Metoprolol Withdrawal (Page 28)

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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Hey Tony and DJS! Yeah, I'm finally getting back to being myself once again, which is probably the reason I'm not posting here much these days. As I said earlier, I'm still having a heart palp every once in a while, but as long as I avoid the primary triggers such as alcohol and caffeine, I get along pretty well. I expect to have the palpitations for a while since I've experienced this type of thing before, but they'll likely become fewer and further between with time. All I can say is that I'm very thankful to have become Metoprolol-free once and for all! It was by far the worst experience in my life. Funny thing is, I never quite realized how much I enjoyed a good adrenaline buzz.......LOL. That's something that the 'M' took away from me, and it's only a natural thing to have your adrenaline running at an all-time high when you're doing a good workout, or playing music, or just enjoying life in general. Like Boydage's experience, it feels good to be laughing once again! You just gotta be careful with this stuff, though, for I found out the hard way that it can indeed become a life-threatening matter if one doesn't wean off of it carefully.

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Hi boydage, glad you are regaining your life again. Just be careful about abrupt medication changes. In some people, it can be dangerous.

Weening might be the safer way to go, even if the temptation to quit cold turkey is great. Be careful my friend.

Also, it's good to see jimbo and others are doing well. I been doing ok. Just still weening lorazepam. I get some muscle pains from it here and there when I reduce it.

And remember guys, take 4 grams of fish oil a day. Nix the 6, eat the 3!

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Hi! I just read with interest the replies. Jimbo what happened to you when you went cold turkey off the M? I am into day two and came off 47mg a day cold. I smashed my shoulder late last year and introduced narcotics into my already problematic pill taking routine. I got support and did actually go cold turkey off the narcotics and then decided the benzos needed to go as well. I went through some days of anxiety and one panic attack. But then things began to get better. I started sleeping a few hours a night which increased to three then four.

Two months later I was totally clean of drugs except for Metaprolol, Amlodopine and Candesarten. I was exercising, riding my mountain bike and rowing. I started actually taking larger risks on my bike to try and obtain the "rush" from adrenaline that I used to get. They never came. As mentioned previously, I was not laughing like I used too. Life actually began to look like it was better when I was on painkillers.

I think in the old days they used to lobotomise people. Now days they prescribe Metaprolol. Now I don't know about the professional advice but I have personally experienced cold turkey and have seen others do it with benzos, alcohol, narcotics. Can withdrawals kill you? Or is it better to stop poisoning yourself as soon as possible? I guess a monitoring of BP is very necessary but exercise was key for me. I am interested to see what my GP thinks who so easily kept pushing me to take Metaprolol. I wont go near it again.......ever.

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Umm how exactly does one take 47 mg a day of metoprolol ? 50 mg but 47?

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That dose must be incorrect. Its 50mg or 25 mg of the Metoprolol succ ER..
Jimbo, Tony glad all going well ,welcome Boydage. Agree Metnis culprit in my hair loss. Will try to get off after my surgery. No time to be changing drugs when going under anesthesia!! Nice to see some new folks here too.

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Hi DJS. I just checked. AFT-Metoprolol CR comes in 23.75mg or 47.5mg. Weird dose, especially to me an engineer who likes round numbers. Anyway. I am going out right now to deliberately scare myself on a mountain bike to see how it feels. My brain is running rapidly yet BP has not changed. Interesting withdrawals.

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Boydage, I was in a bit of a hurry to get off the Metorprolol when I realized it wasn't working for me any longer. I initially went cold turkey for about 36 hours before I had one of the worst angina episodes I've ever had. I went into the ER because of it. I then discovered this website and realized that I'd have to wean myself off of the drug. I then tried to taper my doses too quickly and found myself in the ER once again after thinking I could simply quit. I had a total of three ER trips, and all three times they found nothing wrong with me. As it was, I probably still tapered a bit too quickly before quitting once and for all, for I had a pretty horrible withdrawal period before I started feeling better. Of course, we're all different, and many of us are much more sensitive to drugs than others, so some folks just have a much easier time for whatever reason. I just happen to be very sensitive to any drug. I'm not sure if this helps, but you can always dig back into the previous posts here to find what some of us have gone through. I think I initially posted around mid May, and I was literally going through hell for the entire month of May as well as June. It wasn't until we got well into July before I started feeling better.

