Metoprolol Withdrawal (Page 117)
(Newest replies 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.

REPLY

REPORT

Bee, Jane, Susie... strange thing about meat with me. before getting sick, I didn't eat alot of meat. When I was put on metoprolol, I started craving red or dark meat. Especially beef. Once I almost went hysterical because i felt like I'd have an anxiety attack if I didn't get beef is my system immediately. I ate alot of quarter pounders this past summer. :(

REPLY

Was this helpful? 0

Hi Bee. I'm 44 and I continued my light excessive (30 min walk) each day while weaning off. My weaning process was only 2wks. I felt better excersizing. I strongly suggest you ask your cardiologist if there is some kind of wellness center available where you can do it with a physiologist. My wellness center is basically a gym equipped with bp, EKG and oxygen tanks, etc. So in case of medical emergency, they prepared to take care of you. I needed my cardiologist to refer me so I could join. And check and see if you can get it covered by insurance. Mine wasn't but I felt safer working out in a place like this rather a gym because of my severe anxiety symptoms.

Secondly, I also got severe heart palpitations after going on metoprolol. Two months off it, I still get them but not so severe.

Finally, if you do go off the metoprolol and still have high bp, ask your doc about using the water pill only. The side effects are low, and I recall reading an article that drug companies don't make money off the water pill, so they keep pushing these new drugs. It also said docs should try the water pill alone first, and if that doesn't work, then use it in conjunction with another drug. I have 2 girlfriends who were put on other drugs first, the when it didn't work, they were given the water pill with the other drug, there bp finally dropped back to normal levels.

REPLY

Was this helpful? 0

Bee,
It's sad, but there are lots of people who do good diet and do that needed exercise, but as they age, they end up with high blood pressure, even if it isn't in their family. Hopefully, your diet and exercise will get that pressure down where you don't have to take the medication. People who have stopped, say they are experiencing the withdrawal symtoms. I can tell if I'm a few hours late taking my pill, so I'm not sure I want to stop it ever LOL
I'm thinking it's all the chemicals in our food, that causes half our health problems. Not a thing we did wrong except trust the food to be good for us.

REPLY

Was this helpful? 1

Susie..
I have had no idea what a drug was as I was so fortunate in that I never had to take one most of my life .. But when I approached 58 years old I got the high blood pressure.. I have really watched what I ate and became mostly vegetarian for 20 years and used to drink wheatgrass and do a bunch of things for my health.. I cut out sugar and processed foods and fast food.......but I believe it was from stress and lack of exercise so immediately the doctors pull out the drugs.. you know most of the drugs never really worked for me.. yeah; maybe a little but I had to change my diet, exercise and lose weight and add vitamins and supplements... So I said why am I on this drug.. It doesn't even seem to work and besides one can always go back on drugs if needed .. Its tougher to get off..

REPLY

Was this helpful? 0

Jane.. I was asking about if someone is weaning off can they exercise.. I am weaning off and that is what I am wondering about... I read so many things that say don't exercise when weaning off of a beta blocker.. you are still on yours I see.
I am 60 and been a vegetarian with fish most of my life and now yes I take Taurine and also drink camomille tea.......I have read though that Hawthorne interacts with a beta blocker .. maybe your low dose its okay...
I have heard that 5htp is good for anxiety and Gabba although I haven't used any of that yet.. I do take b12 for that along with the tea and I also meditate and do anxiety stress relief tapes from utube..

REPLY

Was this helpful? 0

Bee,
I thought he was doing what they do with all the popular medicines LOL. Just prescribe it for everything. Lyrica is different cause there aren't very many people who say it even works for anything.

REPLY

Was this helpful? 0

I exercise regularly by walking for about an hour most days without any problems. I am 61.
I only eat meat once or twice a week. I eat fish a couple of times a week. Oily fish like salmon or sardines. I take magnesium also plus other vitamins and garlic,hawthorn,taurine,passionflower and camomile. Some of these are for anxiety as well as BP.
Im still taking 25mg metoprolol in the morning and another 25mg in the evening.
So far so good.

REPLY

Was this helpful? 0

oh; I am sorry forgot to clarify .. he put me on for high blood pressure but as soon as I said I have anxiety also he said oh; you must have tachycardia.. what? my heart test showed nothing like that but I just said to him oh; I have some anxiety .So hbp and anxiety equals a beta blocker I am assuming.... man was I stupid. I never had a palpitation in my life.. didn't even know what it was until now.

