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The Daily Insight

How do you stop taking beta-blockers?

Author

Andrew Mclaughlin

Published Feb 17, 2026

For your own safety, you should never stop taking your prescription beta-blockers or other treatments without the approval of your doctor. Talk with your doctor about nutrition and lifestyle changes that can help to reduce your blood pressure naturally.

What is the best beta blocker?

Propranolol and atenolol have been studied most intensely in hypertension. For secondary prevention of myocardial infarction, the evidence is best for timolol. Sotalol is probably the best antiarrhythmic among the beta-blockers.

Can you still exercise on beta-blockers?

Beta blockers slow your heart rate, which can prevent the increase in heart rate that typically occurs with exercise. This means that it might not be possible for you to reach your target heart rate — the number of heartbeats per minute you aim for to ensure you’re exercising hard enough.

What is a good substitute for beta-blockers?

The selective inhibitor, ivabradine, provides an alternative way of heart rate reduction in addition to beta-blockers and calcium channel blockers. This could become particularly useful in patients who are intolerant of beta-blockers, for example, in the presence of asthma or severe chronic obstructive airway disease.

What is the safest beta blocker?

A number of beta blockers, including atenolol (Tenormin) and metoprolol (Toprol, Lopressor), were designed to block only beta-1 receptors in heart cells. Since they don’t affect beta-2 receptors in blood vessels and the lungs, cardioselective beta blockers are safer for people with lung disorders.

What is safest beta blocker?

What is the safest beta-blocker?

Do beta blockers shorten your life?

A large study published last month in The Journal of the American Medical Association found that beta blockers did not prolong the lives of patients – a revelation that must have left many cardiologists shaking their heads (JAMA, vol 308, p 1340).

Can you eat bananas with beta-blockers?

If you are taking a beta-blocker, your health care provider may recommend that you limit your consumption of bananas and other high potassium foods including papaya, tomato, avocado and kale.

Who should not use beta-blockers?

Practice changer. Beta-blockers should not be used to treat hypertension in patients older than age 60 unless they have another compelling indication to use these agents, such as heart failure or ischemic heart disease.