Metoprolol: Do The Side Effects Improve Eventually? (Page 2) (Top voted first)

I started Metoprolol this Monday after the cardiologist prescribed it because of being in the ER with extremely fast heartbeats. After a heart ultrasound, chest xray, blood tests, and wearing a holter moniter, they found there was nothing wrong with my actual heart other than the fact that I have a mild heart arrhythmia which they believe was brought out by a virus I also had. Now that I have started the medicine, I have had dizziness, nausea, sever mood swings, insomnia, and anxiety. The cardiologists' nurse said these were all normal, but it seems a little excessive to me. I am on the lowest possible dose (25MG) minus the possibility of cutting the pill in half and I take it once a day. I do not have high blood pressure and am young and not overweight (5ft and 105lbs). Has anyone else had all these side effects, do they go away?

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I was put on 12.5mg Toprol a little over a month ago for PVCs, PACs, and high heart rate. All other tests normal. I started having severe anxiety and panic attacks about a week ago. No one mentioned anything about this medication having this side effect. Is it usual to take a month before the side effects would turn up? Will these attacks subside? Do all beta-blockers have this side effect? It has reduced my PVCs and heart rate, but at what cost, I can't take the anxiety. Help!

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Re: Susan (# 55)

Be sure to have on your blood pressure device at home so you can keep an eye on what it's doing by checking your own pressure---you can buy one at any CVS or other major drug store. If you suddenly feel lightheaded and faint and as if you aren't quite real, your blood pressure may have dropped all at once. Notice if this always happens at a certain time of day or in a certain situation (like, did you just take a particular medication?). Keep written notes of this so when you do see the doctor you can report accurately what's been happening. We are with the doctor only minutes out of the year---the rest of the time we need to be our own Case Manager. And to do a good job of that, we need to keep abreast of what's happening and (because all of us can forget details) write things down. A plain spiral notebook will do just fine.

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I recently had a severe bout of vertigo and spent some time in the hospital. When i came home they prescribed Metoprolol tart 25 mg. I started having severe vision problems. When I would read all the letters became jumbled. At first I thought it was a result of my vertigo,then tonight I took another Metroplol and finally made the connection. They say not to stop this medicine suddenly,but I can't see myself taking any more of it. I am going to call my doctor in the morning. As I write this I have to close my left eye to make sense of the keyboard.

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What was the virus you had? Because I take metoprolol as well and have insomnia, itching, headaches, fatigue and so on.

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I was prescribed 50mg Metoprolol ER daily five months ago after experiencing occasional heart flutter (up to 150 pulse for a few hours sometimes). All other tests were normal - no high BP - good blood work.

The Metoprolol helped somewhat, but I experienced some of the noted side effects, so I stated doing research into the possible underlying causes of heart flutter. Read several articles about the importance of electrolyte balance, coupled with a possible magnesium deficiency. I went back to the blood test that the cardiologist ordered, and it did not test for magnesium. For the prior 15+ years, I have routinely drank 8-10 glasses of reverse osmosis water per day, ate healthy, and got moderate exercise regularly. I learned that drinking RO water will leech minerals from your system, and so I asked for a special magnesium RBC blood test - not the standard serum test which I have read is not accurate. The results came back and my magnesium was in the bottom 1/3 of the "normal" range, and that was after a month of regularly drinking re-mineralized water and taking magnesium supplements. (In hindsight, I should have gotten the magnesium RBC test first.)

I have slowly cut the Metoprolol down to 25mg per day (50mg > 37.5 > 25), and after two weeks on 25mg (knock wood) the heart flutters are less frequent than when I was taking 50mg daily (before taking magnesium).

In my case, I believe I have a magnesium deficiency which I am working to correct. I plan to step the Metoprolol down to 12.5mg soon, and eventually stop it altogether. I will re-test for magnesium RBC in a few months to confirm my assumptions.

If you want to look into magnesium deficiency and the heart, there are several articles online and books. There are many forms of magnesium, some better for certain issues versus others. Some forms I would never take. And if you think you might want to take Mg, get a magnesium RBC test first. If you already have sufficient magnesium, taking too much may create more heart issues. You should consult with your doctor and/or nutritionist to discuss what's best for you.

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I've been on metatopalol for 30 days for fast hart beat no Sid effects on till 5 week indigestion air gas really bad cramps they say they will go away and depression bad uncomfortability I didn't feel none of this beforehand I felt way better

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I have high blood pressure and was put on Losartan and Metoporol for one episode of rapid heart beat. Three years later I was just taken off of Metoporol because at rest, sitting watching TV my heart rate was dropping into the 50's. I was switched to Losartan HCTZ since the doctor said nothing was really wrong with my heart and the 50's was tooooo low. The change is unbelievable. I never realized the side effects until I stopped taking it. The rash on my arms disappeared, my heart rate remained in the 70-80 range, my Tryglycerides improved (another side effect), but most importantly the anxiety was gone, the spikes in blood pressure disappeared, and my mood improved 100%. I am finally feeling good all the time. If I hadn't brought it up to my (new) doctor, a NP, they would never have even suggested I change meds.

