diabetes 1 & beta blockers

[wendleworld]

My husband [Diabetes 1] has just suffered a heart attack a been prescribed beta blockers [he's been taking them for about a week or so now]... and he's had trouble recognising hypo's since then. He's also taking a statin now. Does anyone out there have experience of this?

 

[Katharine]

It's a well known side effect of beta blockers. The standard advice is to take them after a heart attack even if you are on insulin. At the same time the total mortality benefit is a statistic which will do you no good if he crashes his car with a hypo. It would be a very good idea to speak to the consultant diabetologist to see what can be done. There are selective beta blockers eg bisoprolol which in theory should give less of a problem than the none selective beta blockers such as atenolol.