Please Read & Respond

[DogWalkerNYC]

It's me again, the woman who's glutened by cat litter and dog food. But maybe not? I take a beta blocker called Bisoprolol (Ziac) to prevent migraines. Been taking it for about 4 years. Developed some mild reactions (blurry vision, loose stool) after about a year and stopped it, but the migraines won out and I started taking it again about 3 years ago, as it totally prevents them.

Tonight I decided to research the side effects of beta blockers just to see if maybe some of my symptoms might be related to this drug and this is what I found (I bolded my current symptoms):

"Many side effects have been reported from these medications, including rash, anaphylactic shock (sudden unconsciousness or death), slowed heart rate, low blood pressure, cold extremities, worsening of heart failure, fainting, rapid heart beats, dizziness, fatigue, headache, depression, sleep disturbances, nightmares, hallucinations, short term memory loss, high or low blood sugar, stomach ache, flatulence, constipation, nausea, diarrhea, dry mouth, vomiting, heartburn, bloating, impotence or decreased libido, difficulty urinating, bronchospasm, cough, wheezes, nasal stuffiness, joint pain, and muscle cramps."

I was originally prescribed one 2.5 mg pill a day but usually take 2 because in the beginning one didn't always prevent the migraines but 2 did. Now I'm wondering if I developed an allergy to this medication and if some or all of my symptoms are related to these beta blockers. If I stop taking these the migraines will come back.

Apparently all beta blockers have the same side effects, and they are also known to prevent migraines. I'm wondering if my symptoms are responding to being gluten free because it is helping the symptoms, which may or may not be caused by celiac disease.

Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated. Thanks.

[rosetapper23]

Hmmm....all I can say is that ALL my migraines disappeared after I went gluten free. I'd been plagued by migraines since I was 18 and I'm now 55.

[~**caselynn**~]

It's me again, the woman who's glutened by cat litter and dog food. But maybe not? I take a beta blocker called Bisoprolol (Ziac) to prevent migraines. Been taking it for about 4 years. Developed some mild reactions (blurry vision, loose stool) after about a year and stopped it, but the migraines won out and I started taking it again about 3 years ago, as it totally prevents them.

Tonight I decided to research the side effects of beta blockers just to see if maybe some of my symptoms might be related to this drug and this is what I found (I bolded my current symptoms):

"Many side effects have been reported from these medications, including rash, anaphylactic shock (sudden unconsciousness or death), slowed heart rate, low blood pressure, cold extremities, worsening of heart failure, fainting, rapid heart beats, dizziness, fatigue, headache, depression, sleep disturbances, nightmares, hallucinations, short term memory loss, high or low blood sugar, stomach ache, flatulence, constipation, nausea, diarrhea, dry mouth, vomiting, heartburn, bloating, impotence or decreased libido, difficulty urinating, bronchospasm, cough, wheezes, nasal stuffiness, joint pain, and muscle cramps."

I was originally prescribed one 2.5 mg pill a day but usually take 2 because in the beginning one didn't always prevent the migraines but 2 did. Now I'm wondering if I developed an allergy to this medication and if some or all of my symptoms are related to these beta blockers. If I stop taking these the migraines will come back.

Apparently all beta blockers have the same side effects, and they are also known to prevent migraines. I'm wondering if my symptoms are responding to being gluten free because it is helping the symptoms, which may or may not be caused by celiac disease.

Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated. Thanks.

Did you get any of those symptoms before you increasesd your dose? And did you choose to increase the dose or did your PCP make that decision? ?

[ravenwoodglass]

Hmmm....all I can say is that ALL my migraines disappeared after I went gluten free. I'd been plagued by migraines since I was 18 and I'm now 55.

Ditto. I haven't had a migraine since I went gluten free. Except for a couple of times when I was severely glutened by accident.

[DogWalkerNYC]

I think the symptoms started before I increased the dose. Then I went off for a few months and went back on b/c of the migraines. I increased the dose myself as 2 did the job better than one and I did let my PCP know. I used to take Caffergot suppositories and they did a great job but Novartis took it off the market years ago. When I realized Ziac prevented them I was thrilled. The migraines were the 12 hour vomiting (sorry!), sleeping-on-the-bathroom-floor-unable-to-leave-the-room migraines. I was medically excused from Jury Duty for 20 years because of my unpredictability because of them. I had no digestive symptoms, no rashes. I saw a headache specialist at Mt. Sinai every month for years and all he could do was to monitor my reaction to the meds.

Regardless of whether my current symptoms are due to gluten or an allergy to Ziac I must stay off gluten because it is greatly helping my symptoms. I'm seeing my doctors in August and September for routine exams (including a colonoscopy and endoscopy this year) and between now and then plan to strictly adhere to a gluten free diet and gently reduce the Ziac. If I get a migraine I'll adjust accordingly.

Right now my goal is reversal of all symptoms. The most prevalent are DH, bloating, heartburn, knee pain going down steps. The migraines are gone because of the Ziac. We'll see what happens as I reduce the amount. At this moment my forearms are covered with DH sores but the itchiness is mild and my arms look better than they did last week.

If DH is sensitive to gluten I'm glad I have it, because it's a warning sign that I ate something bad, and I'd rather be warned than not. And truthfully I'd rather be warned in a painful miserable way than a slight tap on the head. Having DH also makes it easier to physically show doubters that gluten intolerance is a real, physical thing that causes real, physical damage.

[kareng]

You should be eating a full gluten diet if you are doing an endoscopy to diagnose Celiac. Being gluten free for several months can heal or partially heal your small intestine. Then the Docotor will say, " See. You don't have Celiac.".

[DogWalkerNYC]

Hi Kareng, I'm not having the colonoscopy and endoscopy to test for gluten intolerance. I'm having those tests as a normal part of health care for a woman my age. I don't plan to get pregnant at 65 () and have no kids to test. I don't need a formal diagnosis and truthfully self-diagnosing based on symptom reduction seems to be the most reliable test out there. Being told by a doctor that I 'officially' have Celiac Disease, or being told that I 'officially' do not is not going to change how I eat. My symptoms will change how I eat, and already have, so I don't see the point of poisoning myself and suffering to take some tests that might or might not be accurate.

Regarding a possible allergy to Ziac and other beta blockers my game plan is to stay gluten free and slowly but surely, gently reduce the drug. I do not have high blood pressure but I will gently reduce the drug as I strictly adhere to the gluten free diet. Time will tell. Again, being tested will not change anything, so why do it?

[DogWalkerNYC]

P.S. Isn't the idea here to reduce the damage to the intestines? Does it make sense to start the healing process and then re-damage my intestines just to be tested, especially since the results are iffy at best? If eating gluten free is healing my intestines and making me feel good that's good enough for me, regardless of whether the initial damage was caused by a gluten intolerance or an allergy to beta blockers. If sticking to this diet reverses my symptoms I'll stick to it for life, and work with a dietician or nutritionist (not sure of the difference) re supplementing with vitamins, etc. As my dad used to say: "If something works, don't fix it."