Metoprolol Withdrawal (Page 16) (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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Hi, had my heart attack last year, stented and discharged. Prescribed 47.5mg MS. Weird thing is like most here, experienced the side effects, and felt my health getting slowly worse. Last month decided to quit MS, decided to quit cold turkey. I like many here have had the withdrawal side effects. Being 50 and generally fit, I battled through this. On reflection is not a good move and suggest those who are considering the move to read this thread, seek medical advise, and take small steps.
Anyway, now feel much, much, better.
Some suggestions, I did, which may help others.
1. Quit smoking (10 month now).
2. Quit Drinking - Full stop, No Alcohol at all.
3. Quit Soda's and soft drinks sugary type. Occasional Diet drink, though very seldom.
4. Quit Dairy products, will try and avoid as much as possible.
5. Try to avoid processed foods, snacks, ham/turkey/sausage, cheese, crackers, cookies etc.
6. Changed diet from almost 80% meat to now 90% vegetarian. Minimal consumption of cooking oils.
7. Reduced food intake to 1 x meal per day. Fasting between meals. Desert is fresh fruit.
8. Drinks are water/soda water with slight taste flavour added.
9. Exercise, for me about the same.

In addition to quitting MS, I've also quit the statins. Kind of looking at myself as a type of experiment. I'm happy with the blood results, and will see what results will be 3 month time.

Wishing all here, good health, and success.

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I have been on Metoprolol for a little over a year now. Most people report that they are taking 50mg twice a day but I was only taking 50mg once a day. Until recently I did not realize what a dangerous drug this is. I have experienced many side effects over the last year not realizing that this drug was at the root. On three separate occasions I have experienced partial loss of site, I feel extremely run down and also noticed that I have been unable to take a deep breath. Recently my doctor decided to take me of this medication and change to a none Beta Blocker. He told me to take the 50MG Metoprolol every other day to wean me off the drug and then start the new medication. On day three my blood pressure shot up and I was having heart erythema. A short while later I began experiencing major anxiety attaches. People need to know that Beta Blockers are extremely dangerous and the more that I find out the scarier it gets. It appears that most of the doctors that are prescribing these drugs no very little about them. Specially when a patient needs to come off of them. Coming off of a Beta Blocker to quickly or Cold Turkey could actually give you a Heart attack. I have found that the doctors are quick to prescribe beta blockers for high blood pressure as a first choice. This drug is generally prescribed to someone who has already had a Heart Attach to prevent another event. BEWARE !!! If you have a doctor that blows off these side effects it is time to look for a different doctor. I am currently in the process of weaning myself off of this drug by cutting from 50MG to 25MG for two weeks and then to 12MG for two weeks and them off completely. I am currently in the 25MG faze. Not quite a week yet but my blood pressure has stabilized, the Angina has stopped and the Anxiety attaches are fewer and shorter. I am starting to feel better. People tell you to consult with your doctor and I have found out that the doctor wants to take no responsibility to help you get off of this prescription that he was so quick to put you on. I also found that after trying to talk to a several different pharmacists about possible ways to wean off of Metoprolol they all declined to give any advice at all. Why are there no a tone of Lawsuits against the drug manufacturers that produce this drug ??? I do have one piece of advice that I want to pass along. I have found that eating plenty of Bananas and Apples during this process had helped to stabilize my blood pressure. I can only guess that it is the potassium that is stabilizing my BP. I had a blood test but the doctor is not getting back to me with the results. Keep in mind that what you doctor doesn’t know can kill you!

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Hey JR! Thanks for asking! I don't get much anxiety anymore, but I have become very sensitive to certain things that can trigger anxiety, particularly caffeine. If I drink one cup of coffee, I can easily go into a mild anxiety attack. Two cups is almost unbearable. I just don't drink it any longer. Heck, just a few years ago I could drink a pot of coffee without any problems.

It appears as though you're still having a few anxiety issues. Sorry to hear that. I guess this drug can hang with us for a while. I know I'll never go on it again regardless of what may happen with my blood pressure. Although, everything has been pretty stable for about a year now. Hope you can get beyond it soon!

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I was on metoprolol for 20 years. Now off 14 months and still having anxiety problems, GI problems, even arthritic problems and depression. I occasionally have weeks of nausea still. I still have a high heart rate in the 80's and 90's; never had that before metoprolol.

There are days when I feel OK, but I am not back to normal yet. I have tried other BP drugs and they all give me intolerable side effects like nausea or depression. The only drug that works on m BP is a diuretic but it makes me so fatigued that I cannot use it.

After a year they found that I was anemic and have found an AVM in my small GI tract, which needs to be cauterized. I also had asthma like conditions, which I never had, with chest pain upon deep breathing. A month's worth of an inhaler has eliminated that.

