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Hi boys & girls, ive been talking to a member of my club, and it turns out he has something called Bennine Tremmers, ( he shakes ), the meds that the doctor wants him to take are Beaterblokers, for some reason the doctor has told him that, if he take the meds he cant shoot anymore, even though it would stop him shaking, has anyone else ever heard anything like it before, and can it affect his FAC ticket? he is that upset about maybe having to stop shooting, that he is on about not taking the meds, just so he can keep shooting.
PS. he shoots indoor bench rest.

Benign Essential Tremors can be successfully treated and often cured with Gamma Knife surgery which is non-invasive.

This is from an article about Olympic shooters taking Betablockers;


Beta blockers do not directly affect a person’s mental state; taking a beta blocker before firing a pistol is not like taking a Valium, or tossing back a shot of Jack Daniels, because beta blockers do not alleviate anxiety so much as block the outward signs of anxiety. A pistol shooter on beta blockers will still be nervous, but his nervousness will be less likely to make his hand tremble.

If your friends mental state is going to be unaffected by the medication what reason did his doctor give for no longer being able to shoot?.Surely if he isn't shaking he will actually be safer behind a rifle (not that I am saying he is unsafe at the moment by any means).

I don't think the problem would be it affecting his ticket, rather that the Betablockers would make him ineligible for competitions with drug testing rules as they're a 'banned substance'. Have a look at this... http://www.issf-sports.org/theissf/antidoping.ashx

Surprised the doctor would know that the issf dont allow betablockers.
Unless maybe he is a shooter himself.

I've been taking betablockers and SSRI tablets and have had no problems getting and maintaining a FAC licence.

Mark

Cheers lads, I don't know why the doctor said what he said, it didn't make sense to me, ive taken them myself and my doc never said owt like that to me, thanks for the info everyone, with a bit of luck this will put his mind to rest.

I think i would be looking for a second opinion, and a new doctor.

Just a thought, did he tell his doctor he is a shooter or did the doctor know because the police asked for medical records before granting his certificate?.Just wondering as I thought that medical history wasn't routinely requested as a matter of course, or have I got that wrong?

bigfathairybiker wrote:Surprised the doctor would know that the issf dont allow betablockers.
Unless maybe he is a shooter himself.

They're a banned substance in all sports if I remember correctly (International Olympic Committee rules).

I know when I applied for my license, the police got in touch with my doctor.

Several of my former Small-bore club members were on betabloackers with no issue.

Alan