Metoprolol Withdrawal (Page 22)

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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Yeah it is a rough drug and like I mentioned, even with smaller dosages it still can be rough. It is built up in your system. So it will still be rough until you are completely done. You just have to go easy and be careful. Even at slightly over 7 mg twice a day, I felt pain in my chest. It will take being completely off for a week to notice a real significant improvement. As long as it's in your system, it will fight you. Just go easy. Talk to your doctor if it gets too concerning.

I'm still weening off lorazepam. I'd love to quit today but I can't. Every time I go too fast, my heart flutters and does scary things so I have to go really slow. There is nothing you can do but go easy. And you are right, metoprolol plays with your mind because it's impacting your heart. Anything heart related is scary. It will get better. Just talk with your doctor if you have any concerns but in my experience, it took a week after being completely done before it left my system and it was an amazing difference. Everyone responds differently to drugs but I feel confident better days are ahead for you.

When I felt pain in my chest while walking when I was on it, I had to sit and go slow and not force it or it can make u sore. My heart even raced a little too here and there. Your body has gotten used to the drug and now its fighting. Go easy my friend and see your doctor if you get too worried.

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Yeah, if you are taking this for Bp control , be careful of Bp rebounding effect and make sure your doctor is aware and make sure your take care. Don't want your Bp getting too elevated. Go easy buddy. It is a scary drug.

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Yeah, Tony, going slow and easy seems to be the key, especially for those of us who have a high sensitivity to this drug. I was hoping to go for a week on a 12.5mg 2x/daily routine before dropping my dosage again, but I'll undoubtedly need to go 10 days or perhaps a full two weeks. As of today I'm on day 6, so I'm getting there. The chest pain is still there to some degree, but not as bad as it was. I can walk for about 20 or 25 minutes every day now, where as just a week ago I couldn't walk any further than 500 or 600 feet.

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Jimbo.
Have you checked into any of the natural supplements or tried any?
I am swearing by magnesium now along with the other things I take.. I have not had one palpitation in months and I would get a lot with taking the (M).. Yes its a very scary drug..
I feel so good being able to walk around, take walks and do normal things without side effects and not having my heart rate go bonkers.. No dizziness and no crazy stuff .. fingers crossed LOL

You will get there.............If I did it anyone can as my weaning was a nightmare and even after it was a nightmare.............

take care

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Hi Bee! Yes, I've been taking magnesium along with other natural supplements on a regular basis. They do seem to be helping in keeping many of the side effects to a minimum. I haven't begun taking the Hawthorn yet, but I intend to do so once my pulse rate and BP stabilize to a point where I don't need to worry about either going too low. The good news is that my BP has generally stabilized to around 110/70, and I haven't had a single high blood pressure spike since I've gone to a 12.5mg dosage. I found that rather strange since I've still had many of the other side effects still occurring (chest pain, anxiety, dizziness, tingling, etc.). All in all, though, things are getting better.

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Today is day eight completely off Metoprolol. Still a little up and down. Overall feeling good. Still a little low on energy, a few little headaches, still getting some dizzyness. Had some heart rate racing late yesterday evening. Weird thing is each day it's something different or a combination of different side effects, but overall each day is a little better. I think I might write a book on the truth of Metoprolol for those after me. :)

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4th? Post. Just over 3 months on 50 % weaning:

This week I noticed I felt a bit weepy, short-tempered, angry. Strange as I can put Pollyanna in the shade when it comes to good spirits. I laugh all the time, even when by myself. I'm really happy. So I thought "let's see what the week brings, ride it out". Whilst I do feel responsible for my aged mother and that does come with its 'fallout' - so there were factors influencing me - not like this, surely. Today I sat in my car and cried - on a sunny day - and whilst with my best friends - my Labradors - who normally make me smile 24/7! I said to myself " this is so not me". I do feel a bit let down my brother is going on holiday and not coming for a family weekend where he could share the load but that does not account for my pathetic weeping. Ive cried a few tines today. Ridiculous! I am a strong person who skips through life! If I feel 'blue' once a year that's a lot.

My husband has been out working hard all day so I shook myself and sat and had a nice chat and latte with him and my mood brightened enormously. I feel almost myself again.

I am not a mood swing person! Is this Metroprolol withdrawal because trust me, I love life, I am super happy. I love my own company but today I felt "lonely". I'm laughing now saying this which is so odd as I felt inconsolable and full of anger earlier. I can't have this. I pride myself on loving life and laughing is almost a hobby! Perhaps I've passed through that phase now, fingers crossed.