REPLY

Was this helpful? 0

Bee,
I'm confused. Your doctor put you on metropolol for anxiety? I get confused because like with gabapentin, I thought it was originally marketed as a anti-depressant, I thought metropol was for high blood pressure and for irregular heart beat. Lyrica has been remarketed.
It just confuses me when they seem to be using a drug for all sorts of different things. It isn't aspirin.

REPLY

Was this helpful? 0

Hello
I wanted to also say that when I was put on metropolol I never had a palpitation in my whole life.. I was doing fine walking two miles a day, eating right, I lost 35 lbs.. As soon as I told the doctor I had anxiety bam he puts me on this drug.. I didn't read the side effects and from last post had said been weaning off now since last end of Feb. Beginning of last March........Now down to 37 miligrams from 100... All through this journey though I have had palpitations on and off and now like I said never had this in my entire life.. but now I am 60... I have read it could be the drug or other things.. I also don't eat meat and take supplements . I also take 900 miligrams of magnesium and haven't had any palpitations since last May but woke up last night with racing heart..........I also wanted to ask if anyone has exercised or done light walking while getting off of this drug... The doctor said it was okay but a few of them gave me the wrong info .. I also have read in various places that one should not exercise and disturb the heart while weaning off this drug... some days I try and walk a little but I get scared ..........Does anyone know about the exercise ...thank You

REPLY

Was this helpful? 0

thanks Jane but I think I spoke too soon...........I was on 37 miligrams and doing okay .. the other night my heart rate went down and I took it as a sign to go down in some more milligrams.. So I tried 25 miligrams for two days and I went out for awhile and at about 5:30 pm heart rate went up ... This didn't happen before so I am now thinking I might not be ready for the 25 miligrams.. I base it all on how I feel and not the generic formula the doctors seem to lump everyone in..my whole life and its getting more frustrating and its been like I said since last end of Feb. Beginning Of March.................so once again I might have to go back up again.. going to wait it out another day ... Its not that I don't care about the time it takes to get off but I don't have a good doctor right now who will help and I will probably run out of medication again .. I dread the going to the doctors and feeling abused by them.. thank You for listening.

REPLY

Was this helpful? 0

Im taking it slowly. Bee your story has been very enlightening. I will let you know how things progress. Thanks all.

REPLY

Was this helpful? 0

Jane
Just wondering how it's going?

REPLY

Was this helpful? 0

Ive been on metrol for 17 years, no problems even if i miss my med.

REPLY

Was this helpful? 0

Jane, I workout with physiologists at hospital wellness center 2x a wk for folks going through heart or pulmonary rehab. I feel better after I excersize. If you get into something like this, it can be a good place of support.

REPLY

Was this helpful? 1

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...

REPLY

Was this helpful? 1

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.

REPLY

Was this helpful? 2

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!!!

REPLY

Was this helpful? 3

Jane, let me know what they say OK?

REPLY

Was this helpful? 0

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

REPLY

Was this helpful? 0

My Dr. told me I can just quit the metoprolol, my heart rate sometimes dips into low 40's for a few seconds at night...

3 REPLIES

So I was prescribed Metoprolol for high BP and have taken it for a total of about 8 years. It was horrible in the beginn...

20 REPLIES

My son had a terrible experience on wyvance. He has phyciatic systems to include halluciations. The doctor took him off ...

429 REPLIES

I have been in pain management for years, lost my doctor along with other patients, and primary won't fill or says s...

299 REPLIES

I have been on kolonopin 1 mg daily for 14 months now I am depressed and very anxious most of the time I want to get off...

292 REPLIES

How long before muscle aches and weakness subside after discontinuing Lipitor ## Had been on 10mg for 4 years. recently ...

204 REPLIES

I have been taking 200 mg. a day for about 4 years. I thought it was a coincidence that I've lost 50% of my hair dur...

165 REPLIES

I have been on Vyvanse for 4 weeks and I am now tapering off. I was going to quit cold turkey , but I wke up this mornin...

159 REPLIES

I started Metoprolol this Monday after the cardiologist prescribed it because of being in the ER with extremely fast hea...

103 REPLIES

I have been on stelaine for 25 years with short breaks but I am trying to stop it and getting nasty withdrawal effects. ...

87 REPLIES