I have cut out caffeine and soda, but the anxiety continues. Lorazepam helps but it is losing its effectiveness over time.

Anything medicinal, even vitamin supplements, now comes with side effects.

I have read this thread many times and the advice here is excellent. Doctors, from cardiologists to endocrinologists never believe my story of such a lengthy withdrawal. They think it is psychological. Do not take that from any doctor. The withdrawal is real, worse than anything I ever experienced.

I have had anxiety in my 71 years, but nothing comparable with this withdrawal, that has lasted anywhere this long. While I was on M, I had a triple bypass. After many years, I saw that it never controlled my BP. Exercise did.

All doctors suggest I start beta blockers again. One suggested an alpha blocker, which works much like a beta blocker, cutting down on adrenalin. Do not listen to that advice. They cannot understand people like us who are sensitive to these drugs.

Metoprolol was OK for many years for me, but it turned quickly and badly, so be very careful. I had such extreme anxiety that I only tapered off for two weeks.

Hang in there. I know that I am the only person on this thread who has taken it for 20 years. There is another who took it for ten years. Both of us had withdrawal for at least a year. Hopefully, for most of you, it will take much less time. I have seen some feeling normal after just a few weeks, but often it returns after a week or two of feeling OK, so be prepared for intermittent withdrawal symptoms, too.

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Starry......yeah, the weaning process is the key element to safely getting off this drug. I'd only suggest that each time you cut back on your doses, it's a good idea to let the drug settle into somewhat of a stable state before cutting back on the next dose. The first few days are always the hardest after a cut, but then it seems to settle in a bit after that. Since I was working out on the road while not wanting to quit work during the weaning process, I decided to do a fast taper. That wasn't a good idea, for once I went cold turkey, I needed to take some time off anyway. So it goes, I guess. But hey, you'll get there eventually! I hope it goes well for you!

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Re: Matt (# 1824)


I haven't read about vagal nerve.

I am now 10 Months clean of BBs (I am not taking any other drugs anymore either).
Anxiety is way better now.
I am forcing myself into more and more light physical activities everyday.
I even started to run for a few minutes slowly (I was barely walking while on BBs for 2 years).
I feel almost normal for 99% of time, I live a normal life and I have almost forgot what I have been through on BBs and during a withdrawal.

I hope that you are better and I wish a good luck to all other posters here.
I hope that you will make it and live normal lives again.

Good luck

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So you remember me I will make a little review first. I stopped Metoprolol in April with the help of acupuncture. Big problems came 14 days after I stopped acupuncture. First took Magnesium Taurate and it helped for 14 days. Then the horrible side effects were back. Had a strong pressure on my breast and my heart beat was very hard. A friend told me to try vitamin-E, which I did. Then the pressure disappeared but the heart was still beating very hard sometimes during the day. I was afraid that would hurt my heart so for three days I started to take Hawthorn to calm my heart down. It has worked and I don´t have any side effects anymore. Now I am afraid it will return but am happy that my heart is normal now. Metoprolol is a very dangerous drug and the doctors seem not to understand what they are doing when given it to many people. In Sweden where I live, the doctors are forbidden to give any other medication than what the drug company makes. So when taking Magnesium, vitamin-E and Hawthorn I am on my own, but have gotten much help from Medschat and my friends back home.

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Joni, is the Labetalol really a much higher dose? I'm not familiar with Labetalol, but the reason I ask is because the higher number of milligrams doesn't necessary mean a significant increase in dosage from your Metoprolol 25mg. Different drugs can come with huge differences in weight, but sometimes the actual effective dosage can be very much the same.

I'm also wondering about the blood pressure fluctuations? Something must be causing this to happen, and often times it's caused by the change in a person's weight or even diet. When I first discovered that I was having problems with Metoprolol, I eventually realized that it was the weight I lost that caused my blood pressure to drop below normal levels as well as having elevated spikes. I eventually found that I needed to get off of the beta-blockers once and for all.

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I have been off of it two weeks now and still same short of breath,fast heart beat, but ifEEUN I went back to the doctor he would want me to go back on it. I talked to him on the phone.No way after two weeks. There should be something to take for withdrawal.

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My Dr. prescribed metro polo and I found out that my breathing problems were a result of this drug. It shouldn't be taken if you have asthma, which my Dr. is well aware of. Changed Dr.'s immediately.