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Boydage I bet my 25 mg disecreally isn't 25mg! Enjoy both me ride adrenalin high! If not for surgery I'd be changing my Metop started for tachycardia!

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This drug should be banned. Any medication that is designed so that you can't get off of it without a seriously dangerous reaction should not be approved. Plus, prescribing it as a blood pressure medicine is wrong since it isn't effective for this use. Not only did my BP fluctuate dangerously on this medicine, the side effects were paralyzing. I was prescribed Metroprolol when my blood pressure began to skyrocket randomly in the evenings. I was taking 10mg Lisinopril with 12.5 HCZ along with 60 mg of Armour Thyroid at the time and had been on this same dose for 4 years with zero side effects or problems. Sadly, my doctors didn't take the time to THINK about what might be happening with me and instead, opted for the "lets give her more drugs" approach. They stopped the Lisinopril, tried Amlodopine (which made my hands and face puff up) then they gave me Metroprolol plus Chlorthalidone which did not work, my BP continued to spike and in addition, it gave me chest pains, irregular "thumping" heartbeat and dizziness but the doctor told me "stay on it, you're just adjusting to the dose". I suggested lowering the thyroid medicine and he said no, it's not that "your numbers are normal". One ER visit resulted in adding Potassium since now that was low.They also gave me 10 mg of Lisinopril in the ER which immediately brought down my BP!!! After 4 months of feeling like crap, having my BP continue to fluctuate, having all kinds of side effects and being in and out of the ER 10 times, I gathered my lab results and noticed my thyroid numbers had gone from the Hypo range to the Hyper range. Against my doctors advice, I began to drop my thyroid dose 15 mg at a time and got new labs every 4 weeks. I asked to stop the Metoprolol every time and he said no although it hadn't ever controlled my BP. I stopped the chlorthalidone and added the 10 mg Lisinopril back in. My BP began to stabilize a bit but I still felt like crap. Last visit I just insisted I had to get off the Metoprolol and he finally agreed to try that as well as stopping the Armour.I began to cut back the Metroprolol. Each time I reduced the dose there would be a day (usually day 3) of feeling like crap with BP spikes and racing pulse, but nothing too dangerous thank GOD. I weaned very slowly. 100mg to 75mg for a week or so (I had all of the pills on hand sadly) and then 50mg for a couple of weeks. Then I got some 25 mg pills and split those taking 1 1/2 for a week, then 1 then a half. The big step was stopping all together which I'm doing now. I'm on day 6 with no Metroprolol. Day 4 was bad but day 5 was good and fter the adjustment day mt BP always returns to the normal range. I'm now taking 10mg of Lisinopril. ONE pill instead of 5. I've lost 6 months of my life to this drug and am terrified at the idea that it has caused any permanent damage. I can't wait until it is out of my body completely. I have had to cancel life due to the BP spikes caused by the Metoprolol. I don't leave the house without my BP cuff and bottle of Lisinopril "just in case". How sad is that. I'm actively looking for a new doctor as well. Hard to find one that isn't a "pill pusher".

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Anita, I'm sry you are struggling so much. I can certainly feel your pain. These drugs can certainly become paralyzing. And too many drugs can make it tough to figure out what's causing what. I'm glad lisinopril is good to u, it sucks for me.

I had similar issues with amlodipine. The thumping was annoying. Especially during intercourse. It was ridiculous.

Metoprolol is an excellent drug for some but I agree that it can also be a nightmare. It was awful for me too. Caused my liver to enlarge until I stopped it. And yes, my now x cardiologist tried to get me to take more too. Sad.

You are smart to find a better doctor. I don't blame you. Far too many are definitely pill pushers.

I really hope things improve dramatically for you. These issues can be so scary. I can't tell you how many times I get concerned when I feel something strange. I'll be pulling for you.

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Anita, I can also understand the ridiculous need to Carry around your Bp cuff. I have done the same thing out of fear of some huge spike like I had match 7th. Mine was in the 200's.

I know many people have different aporoaches to solving their Bp issues. And some people will be on meds to manage it forever. But I would like to share my experience on this issue.

Earlier this year, my Bp was way high, averaging 297/120. Obviously I needed Bp medication. But sadly nothing I have taken has worked well with me. Losartan really lowered it but effected my breathing. Lisinopril worked too but I reacted severely to it. After dieting and watching carefully what I ate and being on a strict diet, my Bp is now around 130/83.