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I am now off the medication metoprolol. I was taking 100 then it went to 50. The dr informed me to stop this week Wednesday . My blood pressure has been unpredictable because I have been in this drug for 2 years . I excercise daily and lost 17 lbs weight and still Losing. This is day 5 I feel tired some light headed headaches slight . Will this get better ? I say yes it's got to be better than drugs

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Percy,

I'm on day twelve of being off this terrible medication and I am feeling about 90%. Headaches are finally gone, dizzyness is mostly gone. Energy level has improve the last couple of days. Meds still fights my heart rate a little when I do my cardio, but over all feeling good.

Todf

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Any one having issues with irregular heart beat? I'm on day 14 off Metoprolol and been feeling good. Last night about an hour after working out I starting getting a irregular heart beat. Finally stopped around midnight, but started again this morning. I've had them in the past, but normally don't last this long. Waiting for a call back from the nurse.
Todd

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If you had these in the past then you might should have it checked out. I would go get an ekg done. They r pretty cheap. But certainly get your doctor to check you. If it's worrying you and your doctor can't see you, I'd consider going to the ER for safety and get evaluated. I'm not trying to scare you or anything but in my opinion, just err on the side of caution.

Never let stuff like this go if it's concerning. No harm in getting checked by professionals.

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I had an EKG and stress test about two months ago and everything was good. Still waiting to hear from my nurse.

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Todd... Anxious to hear further news about your irregular heart beat. Might still be residual drug in your system. Keep us posted.

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Doing better today just very tired. Irregular heart beat finally stopped sometime last night while sleeping. I was able to go for a walk late yesterday and even jogged a little hoping getting my heart rate up maybe it would stop the IHB. It didn't stop, but did seem to help in the discomfort. The nurse finally called me back at 5:20 pm yesterday and I missed the call. She basically stated the Doctor is not to concerned with the irregular heart beat and asked how my BP is doing. I some what understand what the doctor is saying since I've already had an EKG and stress test come back normal. It would be nice if the medical field would give some information on how to reduce the irregular heart beat. Did a little research yesterday and reading others post I will continue to adjust my diet to hopefully reduce the IHB.

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Todd.
go to health food store and ask them about Argenine and Hawthorn.. or google them and see if they help with the IH.. Not sure you can take Hawthorn if you are still on (M) but I did and nothing happened.. I now take Argenine and Hawthorn for prevention.. Hawthorn can def. work for IH... it wont hurt you as its a food grade herb.. You can also down the road check into cayenne pepper.. its good for the heart. Unfortunately I am allergic to cayenne so I don't use it..

I wouldn't be jogging right now if I were you..

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My 5th post. Status: 3 months weaning to 50 per cent dose. Now 50 mg per day. Taking Magnesium, Hawthorn. Doing the Water Cure (sea salt)

Last time I posted I talked about low mood and feeling lonely - a total opposite to my normal self and how I am. Thankfully that appears to have been a "phase". One that totally surprised me. I am now laughing and feeling like my normal very upbeat self again. Phew!

My confusion in all this has been: how do i differentiate between really having high BP and the M withdrawal symptoms. In other words, do tingly fingertips indicate high BP or withdrawal symptoms. Do palpitations indicate high BP or M withdrawal symptoms??? And so in with "discomfort in my chest area, nothing major just more than I've ever felt before. Odd twinges of this and that not experienced before. Hard to examine

I hadn't taken my BP for a few weeks and when I experienced palpitations I did wonder about the wisdom of me doing this weaning off all by myself (apart from the blog, and consultations with husband and brother).

Anyways, I focused yesterday. Stopped the avoidance and got the BP machine out. WHILST I had palpitations! I was a bit scared I'd get a sky high result. Had not taken BP since 20 May. I took it 3 times. It averaged around 145 over 80. Pulse around 69. I was very pleasantly surprised!!. I consulted with my brother, who knows a lot about health. He was impressed.

So the experiment goes on! My body doesn't feel as carefree re twinges and slight headaches as it did before weaning. Never had headaches before.

Anyways I am quite encouraged to persevere. My legs feel slightly free-er More mobility. I must must must start taking my Apple Cider soonest as well as those supplements mentioned above.

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Bee,

Thanks for the information. I've been off (M) for 15 days and other than the IH been doing good. I am still on Lisinopril for BP. I will check on the herbs, I started taking Fish oil, EPA and DHA Omega 3.

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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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Excellent CJ..................I must admit I am lax too with taking my blood pressure and too get scared.. everytime I look at that machine I get anxious and nervous so not sure I can get an accurate reading... But I still do the magnesium, Hawthorn and argenine and I also do the apple cidar vinegar.........ACV lowers bp also.
I tried the sea salt one day in water and my bp went down a lot.. I also take Alpha lopic acid and bp went down with that..............
soon you will be on all natural things ..

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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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