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This is Tasha again ... Still no better... It has been about 2 months now. Heart rate always over 100,,, Confused & vision problems. Unstable on my feet & have collapsed as I did the previous time I went off of it, Believe me though due to my Essential Tremor & now after having been on it since 1990 @ 100 mg - 200 mg a day I would Surely welcome having it again, withdrawal is hell ... But, sometimes you do Need certain medications...Unfortunately for me this is one & I can no longer
obtain it being out of The States... Sad @ times to be out of the country & away from our medical system. People talk about the medical system in Canada...Don't believe it. In general Drs. don't accept patients.

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My last post was May 25. I have not been myself sense I got off Metoprolol March 6th. 5 months ago. Mostly weakness and short of breath. It has just ruined my life. I will never be the same. I know it reacts on everyone diferently but I see from all the posts there are a lot alike. I hope most of you can get over yours but I have lost all hope now.

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I was off of it for well over 6 months one time before. It didn't get any better. I require the medication now. %This time I can't Wait to get back on it. I just can't as I am out of the country & my insurance won't cover me here. I simply hope & pray I don't have a heart attack or a stroke.

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Hi Ruby, I hope you're feeling better. This drug is indeed horrible. I've only been on it for a month. While on it my blood pressure was higher. Heart rate in the 100's. Trouble sleeping, headaches, fatigue etc. I decided to stop taking it cold turkey 3 days ago partly because of my side effects and mostly because of all the side effects I read about online. It raises triglycerides and can cause Type II Diabetes which I already have family history of. Last night was one of the worse nights I've ever had. After I went to bed I was itchy all over, not a normal itch but an itch that went all the way to my ear drums. I felt like things were crawling on me and in my ears. I also had severe restless legs. I ended up sitting up all night long miserable. This is a very dangerous drug and it makes me furious that the doctor prescribe it like it's candy. Anyway, I hope you're doing better.

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Thanks Becky,
You want believe this. I was so out of breath for so long from getting off Metoprolol that about 3 weeks ago I had to go to emergency from being so short of breath. There they found four blood clots on my lungs due to a blood clot in my leg that I had not had any effects from. I am sure there wasn't any connection but I had over looked the short of breath blameing it on my withdrawal that I almost waited too long to. I am better but I still have some effects from the Metoprolol. Guess I always will.

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Hi John, it took me over a week to get my heart rate back to normal range. It didn't race all the time but I had some over 100 and then it would go down, then up again. I found some supplements that seem to help keep my blood pressure down, one is Standard Process Cardio Plus and I take Blood Pressure support and Omega Q Plus from Dr. Stephen Sinatra. Both are on Amazon. Dr. Sinatra is an intergrative cardiologist. He believes in natural methods of healing first and drugs second. He is a great resource. Also try to eat potassium rich foods and limit sodium. Potassium needs to be 4 times higher than sodium for proper balance. These things have helped so much. A few days after getting off Metoprorol I had readings of 177/117, scary, now the top number is almost always under 120 and bottom in the 70's. I still take a diuretic and Lisinopril, hoping to get off those eventually. Hope this helps.

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Yes I did John. You can tell it's high just by the way you feel. The blood pressure monitor just confirms it. Hang in there, it will get better!

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It is me again. My first post was May 25 th. Then again March 10-21-26 and last Sept 10. I still have a feeling left from the withdrawal from Metoprolol that hasn't left me. Although it has been near 6 months. Like I said in September, it nearly caused me to go too long with the blood clots on my lungs because I had been so short of breath after I got off of it. I do feel better at times but like I have said before. I blame my health right now on it because I had 4 years of it in my system. William, I don't think cold turkey or gradually makes much difference from what I have read.

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For me it lasted a week or so along with a racing heartrate when I stood but took a month for it to be completely outta my system but everyone's different

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Ok, this is actually Rick, not Right...I was in quite a fog and stress when I posted the last comment. 6 hours of blood work, u.a's, EKG's, CAT Scans, BP, Heart Rate analysis...as well as IV's of fluids, magnesium and potassium. Everything comes back to this...my Doctor dangerously weaned me Metoprolol. The ER Dr's couldn't understand her reasoning, nor why she never asked to see me once she realized something was wrong. BUT....good news. The ER staff at Johnson Memorial were amazing...very smart, very friendly, informative, etc. I really loved these folks...they were so good to me. I am back on my regular dose of metoprolol for the time being...they referred me to a Doctor who would help wean me off it in a much safer, pleasant way...a much more patient approach. I'm home. I'm in bed. I feel better than I have in days, though I'm not ready to go jogging or golfing just yet. As Toni said to me...don't wait...I literally could have had a heart attack and I'm so glad the results came back that I did not. My vitals were out of control! Don't trust your doctor if you think they're wrong...go to an ER and get checked out. They will figure out what's ailing you and get you back to feeling well. I'm SO glad I went today. God only knows what would have happened if I waited it out another day.

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