Metoprolol Withdrawal (Page 10) (Top voted first)

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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REPORT

Bee,
The FDA has a website that you can report these problems to. Start at FDA.gov and click on the make a report by a customer. If they don't know there's a problem, they can't make the manufacturers fix it. If nothing else the warning could be adjusted to let people know about these problems before they take the med.

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Hello all! I'm new here, but I've been reading this thread for the past few days since discovering my own sense of hell with taking Metroprolol. I'm 61 years of age, and my doctor started me on 25mg twice daily about a year ago for pre-hypertension. Prior to that everything seemed to be fine. Then my PR dropped from an average of around 65 or 70 to around 50, and I began to experience dizziness, headaches, chest pain, tingling in my left arm, etc., etc. For whatever reason my BP remained fairly normal. After two trips to the ER and being told that I was fit and healthy, I began to look into the Metoprolol, only to find how nasty this drug appears to be.

Long story short, last Tuesday morning I began cutting my dosage in half (12.5mg) in an attempt to begin weaning off of them entirely. I also saw a cardiologist yesterday (Thursday), and while he agreed that it's a good idea to get off the Metoprolol, he also prescribed a drug called Ranexa (ranolazine) to help with my chest pain. This is a drug that's primarily used to treat angina, and while I've had symptoms of angina over the past two weeks, I've had no history of it previously. Does this seem odd to any of you? All I really want to do is to get off the Metoprolol, and since I've increased my fitness level while losing a significant amount of weight, I have a strong feeling that I really won't need to be on BP medicine any longer. This was the goal I had with my primary doctor when I was first prescribed this drug, but he has since retired. I also have a hunch that I'm also in for some serious drug withdrawal issues as well. Any thoughts would be greatly appreciated! Thanks!

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Hi Jimbo;
one of the side effects of weaning off of (M) is angina..so I don't doubt you go this from this drug.. I also was experiencing some angina but it went away.. if you look up the side effects of weaning off of this drug and taking it if you haven't done that there are so many side effects including diabetes, angina , etc.. I had just about every side effect in the book.. Rapid heart beat, couldn't move without HR going up . pain, numbness, nightmares, stomach issues, insomnia, headaches, shortness of breath... its been since Feb. for me since my last dose and it was a nightmare for me for about a year but I feel so much better now.... I wont tell you what to do but now I take L- ARGENINE for my heart and for prevention.. It is used for angina .. Argenine is an amino acid and I don't think it harms like a drug.. so far for me its good........look into it instead of the pharma drugs.. I too now am very skeptical of Western Medicine.. Argenine will get oxygen to your heart ..

Please don't take what your doctor says as gospel.. and yes it does sound suspicious.. I remember when they gave me (M) it was anxiety and I never had anxiety and I had a host of issues while I was on it.. Like you I had no issues before this drug..........Oh; and look into Hawthorn.. It is the number one herb for the heart.

If natural things fail you can always go back into pharma drugs..

good Luck

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thank you so much Jimbo.... I had to go off slowly because everytime I cut back I would experience racing heart and I wasn't even moving.. Also the shakes really bad and the other side effects.. being I was on a lot like 100mgs. maybe it was worse for me.. I even at one point had to back track .. I had gone down to 75mgs. and was okay for a few weeks but as soon as I cut down to 50mgs. I had a host of issues so I went back up again to 75 and stayed there for a bit longer... yes it was quite an awful experience but I hung in there.. I am semi retired so I didn't have to go to a job but it def. stopped my life for awhile and since I live in New York I was missing out on so many fun things lol. but .. I just kept going.... One night was so bad I had to get up out of bed and go to bathroom and I couldn't breathe at all. I thought I was a goner lol... then my heart started racing like crazy and it took me awhile to get my heart rate down.. some days I couldn't even get it down and the shakes were so bad.. I would have to wait until the next day to sleep.. oh; so many things but hopefully you will do fine.. Just be careful.. and watch your side effects..

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Hello again! I think I need a little more advice if you don't mind. After trying to get off the "M" last Monday, I think I may have thrown my dosage balance way out of sync. I'm feeling as though I'm in a constant state of being on the edge and unable to sleep. It's almost like being on the edge of a panic attack or something to that effect. At any rate, for those of you who've been there, how do I get my dosage back on track? I've been at 12.5mg twice daily for the past week, but I'm apparently getting a full 25mg dose or more today for my cardiac CT scan. That certainly won't help matters. I have a feeling I've gotten myself in some trouble by being too anxious to get off this stuff. I really don't know how some of you have done it.

