Metoprolol Withdrawal (Page 32)

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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Honestly Chris , after two weeks, you could cut it tomorrow right to 7.25 mg twice a day or whatever u feel comfortable doing. Stay there a week then drop again. After that short a time, I would be to worried but I'd still be safe.

This is just my personal opinion and not medical advice. But be certain it's safe for you to quit before doing so. It's best to talk to your doctor before making medication changes. Assuming it is safe and you know it is, it shouldn't be too hard to get off for now but it might be uncomfortable.

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Yes there is. Take at least 500 mg of milk thistle everyday. About a month after you are completely done taking metoprolol, you'll see your liver improve.

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Just cut it in half about once every 5-7 days and you'll be fine. Now if it's hurting your liver like it did me, I went a tad faster. I posted my schedule on one of my earlier posts exactly.

But still, safe and slow is always better unless u have an urgent situation.

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Tony I really thank you I just want to get off this med cause I have seen Alot of things on the internet about it And it really scare me and plus I still have a lil bit of palpitations and plus I just dnt want to be on something that I really dnt need to be on

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Eat lots of green " leafy"salads with high quality oil (olive, sesame, avocado, etc) Add some natural apple cider vinegar (Braggs or similar) Make a large salad that includes, seeds or nuts, herbs, spices, avocado..Any vegetable can be thrown in raw.Beets , mushrooms are among my favorites.
Eating less meat or dairy will also help heal the liver and kidneys
After 10 years on Toprol, I am about to reach my 1 year mark "off" it.I feel better than I have in years.No panic attacks, no heart palpitations. I am no longer dependent. Once I changed my diet, making certain I consumed a lot of magnesium rich foods, I slowly blossomed into the person I should have been 40 years ago?Happy, healthy and calm.
Debbie age 61

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Anytime Chris. Remember that weening off this drug will certainly have its challenges. It can be a tad scary. Just don't panic. Go slow and be calm.

I'm not sure what type of palpitations you are having since it's such a broad term but be certain its safe for you to quit. Metroprolol, I admit , is a very necessary drug for some people. I hated it and felt it was awful for me. But overall, beta blockers are generally reasonably safer compared to other options. That's is, if your body can handle them.

Anytime your heart is not going well, it's terrifying. It changes the way we go about everything. So I can understand your desire to get away from any extra problems. Just do it safely. You know your body the best.

And remember, eat the 3 and nix the 6.

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Debbiepa50 thanks for that but can I eat all that while I am in metoprolol are is it good to eat that while weening off of it

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Tony thanks and I wish I can talk to u over the phone cause it seem too me u know Alot and I know by me talking to someone that has been on it and finally off it I know it will keep me on a level head till I am completely off

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if you want to write me back, you r welcome to. {edited for privacy}. I'm not sure if I'm that much help but I'll be glad to share what little I know.

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Chris, as much as it sucks being dependent (addicted) on the Metroprolol, it sounds like you're on the right track. I should add that Tony's advice is great, too, for there's no doubt that he helped me when I was trying to get off of it. If you're on 12.5 mgs of the stuff now, you just need to keep weaning slowly until you're completely off of it. The key is to settle into each taper (drop in dosage) until it stabilizes. In other words, you'll likely want to split your 12.5 mg dose into half that amount to about 6 or 7 mgs, and go with that for another 10 days or two weeks. The difficult part is that your body will need to adapt to the lesser dosage for a few days, and it may feel like hell for the first two or three days until it does. Once you've acclimated well to the lesser dose, it might be possible to try going cold turkey, but if you're anything like me, you'll have to split that 6.25mg dose once again into about 3 mgs and run with that for another week or two. As Tony said, it's good to be safe, calm, and to be patient with your weaning process. Even after I was completely off of it, it still took another three weeks before I started feeling normal again. I've been off of it for over two months now, and I'm feeling better than I have for the last 2 1/2 years, so I know it can be done. Just don't go cold turkey until you feel good and ready to do so. The notion of slowly tapering and stabilizing is really what you need to keep aware of.

