Metoprolol Withdrawal (Page 36) (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.

REPLY

REPORT

Bee, I sincerely feel for what you've been going through, and all I can think is that the last year must've been total hell for you. I honestly don't know how you've managed to do it for this long. I'm probably fortunate that I'm not feeling any allergic reactions from Metoprolol, but it has certainly fouled up my entire central nervous system and then some. Also, I have a job that requires commitments with clients plus a considerable amount of travel time, so there's just no way I can let this awful drug dictate my life for any length of time. I can probably buy some time through the month of June, but that's about it.

My plan is to wean myself off the best I possibly can while not going off abruptly. I've already experienced some very scary moments (severe angina, anxiety, etc.) when I knew that taking more of the drug would remedy the situation, but I need to persevere regardless of what it takes. I'm now on day 6 of my 12.5mg/2x-daily routine, and I'm as stable as I've been during that time. Day 1 and 2 were fairly rough while day 3 and 4 became pure hell. Day 5 was considerably better and today is actually tolerable......not good by any means, but tolerable. I sense that I should remain on this dose for a few more days, at which time I'll go to 6mg/2x-daily for a few more days and perhaps one dose of 6mg daily just before quitting. The notion of quitting by next weekend may indeed be pushing it, but my intention is to be completely off of this garbage by the end of this month (May). I'm really beginning to believe that the withdrawal experience of this drug really isn't all that much different than those of many hard narcotic drugs. A person just can't continue feeding it if he or she seriously wants to get beyond it. Needless to say, I'm expecting some less that desirable days in the very near future.

REPLY

Was this helpful? 1

Bee, thanks for your concern and for all your tips, but I think I'll be okay. I'm not going to allow for myself to be anything but okay. In fact, after a horrible afternoon on Sunday followed by a much better evening, this morning I decided to go the cold turkey route and rid myself of these f'ing meds once and for all. I'm just not going to allow them to beat me. My wife already had some L'Arginine on hand, and we have magnesium, too. I also loaded up on various decaf teas, fruits, veggies, etc., and I'll lay off anything that could possibly cause any agitation or raise blood pressure, particularly sodium. Believe it or not, I'm actually feeling better now than I have for the past several days, so perhaps having this poison somewhat out of my system is a good thing. I fully anticipate that some rocky moments may occur, but I feel ready to take them on. At the very worst, I always have the meds to fall back on or to call 911, but I think I'm ready. Wish me luck!

REPLY

Was this helpful? 1

TCM, I'm not sure how I missed your message earlier, but that was a great and informative post! Thank you!

REPLY

Was this helpful? 1

TCM.........sorry I missed this, too but PR = pulse rate. I'm not sure if that's well-known as an abbreviation or not.

REPLY

Was this helpful? 1

Jimbo. I am not sure what you are trying to say but thinking you can always go back to the original dose and then work your way down again .. okay I first started on 100 mgs... then I cut that down to 75 and waited a few months until I felt stable at 75... when I felt stable with no side effects I cut down to 50 .. I stayed on 50 for three months but when I cut down to 25 that was way too much.. So instead I cut down to 34 which was really tough to figure out but I did it. If cutting it down doesn't work then extend the time you take it.. Your body is addicted to this drug so you have to get the drug out of the body as slowly as possible, otherwise there's bad side effects. ............YOU CANNOT RUSH THIS.........I know how you feel.. I had a very active life.. I was walking two miles a day, riding my bike going out, having a life and bam my life was stopped for a whole year.. All I could do was a few errands and that was controlled around the drug... I don't work but I couldn't even work if I wanted to..............most weekends I stayed in and watched movies and videos.. When I planned something and that day came my heart might race and go bonkers so I had to cancel a lot of things... Just hang in there, one day at a time... Backtrack if you have to.............I did that twice.........and get some L theanine for stress and anxiety and nerves. Also magnesium for stress.. go to health food store and tell them the issues and see what they can sell you .. oh; and TMI.. many nights I couldn't sleep and I would have to go to bathroom too and prayed I would make it downstairs .. right away my heart would pound like crazy.. and I would have the shakes so bad I couldn't take much more.. one night I had to pee in a garbage bag in my room it was so bad.............I kept sea salt and water and all of my bags of tricks next to my bed .............It was a very trying year but it was worth it.. ..You can do this...........I kept saying I wont let this drug control me.. you can also meditate and do EFT tapping.. look it up on youtube .. EFT helped with heart stuff and sleeping and anxiety... There are also some good youtube videos on withdrawing from drugs and yes this is a drug.. I got some good tips there too.. keep us updated and good luck today..............

REPLY

Was this helpful? 1

Hello Jimbo, Sherrie here, "Get yourself to a decent doctor that will help you wean OFF this crud." If you were my only son I'd tell you NOT to take this medicine unless it was your last choice btwn living & dying. You have high BP and there are lifestyle changes for anyone willing to give them a shot to help lower the BP. I'm sure you are going through hell so take my advice above. Sorry I can't offer more advice but you need med. attention from a Dr. that will care enough to listen to your needs & desires. Be willing to get 2nd & 3rd opinions if Dr. #1 won't help you attain your goal.

