Hi! Okay 18 days until surgery. Yesterday got the pre op call from hospital and everything went well until they told me to take heart medication day of surgery. Now, I don't take heart medication nor have I ever. I take Armour for my thyroid and that is all the meds I take. I do not have sleep apnea, etc. I am fat with slightly elevated cholesterol. I have a perfect EKG, perfect Echo, and very normal and sometimes lower BP. I called the cardiologist office because I was never informed of taking Atenolol even for just 3 days by his office at all. After waiting a day and a half I got a call from his office. The only explanation I got that he feels in his opinion it is to prevent any heart issues during surgery period. Now to me that isn't really an explanation as to why a perfectly heart healthy person would take it since I just had 2 hip surgeries last year and also two other surgeries and of course the endoscope all without taking heart medication. The nurse wanted me to make an appt to go back in to office at $350 a pop for him to explain why. I said well I think it is poor practice to not even inform your patient the need heart medication for surgery, that they just need to believe he is right. Has anyone else had to take heart medication just for surgery and for 2 days post op? I am so scared about the surgery anyway and now I'm afraid my bp would drop so much under anesthesia that it could kill me. Sorry I'm normal a stable person, but I've been close to tears since yesterday.

My cardiologist gave me a prescription for meds to take 3 days before and 3 days after.

What was the reasoning behind this? And it was blood pressure meds?

MAKE SURE. One of my husband's former cardiologists insisted my husband had diabetes. I kept asking him, since when???? He would not budge. But turned out he was just confused between patients.

What was the reasoning behind this? And it was blood pressure meds?

i think it is a beta blocker. I think he just said it was a precaution. I told my surgeon amd it sounded like it was fairly common.

MAKE SURE. One of my husband's former cardiologists insisted my husband had diabetes. I kept asking him, since when???? He would not budge. But turned out he was just confused between patients.

Don't worry! I am on this. Thanks everyone!! I think he does have me confused and I won't rest until they tell me why.... And a precaution isn't reason enough for me.

I have taken atenolol for many years to help with a benign irregular heartbeat, known as a PVC. When I had the sleeve, the anesthesiolgist told me to take the atenolol the day of surgery. He said that beta blockers helped stabilze your heartbeat. I can't imagine why you would be prescribed a drug especially for surgery....Hope you can get to the bottom of this.

I've taken antenlol for years for the same reason--to stabilize my heartbeat. I had very low blood pressure after my surgery 80/50 -90/60 and even though they took me off all my blood pressure meds,they left me on antenlol--it's not for blood pressure just a beta blocker to control heartbeat. I'm sure it will all work out--I'm sure alot of us have had these last items to Iron out before the big day! good luck on your surgery!

Lisa

Okay I actually found out exactly what the cardiac clearance said via my insurance case worker. The cardiologist didn't tell me and well the surgeons nurse has been to busy in the office that she has no time to make phone calls or send emails out until after 5pm. So the only reason is lipidemia. High cholesterol is what he wants me to take Atenolol (beta blocker) for the surgery and 2 days after. He also recommends a repeat EKG and some blood test post surgery. I'm still not happy about it. I feel so uneasy about it. Something inside me is screaming DO NOT TAKE ATENOL!! Anyway, 13 days until surgery, unless I get there and they cancel it or I cancel it because of this medicine!!

Met with my surgeon today and I feel so much better! He said I am the only one that these orders for atenolol have come across his desk. He said the cardiologist is going to have to have a very compelling story for him to even order the atenolol and right now he is on my side 100% and not to worry any more! So time to get excited about my new life!!!

Met with my surgeon today and I feel so much better! He said I am the only one that these orders for atenolol have come across his desk. He said the cardiologist is going to have to have a very compelling story for him to even order the atenolol and right now he is on my side 100% and not to worry any more! So time to get excited about my new life!!!

I'm really happy to hear your surgeon is on your side!