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Jimbo...thanks for giving status...it helps to know that eventually the withdrawals will be worth it

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Thanks Anita...today's kind of a rotten day, but again...your posts truly help...so glad to hear you're still doing better...gives hope :-)

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Toonces...it's hard but yes, keep at it. Many days were just "bad days" do get through. It's worth it to be free of this poison. You can do it! You can get off this drug and your body will be able to do what it did before you took it. It's a rough road getting off...but worth it.It takes longer than we want for sure, but just get through each day as best as you can and know that the day will come when you can feel like a "normal" person again. I am getting close to that. Im slowly doing more each day and feeling like I will make it. Be patient. It's worth it, the bad days will lessen and the good days will increase. I promise.

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Its been 2 months since ive been off metoprolol. Still getting high heart rate once in a while and still feel just off. Would it really take this long for my body to adjust being off it?

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I've been off almost 3 months and still have a few issues on occasion. especially if my diet not good.

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Jimbo thanks for that and I have only been on it for 2 weeks. Well this makes the 3rd week I have been on metoprolol tartrate 12.5 mg twice a day, but to be honest will it be hard for me to get off of this mess? I go to get a scan in two days and I already kno my heart and everything else is fine. It's just I have a problem with anxiety which I feel that is why I have heart palpitations.

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Today is 30 days off. I've been exercising and have my heart rate in the high 60s without the metoprolol. Today I had some chest twinges ... And my pulse rate is really volatile as in, goes up fast whenever I do anything. I'm not sure how much is withdrawal and how much is hyper awareness after the terror of this drug. I'm now aware of when anxiety is starting and am getting a handle on it with breathing and trying to relax. Why the hell do the doctors love this drug so much? It's poison! No way I would ever ever put a beta blocker in my system again. This has been hell. Overall I'm improving each day but those of us still getting off it, it takes sooooo long.

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Chris, I'm quite sure that the Metoprolol causes a good share of anxiety. Even after being off the stuff for over two months, I had slight anxiety issues up until a week or two ago. Coffee was my worst enemy during that time, for any caffeine would trigger the anxiety. I'm finally able to drink a cup or two without those issues.

Like yourself, I have no heart issues, but during the time when I first realized I had a problem this drug as well as into the weaning process, I ended up going to the ER three times, all for intense chest pain and heart palpitations. All three times the doctors couldn't find anything wrong. In fact, a couple of them commented on what good health I was in since my pulse rate was at 45......LOL. I simply replied that while I felt I was in fairly decent shape, there's no way that a 61-year-old man could have a pulse rate of 45 unless he ran a marathon every other week. The problem was that the drug just lowered my BP and PR to alarmingly low rates, and I needed to get off of it. Still, the doctors did NOT recognize this.

As far as being difficult to "get off of this mess," yes, it is very difficult. It's a tough ride for sure. I went through about a two-month period where I had very little hope. In fact, while I knew in my heart I couldn't seriously consider the notion of committing suicide, I did feel that I didn't care to live if this was the way I had to feel for the rest of my life. I just felt useless both mentally and physically. Still, I had enough encouragement from my wife and kids to seek out a way to feel better, and the people on this very website gave me a great deal of strength to see it through. I felt all alone in the world, but once I found this place, I realized that this Metroprolol problem is very real and that others were suffering with the same issues I had. It's not an easy battle by any stretch of the word, but you can do it. The thing is, once you reach that one day where you suddenly realize that the Metroprolol's grip on you is finally getting weaker, that'll be the day when you also realize that your life is getting back on track again. And, you know what? That's a damn good feeling...... : )

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So, I've always wondered why some of my posts need to be reviewed before getting posted? That's kind of frustrating, for sometimes it takes too long to actually become a part of the conversation until well after the fact.. I love this website, but it's a bit antiquated. Oh well.....I guess they'll eventually get posted.

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Hi Anita: So, I went from 12.5 to none on Sunday. I've been completely off for 5 days...jeeeeez- anxiety, a big dose of depression including some crying, and of course the boomerang Bp...but the highest it's been is 120ish over 70ish...kind of all over the road...and my pulse seems lower 50 to mid 50's...and seems to go lower when my pressure goes higher. I feel a little better today...I couldn't agree with you more on the poison...I was afraid to go off, but having the support of everyone on here helped me try. I'm hoping the worst is over, but I doubt it...I just try to tell myself that every day will improve...you're 30 days off...I wish I was. I keep picturing the light at the end of the tunnel. It soooo helps to hear all of you guys say that the more time you're off, the better you feel. I almost had a part of a pill last night...but then I thought about you guys...and did not...how can doctors put people on this stuff and not warn them that they'll need to fight withdrawl? I know...at the end of the day, it's a business.

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