guess it comes down to how different we are.

Good luck with your dr.

5

I have the same problem with the strange feeling as though 'something' is stuck in your throat. I have heard of this so many times now with other women in menopause. It's caused by anxiety. The only thing that wotks with me is Lorazepam (I take just half a tablet when needed) It takes away the feeling in my throat and I feel calm but still in control and clear thinking. Maybe your GP can offer you something along these lines..