Brain Fog?

Do Beta Blockers cause brain fog? In the last week I have felt VERY discombobulated. I can't remember things and feel very out of sorts. I have forgotten several things at work and it is kind of concerning. Was taking Bisoprolol, now Sotolol, and probably Bisoprolol again instead.....

I've never experienced that from BBs and I can't recall ever hearing someone else say they did, but drugs affect everyone differently so it's possible. BBs reduce BP and if it's dropping it too low, brain fog could definitely be a side effect. Check your BP a few times when you're feeling the brain fog and when you're not.

Thanks Carey. I was way too busy this weekend in the ER to check my own BP, but I know I felt super dizzy a couple times and also have not been sleeping at all, and also work crazy long shifts, so it may be lack of sleep, long shifts, and a crazy heart!!

The BB's made me lethargic and sedated, even when BP was good. It was sort of like a mild case of Brain Fog.

Have you ever, or recently, been checked for sleep apnea. Foggy brain is a common complaint of those who don't sleep well, but especially due to sleep apnea. Or, even if it isn't full-blown apnea, you may be experiencing frequent RERAs (Respiration Effort-Related Arousals) due to mild hypopnea or just body movements.

I agree with Carey that if your BP is low, or your heart rate drops to near 30 BPM due to the medications you are taking, alone or in concert, you might be suffering some cognitive impairment.

Lastly, if you haven't had an echocardiogram, or a Doppler ultrasound of your carotid arteries recently, say six years, there is always the possibility that you are largely obstructed. Happened to my dad and he had to have an endarterectomy where they took a vein from his lower leg and spliced it into place around the blockage. He was slipping cognitively at the time..

I had a lot of brain fog when I was on metoprolol. My BP at the time was in the high range of normal. After stopping metoprolol, every time it went away. I was on metoprolol 3 different times and is one of the reasons I will never take it again. Most BB don't agree with me and I try to avoid them. I do take carvedilol but at a very low dose, 3.125 mg and that is because it helps keep my BP in check, otherwise I would probably try to skip it as well.

Yes. Betablockers can make some people feel like crap, at least in my experience. Among other meds for afib, I am on metoprolol succinate for rate control for afib, hypertension, and it also helped with my PVCs. After starting the metoprolol, I first described the feeling I had as light headedness. Because of my description of how I felt, my EP thought it was probably a blood pressure issue, but my blood pressures were always OK, just a little on the high side. I have since described how I feel as "balloon head". I have not felt like myself since starting metoprolol. Hard to think clearly, no energy, and everything is a struggle. My EP finally reduced the metoprolol from 50 mg daily to 25 mg daily a few weeks ago at my insistence. Since the reduction, I have been feeling better. More cognitive clarity and more like myself. I also recently started taurine and l-arginine and my PVCs have greatly reduced in numbers and my BP has been OK, so I am hoping I can just get rid of the metoprolol. There are several websites where people describe their experiences with medications. I have found them to be useful.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 04/16/2024 12:49PM by FibberMcGee.