Another reason to lose weight: side effects of beta-blockers
Female, 48 years here.
Last February I was put on a heart medicine, the beta-blocker Metoprolol. I was put on the lowest dose due to unexplained tachycardia that started up out of the blue. My diet was excellent, my bloodwork was great, and I was walking 4-5 miles every morning before breakfast - but I was, and am, 60 lbs overweight. They did a full cardiac workup and nothing unhealthy showed up. Clean arteries etc.
So I stayed on the Metoprolol through last week to prevent the random tachycardia from returning. The side effects, however, were horrible and I didn’t connect them to the Metoprolol until I mentioned my new depression to my psychiatrist. He figured it out right away.
Beta-blockers can cause depression, fatigue, muscle weakness, and a significant drop in VO2Max. All these had happened to me on the lowest dose possible. I went from walking the 4-5 miles before breakfast to barely limping through a mile and having to sleep for hours afterwards. My Apple Watch estimated my VO2Max to be down to 14, the lowest the watch can tabulate and considered very, very poor fitness, even for 75 years+!
I’ve been off the med with the approval of my doc (VERY IMPORTANT, never mess with heart meds on your own!) for three days. I walked tonight and my VO2Max has improved already! It’s now 25. Nearly doubled! (Still a bad score but not as bad.)
The point I’m trying to make is that actually having heart disease and having to take this medicine long-term would complete destroy my health and ability to exercise. It would likely lead to an early death and WORSENING heart disease. I got a window into what heart disease might be like for me and be I don’t like it. I consider this experience a gift and a warning and I want to pass it on.
TLDR: You don’t want heart disease and to have to take a beta-blocker. It may destroy your body and fitness and lead to an early death. I was on that road.
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