REPLY

Was this helpful? 1

Hi Michael "YES" you are experiencing the withdrawal symptoms."Hang in there! Don't give in to it!" Take an aspirin (I take 3- 350 mg 1st thing in the am) to keep your blood thin (Dr told me the sudden absence of M can cause Blood clots) So, no problem take the damn aspirin. Drink plenty H2O (& green tea is 1 of Gods own Detox agents so make some hot tea & drink up) CO-Q10 (I take 300 mg. Everyone over 40 should take CO-Q10), Magnesium 400 mg. (Israeli Dr's give Magnesium intravenously to their Heart attack patients!) The main thing is to "Listen to your body." rest when you feel tired but try to walk as much as is comfy to you. It will hep move your innards around in conjunction with all that wonderful H2O, green tea & Magnesium you've been consuming and you will begin to pass that JUNK out of your body and feel better with every passing day. I QUITtaking Metoprolol last Thursday (5/14/15) and it was hell. BTW, My own overall health is GREAT. My initial prescription was to treat my AFIB which, is very treatable 'IF' one has Ins. AND the $

REPLY

Was this helpful? 1

Hi HBP Mama, lol (assuming you also have children) I truly believe that womens bodies prior to giving birth are MUCH MORE immune to overall bodily pain???? How about you??? It seems you kept a level head until you achieved your goal in completely quitting the M??? (curtsey madam) ;)

REPLY

Was this helpful? 1

Sherri I will try what you recommended 5HTP and such. I will let you know how it goes. I won't be taking L Theanine again. I only took one capsule 100 mg last night at 11 p.m. My heart rate has been jumping around from upper 90's to lower 100's. My bp has been fluctuating but is much better now that I'm lying down. I will keep you updated.

REPLY

Was this helpful? 2

And oh......I should also add that my CT angiogram came out well, so other than some traces of plaque buildup, which is apparently normal for someone my age, it doesn't appear as though my angina issues are due to heart disease of any kind. I've never had angina until just three weeks ago when I started having issues with this drug, so who knows?

REPLY

Was this helpful? 1

Hey HBP MAMA... 1 more thing for ya... If your willing, go to 'doctors nutrition' and they have some really interesting podcasts :) I love the BIGG BUTT BIG GUT podcast... they list some foods which trigger inflammations throughout the body (not good) ..ciao gf

REPLY

Was this helpful? 1

Aww, I'm sorry to hear that you've had to start over again Jimbo. But, ehh, give it another go at it when you know you're confident & ready to start fresh again. I read your comment above and lol you're quite the athlete if you can peddle a bicycle 30 miles... Thats why I own a car ;) anyway, if it makes you feel better, I quit on the eve of the 14th and I'm still having withdrawal symptoms. My darn legs still feel a little like a bowl of shaky jello & my my left arm is still tingling/numb/asleep feeling... I've been swelling up & can't figure out the WHY?! Not to mention I'm as cranky as a wet cat & not knowing how long this misery is going to go on is a bummer... Best wishes on your soon recovery & hopefully you'll be feeling better before summer starts in for good.

REPLY

Was this helpful? 1

Thank you for your thoughts, Tony! All of my doctors are in agreement that I no longer need to be on a BP medicine, so it only makes sense to wean myself off of it for good. In fact, I'm quite sure that since I've lost 30 lbs. while also living on a much better diet in the past year or so, the Metoprolol is essentially making me feel ill because my BP and pulse rate have become too low. I feel pretty safe in that regard. I had a huge setback last Wednesday when I had my cardiac CT angiogram, for they gave me nearly triple the dosage compared to what I had been taking at the time. Needless to say, it really fouled up any stability that I had going for me. I undoubtedly unraveled for a few days there.......very scary. Hopefully I'm back on track now, but it's been a rough three weeks.

Just gotta say......I'm thankful to have found some of you here. I would never wish for anyone to be going through such an ordeal as this, but it's comforting to know I'm not alone.

REPLY

Was this helpful? 1

If you dropped the metoprolol , give it a full week and see how u feel then. The worst of the withdrawal symptoms will subside by then. If you took it for a long time, I wouldn't panic or nothing until you allow time for your body to adjust. If after say ten days you still feel bad, I'd go see my doctor. But you should go sooner if you feel it's necessary of course.

But yeah, after only three days, it's still in your system and you will certainly have side effects.

REPLY

Was this helpful? 1

Yeah.. The chest can be very scary. First off, angina is not a bad thing, it tells us to go easier and makes us aware of our limits and cardiovascular issues. Everyone gets some form of angina but at different levels of exertion depending on your conditioning and cardiovascular situation.

Trying to decide which chest pains are ER worthy can be very hard to discern. I myself have had cause to stop and wonder at times. It is very scary. When I say heavy pressure , I'm referring to a very heavy squeezing feeling that's unmistakable. If it's a serious heart attack you will have roughly ten minutes to seek medical attention and every minute after that your odds decrease by roughly ten percent of surviving. Once you are at 30 minutes, most likely you are dead for several minutes now . At least that's my non medical understanding. The fact that you are still fine and have been evaluated out of caution means that most likely you are have drug or other problems.

