Metoprolol Withdrawal (Page 100)
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i've been taking metoprolol for several years as partial treatment for high blood pressure. through diet and exercise, i've lowered my BP to the point my doctor says drop the metoprolol.

i did, 3 days ago, and i'm soooo tired, dizzy, irritable, and my vision is blurred.

is this withdrawal? how long will it last?

i remember starting this medication was terrible to get used to. it appears that stopping it is just as bad.

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Thank you jimbo for the kind words. We were going through a lot close to the same time and u helped me a lot too. You showed tremendous courage. This stuff with the heart is terrifying.

I just finished my daily run. I run 1.7 miles, then let my heart fall to 110 beats n then do my jumping jacks. Then I rest till 100 bps before I go inside so I don't cool down too fast in air conditioner. Then I wait an hour then check my Bp again.

Excercise does more for lowering Bp than any one thing other than weight loss. If I don't exercise my Bp creeps up. But as long as I do and keep losing weight, I'm good.

You can decrease your odds of a heart attack by 50% for every 10 pounds lost of actual fat. I'm lowered my heart attack risk by 87.5%. That's huge. My pants are getting looser by the day.

My sleep apnea is gone. My sugar is 86 or so. My body feels tons better. My libido has increased. My skin from 3 months of vitamin D sunlight looks better than ever. I can push my mower n not get winded which is nice. Yesterday I did 232 jumping jacks me when I started, 20 was nearly too much to do.

My last real obstacle, at least presently, is lorazepam. This stuff is really nasty to get off of. It makes metoprolol look like a breath mint.

Jimbo, I'm n SC. Not sure if u r near but we should go have lunch one day.

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Jimbo, thanks for the confirmation...ugh...on top of everything, my back surgery resulted in nerve damage so I now walk with a slight limp...I cannot believe that these meds are still on the market? And my doctor never put 2 and 2 together with the cough and sinus infections one after the other with the meds? After a couple of years on, I was diagnosed with asthma. Again, not being a doctor, how would I have known that it was these meds?
I've been on 25mg of Metoporol for over 2 weeks from 50mg after 10 years. I seem to be doing ok, but once a week, I'll have some anxiety. I'm thankful for the theanine, magnesium and omega 3's. Has anyone tried taurine?

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Day 16 no Metoprolol and the fog is lifting, my energy is returning and I am feeling more stable. What a huge relief. This has been the most terrifying 6 months of my life. Patience, patience and more patience. I have become aware that I have now developed a subtle case of anxiety about this. When I sit down to take my blood pressure, my pulse rate jumps up measurably. If I take my BP, (and if it's 140 or below) I then wait and take it again 2 minutes later (now that I am relieved and less anxious) and it consistently drops 20 points or more on the top end. I then wait another 5 minutes and take it again, and that is the number I use. The anxiety jacks it up. Conversely, if I take it and it appears to he "on the way up" or higher than I expected, I begin to panic, which drives it higher still and I'm on my way into a panic attack. Pulse racing, high BP and off to the ER I may go. Once that adrenaline starts dumping into the system it takes a while for things to calm down. I also notice that out of the many trips to the ER, only once did they give me anything for the BP. The other times they ran other tests (discovering the incorrect thyroid medicine and low potassium from the water pill) while I lay there and by body calmed down. I can do this myself now. This forum was a life saver for me. Without your stories I would have been too scared to even start the weaning off and would be living a life of misery and terror on the Metoprolol. It's really not living, it's more of existing. I'm going slow, managing any stimulus that might make me anxious and exercising every day. Thank you all for your support and those of you in this weaning & recover process with me, we can do this! We need to be strong, patient and determined.

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Tony, when you throw that party, I wouldn't mind being there to celebrate with you.......LOL. Seriously, though, the people posting on this thread have meant a great deal to me. When the doctors didn't know what in the hell was going on - not to mention the notion of prescribing even more drugs - I decided to go online to see if I could find some folks who were having the same issues, and I found that here. One way or another I probably would've found a way to get off the drug, but there's no doubt in my mind that it was you and everyone else here that gave me the strength and incentive to get off the drug properly. All I can really say is "thank you!" Although, a good party might be a good way to put some kind of closure on it once and for all.......haha.

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Toonces, like yourself, I've had some weird issues while I was on Metoprolol, too, particularly with tingling in my left hand. My spine specialist thought it was due to some bone spurs pinching nerves in my neck, so I thought nothing more of it other than to do stretches and whatnot. Once I got off the drug, though, the tingling sensations totally disappeared. I never thought it could be a result of the Metoprolol, but now I'm quite sure that it was. This is some terribly nasty stuff.