I lost 30 pounds so far since March. And i am on a high fat, low protein diet. Well, I don't mean I eat fat all day but I do eat 80% fat to about 10% protein. And I excercise at least every other day. I take vitamins and 4 g of fish oil a day. I also watch my electrolyte and potassium levels carefully. I think whether it's for everyone or not, I recommend reading dr Atkins: new diet revolution, even if you don't follow that diet. It's informative to say the least.

I do notice if I drink caffeine, overeat or take in any unnecessary salt, my Bp spikes to 155/90. So I don't do those things. And it stays pretty good. I prefer the strictness and self discipline over the drug since so many caused me bad side effects. It was a personal choice. Granted my food choices suck bad, just today for lunch I had only 4 deviled egg halves and diet rite pure zero. I don't even drink any diet sodas with caffeine or sodium. So it sucks bad. But health wise, I'm getting stronger daily.

I know it's not for everyone but I can honestly say since I'm a diabetic , that book has saved my life. My sugar right now is about 86. Perfect.

Anyway, I'm pulling for everyone of you but if u are a diabetic or overweight , but that book. Best wishes to all of you.

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I meant 197/120, not 297. I guess my thumbs are in the way.

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Hi Tony, Yes this has been a very frustrating ride. I'm paranoid now that I'm going to end up in the ER almost daily. Coming out of the Pharmaceutical rabbit hole is rough. I'm angry now every time I see a drug commercial on TV. My doctor should have noticed that my Thyroid levels were off. At least at some point in the 6 months of struggle. I'm grateful that the Lisinopril works for me and quickly. It's saved my life, literally. The more I read the more I get angry. Metoprolol is on the top 100 drugs prescribed in the US and much of it made in India? When did big pharm get the doctors in their pocket to the degree that they hand out drugs like candy? When did they stop paying attention to us patients? If you're not doing your own research and checking for drug interactions, you might be in grave (no pun intended) danger. I am trying to stay hopeful that the worst is behind me and trust my body again to know what to do after these horrible drugs interfered with it. I'm suspicious now also about telling any doctor about "family history" since it seems that may be handing them a short cut to medication. "oh, hypertension runs in your family? here take this medication". Reading the posts has helped immensely too, since the doctors will tell you to "just stop" taking drugs rather than wean off slowly. I know one thing is that I will never take my health for granted again.

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Anita, I feel for you. I've had many of the same feelings about doctors and about the life I was living with prescription drugs that were creating havoc on my system. Of all the doctors I've seen, only one young female ER doctor actually understood what the Metroprolol was doing to me. The rest just wanted to prescribe more meds. Pretty pathetic, isn't it? I'm actually free of any prescription drugs these days, thank God! And, today I'm feeling better than I've felt in years. Just know I'm pulling for you, too, as I'm sure we all are!

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Hi Jimbo, Can you tell me, were you able to go back to your pre-Metoprolol self? I'm at day 8 off completely and i'm beginning to wonder if my body will ever be normal again. My pulse just goes up at the slightest thing and my BP still fluctuates more than what I would expect. I've had a couple of days with perfect BP since stopping the M which is encouraging, but then I have a day like yesterday and I start to get depressed, wondering if I can ever have a life and do normal things again without this medication interfering. It's disabled me for 6 months now, all because the drug-doctor prescribed it for blood pressure, and I do not have a heart condition. I didn't before anyway. How long did it take to get out of your system do you recall? It's easier to deal with this if there's a time frame to "hang in there" with. I am seeing another new doctor in a couple of weeks, it will be interesting to get his viewpoint on my situation. I will keep looking until I find someone who understands what's going on and actually wants to provide care, if they still exist. Thank you for your support. It's almost surreal to be in this position, I've always been active and healthy. To be taken down by a medication boggles my mind.