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Yes Jimbo.. I have already suggested the L Argenine.. I take 500 mgs. in morning and 500 at night......along with Hawthorn.. Amino acids are life savers along with yes the COQ10 .. Green tea is good but you can also get the L theanine capsules. they have same ingredients as green tea..

Oh; forgot to add...........My life is improving after so long....... I started doing light cardio and I am walking again and getting out more and more. without issues........I am feeling so much better........My heart rate is in normal range.. Havent had a palp in months and my anxiety and shakes are just about gone... although I think symptoms can last for up to a year...........I am sleeping through the night .. the big test will be trying to ride my bike without issues..

I probably wouldn't do the aspirin but that is a personal decision.. I would much rather look into willow bark (natural) or cayenne... I don't do cayenne as it raises my blood pressure so be careful if you try it..........I do leave some by my bed at night with water.. supposed to stop a heart attack in its tracks.. just do your own research.. cayenne can thin the blood .. I do use hot sauce though on food..

Organic BRAGGS apple cidar vinegar in water once a day can also thin the blood..and eat up some fat and plaque.. and also lower blood pressure..

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Sherri yes I do have kids. We women can put up with alot. The the first week coming off M I was shaking so bad. The anxiety is horrible. I did not give into anti anxiety meds. I have Klonopin to take on an as needed basis that was rx to me a year ago. I only took one pill last year. After reading about benzo addiction I freaked out so I took L Theanine instead. I have not taken L Theanine since last year. Since I had not been sleeping well I decided to take L Theanine 100 mg at 11 p.m. I woke up at 5:45 a.m. to get my kids ready for school. I checked my bp after being up for about 20 minutes. It was 141/81 and bpm went up to 112. It has calmed down now. I still have not taken my Ditliazem 120 mg because I'm afraid of side effects plus I am still withdrawing from beta blockers.Today has been 16 days since I had it. The only thing I suffer from is anxiety mainly upon waking and insomnia. The Pharmacist told me to take Benadryl for withdrawals but I don't want to get addicted. How long will this anxiety and insomnia last? Mind you it's been 16 days since my last beta blocker. I was on beta blockers for 3 weeks. Am I experiencing an adrenaline surge in the morning when I experience anxiety upon waking? I'm at my wits end with this.

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Jimbo.. well I would first check interactions.. I took the L Arginine because I was having angina effects with withdrawal.. I don't think you can take M with Hawthorn although I did and nothing happened.. But use your own judgement and research things yourself.

Oh; well my heart rate is good and I still take the Arginine.. Its for bp and prevention. and brings oxygen to the heart. I figure it cant hurt... maybe you could start small and see what happens. I don't think amino acids will hurt .. you can also try it and see what happens.. we all need something as we age as the body depletes of nutrients.. the food doesn't have the same nutrients it did years ago. the soil is depleted of nutrients.. the water is compromised so that is why I supplement.. but use your own judgement and research and study... but I do know everyone needs COQ10 and magnesium as we age for the heart.. hawthorn cant hurt as its a food unless it interacts with something..........I would much rather not see a doctor and do prevention .. oh and yes I mentioned like someone on here the Theanine for anxiety, stress and the adrenal rushes. that I would def. use now along with the weaning.

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Hey Bee, thanks once again! I actually do have some of the herbal supplements that you've spoken about as well as a few others on the way. I think I'm getting myself prepared pretty well. What I wasn't prepared for was doing this over the long haul, and now it's appearing as though I don't have much of a choice in the matter. My system just won't let it go that easily. I still can't believe that a medicine such as this was able to literally turn my life upside down in a matter of just three weeks. Three weeks ago I was cycling 30+ miles two or three times a week while walking two miles nearly every day, but now I can't even walk around my own block. I've already cancelled numerous business meetings and social events only to find that I'll be cancelling more. This isn't to mention that my wife is running short on patience with me, too. It's literally turning my career and marriage into a horror story.

Sorry for sounding depressed, for I'm quite aware that I'm singing to the choir here, but I really do applaud those of you who've managed to get beyond this. Your help and advice is certainly appreciated, too! Thank you!

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I went to the hospital on feb 6, 2015 with a racing heart rate which I believe took place for a variety of reasons. High sugar, bad diet, overweight, started a new blood pressure med etc... Basically I really needed to take my health more seriously.

Initially I was prescribed metoprolol 50 mg twice a day. They felt I needed it to control my palpitations. First of all, metoprolol is a good drug to those that sincerely need it and can tolerate it. To me, it was a nightmare.