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Anita, that's great to hear! I've been a little worried about you. You're doing the right thing; just continue to ride it out until you're feeling back to normal again. If you're anything like me, you'll have a few rebound effects from time to time, but once you have a good day - then another - you begin to realize that you've gotten past the worst of it, and your confidence will only grow stronger. If I remember correctly, my last real bad day was around July 10th, so it's been about a month now that I've been feeling pretty good. I still get a heart palp along with some slight chest pressure on rare occasion, but I hardly notice it now. The key for me was just to tough it out long enough without any prescription meds until the symptoms began to subside.

Funny thing is, my primary doctor initially prescribed this crap for two reasons: one for having a slight degree of hypertension, and the other for calming my nerves for live performance purposes (I'm a musician). I didn't really need the drug for either, but I also didn't recognize the harm in taking it. Long story short, after two years of being on the 'M', I eventually lost enough weight and became fit enough that my hypertension issues disappeared. As a result, my blood pressure and pulse rate dropped far too low to be healthy, so I simply needed to get off the Metoprolol. Needless to say, the struggle of getting off the med wasn't an experience I had counted on. It was over two months of hell, but I guess I consider myself lucky when considering that it's taken much longer for some people here.

Anyway, please keep letting us know how it's going for you.

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Day 14 no Metoprolol: I had a good day yesterday. Resting pulse in the low 70's. Did the treadmill and pulse ranged 110-115. I felt good??? I felt GOOD!!!! I took 10mg lisinopril only and my BP was normal all day. It can be done. I had a call from an old friend who happens to have been a physician (at one point) and he was horrified by my ordeal. He agreed that doctors today listen for "patterns" and spend that 5 minute appointment with you thinking of the best medicine to prescribe. I added that they don't even look at you but instead they stare at their Ipad (I think they are playing video games).They don't listen to you or take the time to think. We have to do that and be our own advocates. Doctors prescribe medicine and medical procedures, think about it!. He also agreed with me that the Metoprolol could take a month or more to "clear the liver". I have been drinking water with lemon juice in the morning to help cleanse my liver and get this poison out of my body. My plan is to get exercise every day and get back in touch with my body, start to trust if again and try and stop being afraid. Even if I have a rebound symptom, at this point I know it's not going to kill me so I need to control the anxiety response which just adds to the problem. It's hard to do, but once I can turn to corner and not be afraid of the BP spikes and racing heart, I'm going to be much better off. All of those drugs make you afraid of your own body and you begin to believe that you need them. He also said that Metoprolol should never be used except as a last resort with someone who has had a major heart attack or something. So those of us who were given it like candy did not receive good care. I'm feeling encouraged today, although I was in the ER 3 days ago. :) we do need to be patient for this to get out of our bodies, and keep weaning from the bad drugs. I know that some conditions do need treatment and I'm not completely anti drug, but only when medically necessary and only then with full disclosure of the risks. Watch TV, those drug ads tell you right up front that the side effects are often worst than the "condition" they are meant to treat.

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Drug companies don't want u cured, they want you dependent. More money.

I doubt any drug company CEO would take his own product if he could avoid it. They are well aware of its dangers.

True healing, unless there is a real need for a drug, must come from us. It's not that we don't need some of these drugs, in my opinion , it's that many times we are clearly over medicated and it can also have harmful side effects greater than our original problem.

I'm still weening lorazepam and for three days I been dizzy with headaches. I been irritable and grumpy. The day I'm off this, I'm going to throw a party, no joke.

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I have been on lisinopril and metotoporil for close to 10 years. I have had 2 orthopedic surgeries. Now that I'm reading about the arthritis and joint pain, tingling in arms, feet, heaviness in legs, etc...did these meds cause all of this? Plus, the depression and anxiety and blurred vision...occasional dry cough and constant runny nose...I had some symptoms when I first started the meds, but they went away. At first I had the blurred vision which went away, but the rest of these symptoms gradually came about, so I never thought that it would be the meds. I do remember shortness of breath and sinus infections, one after the other...again, I would have never connected them with the meds. How can the medical profession get away with this? ...over the past 2 years, I've lost a lot of weight and now my Bp runs low...so I've worked with my doctor to cut my doses in half. After reading that everyone else on these meds have the same side effects, I want off. I'm now taking theanine, omega 3's and magnesium. Thank you Everyone who has posted on these boards. I just wish I would have stopped the meds before back surgery to see if I didn't need it.

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Hi Tony,

How long did it take for you to feel like the effects of the metoprolol were gone? I guess I'm just eager to be well. I had a hard time "adjusting" to it in the first place, didn't feel well on it, and now it's still causing problems for me. thank you for your sharing. How long did it take for your body to start handling the adrenaline in a "normal" way? I think the anxiety about where I am also works against me! I did feel good walking today and look forward to doing a little more each day and having real life health benefits. When I did the treadmill on the metoprolol my pulse never went above 90. It just deadened all aspects of my life. It's hard to remain hopeful when it seems that the recovery is slow at best. I have high blood pressure, this isn't rocket science. I want to trust my body again and have a life. How long will this adjustment phase last?

