Posted by Elizabeth on October 12, 2001, at 10:29:27
In reply to Re: Blood pressure meds which can worsen depression?, posted by dave_fox on October 11, 2001, at 15:12:48
> Elisabeth, thanks for your reply.
You're welcome. (It's "Elizabeth," with a "z," BTW. :-) )
> I had been wary of starting with beta-blockers for my blood pressure because I heard somewhere that they can cause depression. However Psychopharm Nut's cutting suggests that this may not be the case.
I think that it's *not* nearly as common a phenomenon as it used to be, although it may happen sometimes. I certainly wouldn't refuse to try beta blockers based on fears of worsened depression if I thought they could help me. I take a low dose of propranolol (10-20 mg as needed), though, and the risk may be greater with the higher doses typically used for hypertension.
> My doc wanted to start me on beta-blockers or thiazide diuretics for my blood pressure. I had heard the thiazide diuretics can adversely affect men sexually so I ruled them out and I had heard that beta blockers can affect mood so I ruled them out.
I wouldn't rule either of these out -- give them a try, and see whether they cause any problems for *you*. You can see what your doctor has to say about the potential side effects.
> We have started on an ACE-inhibitor but with no good results yet.
Which one? Like I said, sometimes you need multiple meds to treat hypertension. It can be really complicated.
> I was wondering if I had been too paranoid in ruling out the beta-blockers. I am now thinking that maybe the depressive side effects of beta blockers are so very rare as to be almost insignificant excet for special cases.
I would like to see a clinical trial using a beta blocker in people with no cardiovascular disease and see if the drug causes depression in these people.
> The newer classes of BP meds (alpha blockers and AA) are rather too expensive to try just yet (this is the UK here), so I supect that the calcium channel blockers will be next for me.
What alpha antagonists are they using there? Phentolamine?
> Do you have any more info on the depressive effects of these meds which you mention?
Nope. Calcium channel blockers are sometimes used to treat mania, though, so you might want to be cautious with them. This doesn't mean you should avoid them altogether; just be watchful for worsening of depression if you do decide to try them.
-elizabeth
poster:Elizabeth
thread:80913
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20011007/msgs/81108.html