After leaving the hospital , I had to cut metoprolol down to 25 mg twice a day and then to 12.5 mg twice a day on my own because of the chest pains it was causing me. The doctors acted like it was no biggie. At the same time, I complained of swelling under my ribs and after a metabolic panel, my liver was swelling based on the results. Again I was told no biggie. I took myself off the drug myself. I did ween it but maybe even more than I needed to. It took about a week after I stopped taking it for it to clear my system. The chest pain quit. And after taking 500 mg daily of milk thistle, my liver swelling was back to normal. This drug was clearly not for me. It can be dangerous for the wrong person.

I found that by proper diet and exercise, my pulse stays normal. I had also had all the diagnostics ran... Nuclear stress evaluation and an echo of course, along with 3 ekg's. All came back clear.

The point is, don't take any drug if it does more harm than good and throughly research anything u r prescribed before taking it, especially any benzos.

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I just want to offer a word of caution. I am a huge fan of less drugs and natural supplements. I think in general people are over medicated. And I can certainly understand the concerns over palpitations and chest discomfort. It can be very scary and hard to discern what's legit and what's drug withdrawal. I've been there.

Even now when I get any chest soreness or anything I kinda stop and take notice more than ever before. The fear is real. And understandably so. There are so much to consider when you are trying to manage heart and cardiovascular health.

But please, before making any drastic medication changes, consult a doctor. I'm all for weaning off anything that's you feel us unnecessary that maybe once was needed but not any more, but just be gentle and err on the side of caution.

For example, I knew I did not need metoprolol even after my cardiologist insisted. Even though I understand his logic, I didn't feel he was giving me sound advice in this one instance. But... All in all, I do try and take to heart most of what my doctors have to say.

If you are experiencing anything that you feel is concerning or you think is dangerous, just go get checked. We don't want anyone making themselves worse. Good fortune to all of you.

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CJ.....just another word of advice, but please don't be afraid to check your blood pressure often, especially when you suspect that your blood pressure may be higher than usual. From my initial experiences from weaning off of Metoprolol, I noticed that my BP fluctuated all over the place, so it doesn't seem unusual to see a vast array of numbers from one reading to the next. The effects became much less severe as my dosage got lower, and if you're still on 50mg per day, you obviously have a considerable amount of weaning to do. As Tony pointed out to me several days ago, just be patient, stay calm (stress will make things worse), and taper off very slowly. As it's been noted, if at any time you feel concerned, it's always a good idea to consult with your doctor.

As for myself, I took my last dose of this dreaded drug last night (about 4mg), so I'm now on day one of being Metoprolol-free. Woo hoo! For the most part, I've been feeling pretty much back to being myself again, but I still experience a mild side effect from time to time. The good news is that I think I've finally gotten well beyond the worst of it. I've also been back on the bike while slowly working into an exercise routine again, so all seems to be good.......at least so far. Above all, I'd especially like to thank Tony, Bee, and everyone here for their great advice, for I'm not sure I could've done it without you. My doctors certainly weren't helping much. It's no fun being in a constant fog with the "doom and gloom" factor hanging over your head each and every day, and I sincerely wish the best for all of you who are still struggling with this drug.

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DJS and Jimbo
I feel as if we all are in this together and the way we share is priceless .. We all need to stick together in this world ...;)... and fight Big pharma and put more emphasis on natural healing.. Of course a good diet and exercise come first.
okay off soapbox lol

I love being informed and informing others of all of the natural things but yes we need to be proactive in what works for us and what doesn't..

xoxo

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Todd, for what it's worth, I'm currently on day 8 of being Metoprolol-free, but it hasn't been a cakewalk by any means. Day 1 was a good day followed by worsening symptoms for each day that followed until day 7 (yesterday). Days 5 and 6 were pure hell for whatever reason. Maybe it was the M's last gasp of letting me know how angry it was for not allowing any more into my system, but upon awakening yesterday morning, it felt as though the M had finally given up. Yesterday was the first good day I've had since day 1, and so far today I'm feeling pretty good. Of course, I'm still skeptical as to whether or not I'm truly over it all, but if Tony's experience as well as my own are any indication of how this withdrawal process works, I'd have to agree with Tony in that your situation doesn't seem quite right. On the other hand, I've probably read the majority of posts in this thread, and if I recall correctly, some people continued to experience the side effects for a few months. It only leads me to suspect that this drug may have different reactions on people depending on one's individual central nervous system and how it reacts to the chemicals we feed it. I guess I'm just saying that it could possibly be the M that's still causing the effects you're still feeling, but it's likely going to be difficult to know for certain until you're finally beyond it. "Time" is probably the key word here.

