Metoprolol Withdrawal (Page 11)

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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I've been off for 2 months and feel more normal now. The first two weeks off it, I felt worse. After that things SLOWLY got better every week. At this point, I still experience frequent symptoms, but much milder I can almost ignore them. :)

I only took metoprolol for 2 months to slow my heart (my bp is normal) due to a temporary heart event.

When I weaned off to half a pill, every other night, I was more sick the following day after I took the pill.

The symptoms are debilitating I'm using FMLA at work.

As long as I continue to improve, my therapist suggest giving myself 6 months. Meanwhile, I have a 3 month follow up with my cardiologist next month.

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Hi Anne
My husband was put on Metropolol and he has shortness of breath like you had. After you went off the meds. did the shortness of breath go away? We are so worried that this will be permanent. We would appreciate your help. The cardiologist is no help at all.
Sue

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Quitting toprol is complicated, there is much more than just withdrawal from the drug itself. Toprol suppresses all kinds of processes, like kidney, heart, adrenalin, hormones & many more. It takes them all and puts them in a jar, then puts a lid on it. When you quit taking it, the lid comes off the jar and all these things come out like fireworks going in their own direction, they have forgotten how to communicate with each other & this takes time to relearn. I have just found out the hard way of this, my surgeon did not realize how much I was taking and the length of time. It has been 5 weeks now and just taking one makes me as sick as not taking it, so for three days now, I have been cutting 25 mg pills in to fourths, when ever I feel everything getting confused, blurry vision, to much adrenalin, I chew 1/4 pill and wait a while, I am trying to keep the lid on the jar just enough to get through. If I take a full pill the lid closes all the way & that is just as bad or worse. I'm trying to stay in the middle & suffer through it.

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Ray, that is saying it like it is. I was on Metopralol for 4 years. Been off now for over a year. I have never felt the same or myself sense. I have had all kinds of medical problems encluding blood clots on my lungs. That stuff is poison. Just doesn't kill you quick but makes you suffer all kinds of withdrawals. I am afraid to get off any medication for fear it has a withdrawal.I sure don't want anything else like I went through with that. I couldn't take it.

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Hi Anne, I had very bad shortness of breath after going off it, especially in the mornings. It did get better. I'm 2 months off of it, and do not feel like I have sob anymore. But I still experience minor respitory issues every day.

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I have been off metropilal for 9 months now I only took it for 2 months. I've finally only now learned to deal with the anxiety. Before all of this I was perfectly healthy I was give the pills for one episode of svt. This has been the hardest year of my life. I pray for all of you...

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Been weaning for 3 months.2 weeks now with no toprol.Have an occasional stabbing pain in lower area of heart.I also have "word retrieval problems, I know what I want to say but have difficulty articulating.Anyone else experience that?

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Pause right in the middle of a sentence, can't think of the right work & I stutter.

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I am taking myself off toprol. I have been on it for 10 years....I have been doing slowly and the only issue is once in a while I get a sudden pain in mitral valve area (lower rib cage) and forgetfulness and word retrieval)

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I have those problems if I miss a pill. Weirdness is what lets me know I've forgotten to take it. The doctor prescribed it for me because my heart beat was irregular (not lower AB thing, but an upper chamber). I believe it was originally designed for high blood pressure, right? Then they figured out it helps with some heart issues?

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Yes, you have opened the jars to the crazies. I don't care what you're doctor says, but after 10 years of any dosage of toprol (or any other medicine for that fact), you should not get off it cold turkey. Some take it okay, others don't. I don't think doctors get enough info on quitting drugs, they just know how to prescribe them.

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Ray, you are so right, easy to write, but not as much knowledge as you would think they would have. My older doctor who retired, said that any drug taken for a prolonged period of time, should never be stopped cold turkey, too hard on the body. I guess I should check it out and see what info there is on Metoprolol/Toprol, how many years it's been available, just all the skinny. Will my skin turn purple and will I grow horns after 10 or 15 years of use LOL? I'm sort of curious, because any drug that can make me feel this weird when I forget a pill, has to have some long term effect, don't you think?