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Hang in there Anita. When I first went to the ER when my mess started, I too had a really high heart rate. Just walking around it was 120 ish. The only thing that has corrected that fit me has been excercise and watching what I eat. Otherwise I woulda had to stay on a drug.

I run 1.7 miles minimum every two days now. Then I do 60-100 jumping jacks. I also get 20 minutes of full sun for vitamin d. I never miss a running day and if you do, never go more than 72 hours before u excercise again so u don't lose the benefit you gained the last time.

My pulse now when I'm just sitting is in the 50's and when I'm walking it's like 60-80.

Just don't over do it. You have to take small steps in your excercise regimen. And keep your heart rate in a safe range. Stop anytime u feel pain and start again.

Good luck . Hang in there.

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I had 3 good days. Then yesterday (day 12 off metoprolol) I felt funky all day with chest pain, racing pulse and BP fluctuating. That same burning in the heart region I had when "adjusting" to the metoprolol. Heart would not calm down. At 330 pm I took a shower to calm down and my pulse spikes to 135 with BP climbing. I went to the Er and they did a bunch of tests with everything normal. My body is struggling to adjust to life without the beta blocker, life without thyroid medicine (first time in 20 years) and my poor heart is working hard. Of course the Er doctor says "you need a beta blocker" and "you just have a high heart rate". Of course he says "2 weeks is too long for this to be withdrawals". Well for 3 days my BP was perfect (days 9-12 off the metoprolol) and resting pulse was up to 75 from 65 on the metoprolol. Today I just said ok, I'm gonna beat this. I did a mile on the treadmill and my heart rate stayed between 110-115, so that's good. My BP is fluctuating a bit today but not too high. I'm resting. Seeing heart rates in the 70's and 80's resting rather than 90's and 100's yesterday. This journey is horrific. Thank you Bee for sharing your experience. I'm praying my body adjusts soon, this is exhausting and terrifying. I'm so tired of feeling bad. My family is terrified as well. I see a new doctor next week and am hoping he can shed some light on my situation that doesn't require more medication. I'm 55 and 5'3, 138 pounds and Have always been active and in fairly good health. I want my old life back.

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I'm in the same boat. Super fit but anxious. I was on metoprolol for 8 years. 6 weeks cold turkey and experiencing awful depression and anxiety. How are things now for you? It's been a few months I'm hoping we'll.

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Anita,

I went through the same nightmare you did for a whole year .. I couldn't exercise or even walk some days a few yards before I got dizzy or heart rate would go bonkers or I felt like I was going to pass out, vomit and a host of things.....It was awful......I think my body suffered from no exercise and now I am trying to repair it... I think I might have some damage to not getting enough oxygen for a whole year. the most I could manage was walking around in a store and that was after I was weaning down from the (M).. I had horrific side effects.......and God knows how bonkers my bp went and all... but I am glad I am off that stuff. I was off since last March.. A whole year of my life lost but I am not looking back..............Now I am doing as much as I can to keep my heart and bp in check.. I can now walk and exercise and hike too... with no issues.. but I did a hike last week and my heart rate did not want to come down to resting so for that I ground myself. walk barefoot outside on the grass or keep my feet planted in the grass or ground for awhile.. its called earthing...........You could also buy a grounding blankets or sheets....anyway; I also now for prevention take Magnesium, COQ10, Hawthorn, L Argenine and some other things.. I don't want any more meds.............I am also very resistant and meds don't work on me either. I too am highly sensitive to drugs......so I will find any other alternative than western medicine if possible.

Well hang in there and take one day at a time. some days I had to take one minute at a time. Take care

Hang in there and take one day at a time.......I know its brutal but if you stick it out and monitor yourself and add some supplements it will be okay.

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Thank you Jimbo. I am at day 11. Yesterday I felt pretty good until the evening when my pulse started to race, while relaxing and watching TV! I started back on my old dose of medicine that I took before the doctors sent me on this wild ride with Metoprolol. I am eager to have this out of my system completely. I too am very sensitive to medicines and chemicals in general, so this "dependency" my body developed is disturbing. Thank you for your comments and encouragement. Aside from my pulse shooting up for no reason and some chest twinges, I'm improving I think. I'm afraid to exercise (which I know I need to do) because my pulse jacks up. It does come back down, but until I get the "all clear" from the new doctor (praying that he's competent) I'm taking it easy. I really hope my body can return to where it was before this poison took over my life.

