I was on another forum for people with hypertension. There is a long thread about the dangers of using beta blockers,and they are causing diabetes. One perosn claimed that they had diabetes becuase of their Beta Blocker use.

I have been on Beta blockers (minax) for a combo of reasons which include migraine,hypertension and anxiety. I don't know how I can do without them.

Is there significant merit in these claims that they cause diabetes? How common is this?



Thank you

http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/beta-blockers/HI00059

I don't recall reading that they CAUSE diabetes in the past

H. But they can affect how people perceive low blood sugar, and so they have a warning for diabetics. The drug blocks the signs of hypoglycemia. That does not mean it changes blood sugar, only blocks the nervous system's symptoms. So a person gets no warning when blood sugar dips, and may faint, etc.

The only major thing I have seen over the years is the effect on blood lipids.

Beta Blockers are no longer considered "first line" in primary hypertension treatment in USA. The trend is to ACE inhibitors now.

But beta blockers are still used very frequently.
The older propranolol does cause depression and memory loss, esp in older patients. But the newer cardioselective ones do that less so.

There are some new concerns.... however:
http://www.informationaboutdiabetes....e-diabetes.php
I don't know if this worry, is because people with high blood pressure already are insulin resistant, or
that the study pool was pre-diabetic. If you have good dietary habits, that would be a plus for you.
I don't think it is cast in stone however, that you could get diabetes. (until more information is gathered)

Here is a very new article on the topic:
Here is an article on various drug combos and diabetes incidence:
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/sites/en...ubmed_RVDocSum

We will have to wait for more I think on this subject. Watch your diet in the meantime.

I don't want to start to panic, but Lord knows I don't need anymore health problems at this stage of my life. I am on a diet right now, I have been going well. I beleive Minax is a selective beta blocker, and less likely to cause diabetes. (I think)

But my doctor has never mentioned this to me, and I have been concerned because of what I have been reading.

Could you call your doc and maybe ask on the phone even so you feel more comfortable?

He has become a premodonna of sorts. He demands to see me where he can say "don't worry about it",and then bill me $80.

So understand. I had a doc I had just seen a few weeks before and needed a note and they said I had to make another apt before he would write it. It was for my apt complex. Greedy and just adds to agervation which is not good for the physical health.

"He has become a premodonna of sorts. He demands to see me where he can say "don't worry about it",and then bill me $80."

This is ridiculous! Can you find someone else who is not quite so impressed with himself? I don't think it's unreasonable to expect to get a simple question answered without having to go in and incur extra expense.

My friend here, has a doc with a Nurse Practioner working with him. The NP answers things like this, and is an angel about returning calls. When I hear my friend describe some of the things the NP has addressed, or taken care of, it sounds like she knows more than the doctor she works for...

Cathie