Is It Beta Blocker Withdrawal?

The Bark Park

My quads have been letting me down this week, feeling tired sooner than I expect when pedaling the elliptical and definitely screaming at me at the end, during the wall squat. The only thing that's really changed is the beta blocker Timolol maleate eye drops. It's been 4.5 days and the drug should have cleared my system. My eyes definitely feel better, although still dry due to the 3 other glaucoma drops I use. But my eyelids stopped itching, my lash line doesn't burn anymore, and the weals have subsided.

However, I've noticed that my resting pulse is slightly elevated, and my exercise HR peaks nearly 20 points higher. I'm not getting enough sleep either, but that's not really new. What I didn't expect was the burn from muscle fatigue in my quads, both while pedaling on the final stretch during cardio, and also when doing that last exercise, the wall squat. Ugh. 

I struggled to move past the lowered HR effect and succeeded to the point where I was close to achieving the same mileage gains I had previously. Now, I feel like I'm starting over, which is weird. Removing the beta blocker shouldn't have a detrimental effect on my workout, but that's not what's happening, as far as I can tell.

My lower back is sensitive to sitting askew and often when I get up, I'm stiff on my left side. When I wake up, sciatica makes itself known, and later, the tailbone stings as if it's been chafed. Too weird, and I have no answers. So far the only thing I can think of is getting a new mattress, but the logistics are daunting for a heavy 30+ year old mattress. The town lets you schedule bulk pickups but I've seen mattresses parked in driveways for weeks before finally being removed. There's no room in my narrow driveway and honestly, I don't want to prop a nasty mattress up against hedges that line the road either. 

Otherwise, the humidity seems to have dropped even though it's still too hot. Sweat literally runs off my nose when I'm resting between sets during Seated Cable Rows, and Rip Skulls. And I only do sets of the latter because I'm killing time waiting for the Senior class to be over. While the first set of combo Skull Crusher / Rip Skulls bothers the left elbow, the joint calms down enough for me to complete the next two sets without any issues or pain. But I am dripping sweat all over my lap and the bench. 

Weirdly, I don't necessarily sweat during an exercise, but give me a few minutes after I've stopped and then there's a torrent gushing off my head. Not really sure why that happens like that. But I'm so happy that the Aerobics Room is sufficiently air-conditioned and I'm not the only person entering as soon as the room is available. 

Summer is not my favorite season although I just spied the first monarch butterfly in my yard this year. I saw a monarch a few weeks ago at the dog park, which was weird because there's no milkweeds there. My milkweeds are on the verge of blooming, but not yet. They must exude a scent in spite of not being in full bloom -- how else do the monarchs know they're there? And golden aphids are back as well. Yuck.

7 June 2024 11:21-1:12

Blistering Friday sans Timolol

(feels like quad glycogen depletion)

Precor elliptical #1

Program 3

Time: 30+5 (5716)

Distance: 2.88

Cal: 321

Avg Hr: 143, 276-86

Fitbit: 57-154

HGPU 15

Seated Cable Rows

50 lbs x 15

60 x 15

70 x 15, 15, 15~

BB Rip Skulls Crusher combo 30 lbs

(Need to kill time for Sr class to exit)

12 reps x 3 sets

20 Hip Bridges

Piriformis/Hip/Pencil Stretch

DeadBugs 20 x 5

10 x 2 Hip Bridges & 10 one-leg ea

Quick Child’s Pose

Cat stretch 12

Child’s Pose / Cobra Pose

Fire Hydrants 20 x 2

Bird Dog Planks 60s x 2

Push-Ups 25

Air Squats 25

Arm rotations 20

Neck stretch / Eye yoga

Wall Squat 120s !!! Hurts today (2 min 30 sec actually)