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Jumbo,

It did seem to help my Irregular heart beat and I was finally able to sleep. But I personally wouldn't do it again. That short time of comfort was not worth the weeks it takes to feel somewhat normal. Next time I will tuff it out or try another method. I'm on day 12 being off M for the second time. Still having some dizzyness and just feeling weird at times. Doctor did put a monitor on me Thursday to see if he can find anything else may wear it up to a month. My EKG and stress test both good two months ago. I think most of my issues are stress/anxiety. I've always have struggled with stress, but the M has my system so sensitive.

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No Todd I haven't found any good natural remedies for anxiety. I haven't tried many either.

So any ideas would be nice. I'll try the tea sometime.

I was placed on lorazepam after leaving the hospital for temporary use but that's all it took for my body to get addicted . So now I'm stuck weening it. That drug is one nasty mean drug.

The only anxiety I'm feeling currently is from the drug as I'm weening. But it can hit you hard like big flashes of anxiety or waves. Very scary.

I'm really glad to hear jimbo is doing a bit better. I have been pulling for him. I'll pull for you too Todd.

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Thanks, Tony! And believe me, your thoughts as well as the feedback from many others here have really helped! I am indeed doing much better, but I'm still feeling an occasional anxiety attack with heart palps from time to time. They just seem to come out of nowhere. Although, they're much more tolerable and short-lived than they were just a few days ago.

Todd, one supplement for anxiety that's been suggested here quite often is L-Theanine. It's also an ingredient found in many green teas. I'm sure Bee could provide more information on it than I can. I've been using it pretty regularly for my anxiety, and while I feel that its performance is mild at best when used for severe anxiety, I am finding that it's helping with my more recent attacks. It didn't help much when the 'M' had nearly full control of my system, but now that my attacks are much milder in nature, it's working pretty well. And hey......just know that I'm pulling for you as well......man, we're all pulling for you!

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I have never used Suntheanine.. you can google it or look it up on WebMD or other sources. I used the theanine and it worked well .... plus its very good as its an amino acid so it cant hurt.. I used to take a lot of it.. I don't use it much anymore but it is the same as green tea, but if you use green tea get decaf organic.. Even Dr. Stephen Sinatra recommends green tea...He is an integrative cardiologist.. wrote many books and has a website.. check him out. He is great..

So glad that my recommendations helped Jimbo................nice to know all of my studying and research and being my own lab rat helps others.........LOL..

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HP Mama.
omg,. It does sound like your body is detoxing from all the drugs.. it makes me sick how these doctors just keep prescribing more drugs on top of drugs... Please go slow and wean off slow.. and then find natural alternatives if you need them. we have mentioned l theanine on here for anxiety... Sea salt in water stops palpitations .. Chamomille tea (a lot of it) will calm the nerves... and its safe.. I also use magnesium for stress and anxiety.. Don't drink caffeinated beverages.. get decaf teas.....also check out something called EFT tapping on utube for stress and anxiety.. also try some guided meditations.... utube has some good videos on how to safely detox.. even if they are pharma drugs they are still drugs..
good luck...........PS. try and get the magnesium spray as it absorbs much quicker into the body.. you spray it on you're legs at night.. it will calm you...
check into organic unsulphured black strap molasses.. good for the heart and you only need a tablespoon here and there.
Hawthorn and Motherwort herb can slow the heart rate down.. I love Hawthorn..

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DJS, thankfully I'm doing alright - and thanks for your concern - but I learned the hard way that we should never underestimate the power that Metoprolol can have over some of us. Up until the middle of last week, I experienced about seven or eight days of feeling quite normal and nearly symptom-free, but that only made me feel comfortable in going back to some of my poor eating habits while also indulging in small quantities of alcohol. We were also on a vacation, so that didn't help much. It resulted in a relapse of some sort while causing some high BP spikes, an elevated pulse rate, and a few heart palpitations. I'm starting to feel better once again after four days of this nonsense, but it was enough for me to realize that I had better stick with my previous low-salt diet while also keeping away from anything that might possibly trigger any kind of a rebound effect. The 'M' has undoubtedly messed up my central nervous system, so I'm thinking that it's likely going to take a few months before I'm truly feeling 100% normal again.

Just to add to the benzo conversation, one of my doctors prescribed Xanax for my anxiety issues while getting off the M. While knowing how addictive it can be, I took about .25mg about every third day or so only so that I could catch up on lost sleep. That stuff literally puts me to sleep very quickly, but like Tony has said, I'd avoid it altogether unless absolutely necessary. It's hard enough just getting off the M, and we just don't need to be compounding the issue by having to go through other withdrawal issues.

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