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Travis, I feel for you as I have similar story - 2 months on the drug for an episode of sinus tachy, I have been 2 months off now. I'm sad to hear you still aren't the same after 9 months...are there any success stories out there? Has anyone gone back to normal?

Boggles my mind how much damage its done in a short period of time (and I was on a low dosage).

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Im on Metoprolol and have been trying to get off them. I halved my dose 1/2 tab morning and 1/2 tab evening. I was doing that for 2 weeks as per Doctors instruction.
I then went to only 1/2 tab in the morning for 2 weeks. Blood pressure and pulse remained fairly normal. I then went to only a 1/4 tab in the morning and suddenly after 3 days of 1/4 tab by BP and pulse went dramatically up. Horrible anxiety feelings also.
I wasn't sure what to do but I thought Id better take a tablet again. BP and pulse dropped but there is still anxiety that is driving me crazy. Im gone back to 1/2 tab in morning and 1/2 tab in evening but it still doesn't totally get rid of the anxiety problem.
I am taking taking garlic and drinking camomile tea which is supposed to help.
I have to wait and see.
I wish I had never been talked into taking these tabs because the withdrawal symptoms are horrible.
What are other peoples views on withdrawal etc?

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Jane, I feel for you, cause my body goes crazy if I miss one pill. I can only imagine what I would feel like trying to get off of them. Have you called your doctor about the problems you're having? Maybe they would have some suggestions too.

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Thanks Suzie I will do that. I forgot to say that I have been on Metoprolol for 3 years. 3 years too long!

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Jane, let me know what they say OK?

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I haven't met a Doctor that knows what we're all saying! Everytime I mention long withdrawals "I never heard of that"! Why are they peddling stuff they only read about? See what people taking it are saying!!!

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Jane, I was on it for 2 months only, low dose. The weaning process was horrible and the withdrawal symptoms torturous! 2 days after being off it, I thought my heart would stop. I felt like a yoyo, good hours then bad hours.

Everyday got a little bit better, and i just kept telling myself that I survived yesterday, so I will get through today. After a month off symptoms were more manageable.

I continue to progress slowly. I pray that you hang tough and get through the worst of it.

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Hello.. I was put on metoprolol 100 mgs. two years ago for high blood pressure although it never worked that well so I added natural things that were working with the medication like magnesium CO10, Beet Root juice, Taurine, Olive Leaf, Then I read up on all the side effects and horrible things associated with this drug so decided to get off of it.. I at first went down to 75 miligrams which was okay but when I dropped to 50 omg.. side effects were so horrific I had to go back up to 75.. after a few months of this when I felt stable instead of cutting the pill into half I just lengthened the time I took first pill and the moved the second pill further around around the clock... does that make sense.. That is because I felt highly sensitive to this drug.. Yes the anxiety ,heart racing when just moving a few feet.. So then I stayed on 50 miligrams until I felt stable again...that took about a month.. then I started cutting them into quarters and took l/4 in morning, l/4 in afternoon, l/4 at about 11:30 at night .. That comes to 37 miligrams.. I am still on this now and its been since last Feb. I am weaning off...so that is 7 months.... someone told me to not have side effects to do it as slowly as possible and that I what I am doing..Now the doctors don't care and wouldn't help .. Another doctor gave me the wrong info.. so I looked up things online and got info. from people who have done it.. Fast forward and my anxiety has lessened and my heart rate doesn't shoot up so far when I just get out of bed... Its been a long road.. There were days and weeks I couldn't leave the house but I feel its temporary and it will be worth it ..the last doctor was so mean to me and told me oh; you can be off this drug in two months. I was like No I cant.. I might need one more prescription to keep lowering the dose and I will do anything to do this safely........hope this makes sense...

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