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Hi Anita. I am into day 7(?) now after dropping M cold turkey. I am still getting the buzzing in my head. Still feel like my BP is high but when I check it my BP is fine. But every day if I analyse each morning, I feel a little better. I am unsure about your full situation but can only say that I am actually feeling more alive? Whilst I am going through some nasty withdrawals, I have noticed in a raw sense that things are becoming more apparent. Clearer. I am laughing again. Hang in there my friend. Withdrawals are tough. One thing I know is the rehab centres start programs at 28 days. 28 days seems to be a turning point for addictions. Try to exercise, eat well, keep talking to your friends. It will get better :-)

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Hi Boydage, Thank you for your comments. The buzzing in my head is so bizarre. It feels the same whether my BP is high (I used to know if it was high by the pressure in my head) but now the M seems to have changed that to a funky feeling in my head whether it's high, fine or low. It all feels the same and it's not good. I'm on day 9. My pulse is calming down a little, but the BP is still all over the map. I'm trying to manage it and stay out of the ER until I can see a new doctor next week. It blows my mind that I'm in this situation. For 5 years I took my medicine (combined 10 Lisonpril/12.5 hydrochlorathiazide) in the morning and got on with my life. No issues, no side effects. This past 6 months has been terrifying largely due to the Metoprolol. I really don't know where I am now, I just want to be back where I was before with a life that doesn't revolve around a BP cuff. It's hard to tell yet what's rebounding and what's a need for actual doses of medicine to control it. Thank you for your support, this is such a bizarre situation. I still get the occasional chest twinge which tells me the stuff is still in my body. That and an occasional random pulse of 67. My resting pulse now is closer to 75 I think. I am trying to be hopeful. It really helps to hear your experiences. Thank you!

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Hi Anita , I see you are having a hard time. I'm sorry to hear that. Many of us can relate. It's extremely scarey when it's heart related. And for some people, myself included, metoprolol can be really bad and make things worse.

It's funny really, for other people it can be a great drug with less issues than most but like you, it was rough on me.

The main thing is to stay calm. Which is really hard to do I know. But stay calm. Of course see a doctor if you feel u need to. Erring on the side of caution is always best. But stay calm.

Metoprolol takes about a week to clear the body. But for some on here who took it for a while, there is an ongoing adjustment period while your body gets use to life without it. But it will get better.

Get into a doctor and discuss your issues and try and get your Bp under control and stay calm. Anxiety will certainly make things worse. You will make it through this.

I'm pulling for you. We all are.

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Thank you Tony, I have never, ever had a medication with this many side effects. There were immediate issues when I started taking it, problems while taking it and now, residual issues to deal with. It's unbelievable. I appreciate your support. I told my doctor that I am very sensitive to medications up front and he truly ignored me. He ignored the side effects of the Metoprolol (chest pains and spiking blood pressure) and told me to stay on it. It was me who finally insisted I stop taking it and he agreed, telling me to just stop "I probably wouldn't notice". How crazy is that? And to someone he is treating for hypertension! Anyway, day 10 was better than day 9, Today I started up again with my old medication and the only issue was a very reactive heart rate. It just goes up there if I barely move. I hope this will go away since one of the things I need to keep up is exercise, but how do you do that if you're afraid of your heart rate? I'm trying to stay calm, and yes, it is hard. I just look for small improvements each day (like no chest pains today) to let me know it's working its way out of my body. Thank you again for your support.

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Anita, sorry for my late reply, but it seems that you're going through a similar process as I did. For several weeks it seemed that I'd never get back to being myself again, but I eventually did, so keep your hopes up. I can relate, for I know exactly what you're going through. The overall weaning process and withdrawal was about a two-month ordeal for me. I started tapering off the Metoprolol sometime around mid-May while quitting entirely on June 10th. After about 10 days I slipped and took about a 1/2 tab one evening followed by another 1/2 tab the next morning, but I went cold turkey again after that. It took me about another 10 days before I started feeling somewhat normal again, but even at that I still had occasional heart palpitations, chest pressure, and vertigo (dizziness). I still can't say that I'm 100% back to feeling normal, but I'm almost there. Since I seem to have a rather unusual sensitivity to drugs that affect my central nervous system, I anticipate that I'll continue to feel an occasional twinge from time to time for perhaps another few months - I don't know - but only time will tell. For the most part, though, I'm back to doing all of the things I did prior to starting the Metoprolol over two years ago. In fact, I'm basically feeling better than I have since that time. My adrenaline has kicked in again, I have more energy, and my mind is feeling as sharp as ever. You'll get there, but as Tony said, you just need to remain as calm as you possibly can while also having the patience to get through it all. It's a rough ride, but you'll make it!

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