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Anita, sorry for my late reply, but it seems that you're going through a similar process as I did. For several weeks it seemed that I'd never get back to being myself again, but I eventually did, so keep your hopes up. I can relate, for I know exactly what you're going through. The overall weaning process and withdrawal was about a two-month ordeal for me. I started tapering off the Metoprolol sometime around mid-May while quitting entirely on June 10th. After about 10 days I slipped and took about a 1/2 tab one evening followed by another 1/2 tab the next morning, but I went cold turkey again after that. It took me about another 10 days before I started feeling somewhat normal again, but even at that I still had occasional heart palpitations, chest pressure, and vertigo (dizziness). I still can't say that I'm 100% back to feeling normal, but I'm almost there. Since I seem to have a rather unusual sensitivity to drugs that affect my central nervous system, I anticipate that I'll continue to feel an occasional twinge from time to time for perhaps another few months - I don't know - but only time will tell. For the most part, though, I'm back to doing all of the things I did prior to starting the Metoprolol over two years ago. In fact, I'm basically feeling better than I have since that time. My adrenaline has kicked in again, I have more energy, and my mind is feeling as sharp as ever. You'll get there, but as Tony said, you just need to remain as calm as you possibly can while also having the patience to get through it all. It's a rough ride, but you'll make it!

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Thank you Tony, I have never, ever had a medication with this many side effects. There were immediate issues when I started taking it, problems while taking it and now, residual issues to deal with. It's unbelievable. I appreciate your support. I told my doctor that I am very sensitive to medications up front and he truly ignored me. He ignored the side effects of the Metoprolol (chest pains and spiking blood pressure) and told me to stay on it. It was me who finally insisted I stop taking it and he agreed, telling me to just stop "I probably wouldn't notice". How crazy is that? And to someone he is treating for hypertension! Anyway, day 10 was better than day 9, Today I started up again with my old medication and the only issue was a very reactive heart rate. It just goes up there if I barely move. I hope this will go away since one of the things I need to keep up is exercise, but how do you do that if you're afraid of your heart rate? I'm trying to stay calm, and yes, it is hard. I just look for small improvements each day (like no chest pains today) to let me know it's working its way out of my body. Thank you again for your support.

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Hi Anita , I see you are having a hard time. I'm sorry to hear that. Many of us can relate. It's extremely scarey when it's heart related. And for some people, myself included, metoprolol can be really bad and make things worse.

It's funny really, for other people it can be a great drug with less issues than most but like you, it was rough on me.

The main thing is to stay calm. Which is really hard to do I know. But stay calm. Of course see a doctor if you feel u need to. Erring on the side of caution is always best. But stay calm.

Metoprolol takes about a week to clear the body. But for some on here who took it for a while, there is an ongoing adjustment period while your body gets use to life without it. But it will get better.

Get into a doctor and discuss your issues and try and get your Bp under control and stay calm. Anxiety will certainly make things worse. You will make it through this.

I'm pulling for you. We all are.

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Hi Boydage, Thank you for your comments. The buzzing in my head is so bizarre. It feels the same whether my BP is high (I used to know if it was high by the pressure in my head) but now the M seems to have changed that to a funky feeling in my head whether it's high, fine or low. It all feels the same and it's not good. I'm on day 9. My pulse is calming down a little, but the BP is still all over the map. I'm trying to manage it and stay out of the ER until I can see a new doctor next week. It blows my mind that I'm in this situation. For 5 years I took my medicine (combined 10 Lisonpril/12.5 hydrochlorathiazide) in the morning and got on with my life. No issues, no side effects. This past 6 months has been terrifying largely due to the Metoprolol. I really don't know where I am now, I just want to be back where I was before with a life that doesn't revolve around a BP cuff. It's hard to tell yet what's rebounding and what's a need for actual doses of medicine to control it. Thank you for your support, this is such a bizarre situation. I still get the occasional chest twinge which tells me the stuff is still in my body. That and an occasional random pulse of 67. My resting pulse now is closer to 75 I think. I am trying to be hopeful. It really helps to hear your experiences. Thank you!

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Hi Anita. I am into day 7(?) now after dropping M cold turkey. I am still getting the buzzing in my head. Still feel like my BP is high but when I check it my BP is fine. But every day if I analyse each morning, I feel a little better. I am unsure about your full situation but can only say that I am actually feeling more alive? Whilst I am going through some nasty withdrawals, I have noticed in a raw sense that things are becoming more apparent. Clearer. I am laughing again. Hang in there my friend. Withdrawals are tough. One thing I know is the rehab centres start programs at 28 days. 28 days seems to be a turning point for addictions. Try to exercise, eat well, keep talking to your friends. It will get better :-)

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