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Hi I'm on half dose of metropolol 12.5 twice a day. I have nausea some days, clammy and cold hands and feet.. I feel exhausted all the time. No weight gain . I'm on it for 2 weeks now for ventricular tachycardia I'm 43 in good shape I'm not over weight . No other health issues but I now have an ICD as well.

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Taking metropolol for a year.After taking for 4 month started feeling side effects like blurr vision ,too much tiredness,eye lid twisting,foggy brain,light headed, always down,problem with bowel and too much weight gain.The drug makes impossible to work has more cons than pro.would not recommend.

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I have been on Metoprolol for almost two months now. I was unaware of the side effects. I have had diarrhea, anxiety attacks, tiredness, depression, abdominal pains, nightmares and bloating. Once I learned that these were all due to the medication i stopped. I have been off the medication for 4 days now and feel significantly better, but am still feeling some of the side effects. The anxiety was the worst part. I check my blood pressure daily and its still doing good. I will never take that medication again.

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I have never had worse side effects with any medication than I did with Metroprolol, to which I gave a 7-months trial: extreme fatigue, mental fogginess, unwanted weight gain, loss of sense of taste. I felt like roadkill---was actually incapacitated in my daily life. Atenolol has now returned to the market (CVS has it where I live) and I am switched back to it as of ten days ago. Doc said it was OK to switch all at once so I did. Not too bad, a little slight angina, but fatigue is much relieved and sense of taste blessedly began to return immediately. Am still stuck with ten pounds I don't want but that will take longer. I will never agree to go back on Metoprolol unless they convince me it's life or death. And even then I might have to think about it. Other posters have used the word "zombie". I don't disagree. Normally I feel sharp, focused, energetic. On Metoprolol I felt as if my skull was full of molasses. Things that I normally do without thinking (cross the street , take a bath) I would find myself carefully planning the steps I needed to take, so something in me knew I wasn't my usual self and that I needed to be extra-careful. Wish I could put this more politely, but in my experience, Metoprolol sucks. (84 year-old female, moderate hypertension but otherwise in pretty good shape)

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I was prescribed Metoprolol by my GP to try reduce my ectopic heart rhythm, but after 2 (apparently small) doses I am already stopping. Yes, I'm not feeling any more salsa beats but my bpm has dropped to 50-55, I'm nauseous, whoozy and faint, sweating and breathless. Because I'm also epileptic I keep having moments when I feel like I'm about to slip into an aura, but that's quite a similar sensation to feeling faint so might have nothing to do with epilepsy. Still very unsettling!

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Stopped my last dose of metropolol last night...the side effects were horrible, constant dizziness, leg pains, depression, lethargy, etc,. I have an appointment with my doctor in two days, will not go back on it for sporadic heart
palpitations.

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On the advice of my doctor because of the awful side effects...I did not abruptly stop metropolol...it took a few weeks, but I tapered it off. Half a day for a week, and then a quarter for another week...and then a quarter every other day for another week. I was told it was dangerous to stop the medicine immediately.
I will never take a prescribed drug again...without doing research. This is a particularly bad drug.

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Taking 100 MG Metoprolol and BOY it changed me! Is the chest pain, pinching and stinging normal? Doc says it's normal and it will go away, but it hasn't after 3 months now.

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Yes ..I was diagnosed with PVC's . Which is premature ventricular contractions . I don't have heart disease either . But rapid heart beats as well . Wire monitor as you did . The medication metoprolol gave me all the same side effects. Eventually after a couple of weeks they stopped . I still take the mess daily no Further noticeable side affects .

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My husband was on Metrolpol and continued to be dizzy, passed out and had trouble walking. I took him off of the medication and used Hawthorn extract instead. His blood pressure is perfect, not one dizzy spell, seizures have stopped. This is one bad drug. Get off of it.

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Re: Marianne (# 54)

I also have been started taken Hawthorne to slow down the heart. It actually works. But I still have problems left after five months finishing Metoprolol.

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After two years on metoprolol and having stomach problems, I stopped in april with the help of acupuncture. The doctor could not help me. After a while I got terrible abstinens with pressure over the breast and rapid heart beat. I was helped with Magnesium Taurate and later E-vitamin in high doses. After six months my problem was smaller and now it is seven months. I still have a hard heartbeat every evening when I am tired. Others here on the chat have stated that it takes about one year to get back to normal. The body has very big difficulties to come back from to regain normal function. If you are in the beginning of stopping please take it very very slowly. If you are lucky the body can adapt better. Sorry for my bad english. I am Swedish and not fluent. Hope you understand what I try to say.

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I was put on metroprol for blood pressure
This drug should never be the first choice of doctors. I developed chest pain the first day taking it. Had never had chest pain prior. Went to doctor 2 weeks later and he took me off of it. It’s been 6 days and been quite a ride. Bad drug for me. Will never take it again

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