Metoprolol withdrawals I'm sure differ from person to person but I had my share of kinda like squeezing on exertion under metoprolol. Like I mentioned earlier, I could barely walk across walmart before I had to stop and I think I actually strained my heart because of the drug trying to limit me and me fighting it. So don't over exert during the weening. Go easy. I'm certainly not trying to scare you at all.

But you ar right in that any heart discomfort is a cause for concern and needs evaluation by a professional. But if your EKG is good then chances are this drug is just being a pain ... Literally.

Unfortunately, you won't know for sure until you see the weening process through. Then a week later, see how u feel and then u will know what's real and what's drug induced. But if you have been evaluated at the ER and been released several times, that should ease your nerves. I know u r still in a slight panic, and that's reasonable, but try to be patient .

If you really think you r having a heart attack , quickly take 4 baby aspirin and call 911. But taking baby aspirin daily is not always good. It takes about 4 days after 1baby adoring fir your clotting platlets to replenish so easy onthe asprin. If you want my opinion, take 4000 mg of fish oil daily. It also has some blood thinning characteristics.

It's good you are seeing a new cardiologist. Write down all the questions you have so you don't forget anything. Go in and explain what's going on and ask his advice. But don't be afraid to express how much you want off this drug if indeed that's your intention. My cardiologist wanted me to increase my dosage and I thought he was out of his mind. But of course I'm sure didn't truly realize what it was doing to me.

Anytime you go to the hospital with any type palpitation , doctors all want to put you on metoprolol or dilitiazem. Many times it's a good thing but sometimes they r wrong . As the patient, you have to weigh all the advice and how u feel and make the proper call. In the end, it's your life.

Now, if there is a valid medical cause for you to take these drugs then of course take them but too much of any drug that's not needed is never a good thing.

I would stress about your chest. Talk to the cardiologist and try and relax. Don't strain yourself. And ween slowly. If you were truly having a heart attack, you would have known it by now for certain without any doubts.

REPLY

Was this helpful? 1

It sounds like you are weening fine but the doctor would know more than me. I can only share my limited knowledge and offer some encouragement. When dealing with heart problems , it can be the most frightening thing in your life. I can relate . I have been there my friend. The phrase... Impending doom... Is a very real feeling when faced with heart problems.

At least when you are off this drug you can look for options that might be a tad easier on you. Since the kidneys control your blood pressure, I'm not a fan of metoprolol for purely Bp control by decreasing your heart rate. If you really want the best to control Bp in the future , go see a kidney specialist.

Take ever day one step at a time and just keep doing the right things and I know you'll be fine. Keep asking those doctors questions til you get the answers you are looking for. Make them earn their pay. They certainly know more than me.

REPLY

Was this helpful? 1

Thanks for all the good information. I was on Metoprolol 25mg 2x a day for three months. Had so many side effects talked Dr into lowering my dose to 25mg extend per day and that helped. Have been on this dose for 2 weeks. Went to the Dr Tuesday and told him I'm still having side effects. He stated that my BP is good enough that he was taking off the Metoprolol and stay on my 10 mg Linsinopril 2x a day. Overall I have felt better, still have some chest discomfort, bad headaches and dizzyness. This is my 3rd day off the Metoprolol and each day has been a little easier, but not a fun ride at all.

REPLY

Was this helpful? 1

Well, day 5 at 12.5mg (2x/daily) didn't go quite as smoothly as the first 3 1/2 days. For a while it seemed as though the weaning process would be a little easier this time around, but apparently it isn't going to work that way. Many of the same-old w/d symptoms have returned. I may just have to stay on this dosage a little while longer than anticipated. Nasty, nasty drug!

REPLY

Was this helpful? 1

My 3rd post. I am at end of 3 months of weaning off. From 100 mg per day to 50 mg per day.

First two months I would say I felt the same as before weaning - super well (apart from weight and stiffness in legs).

Last night I was shattered after a day decorating my house - I felt good all day, apart from a slight headache (not had a headache for years). Late evening I felt palpitations/heart racing. I took sea salt and drank more water, which I had been doing all day with sea salt in the morning too. I took 2 Magnesium capsules lunchtime. (Plus my half'd dosage of M in the morning).

Arms, legs, especially hands felt tingly. I had a bad dream.

Woke up this morning. Yet to take my BP. Still feel heart is racing a bit. Taken my M.

When I feel like this I do question my wisdom in doing this weaning! But still feel set on continuing.

I cannot distinguish between real high blood pressure and what could be withdrawal symptoms. I suppose the only way to do that is to take my BP at the time??

Today I will try harder and include more of the natural things we discuss on here and I normally add in to my "regime". It's harder and more time consuming taking natural remedies through the day than just popping 1 Pharna pill a day. But it has to be done.

I will try harder today with natural remedies throughout the day and see how i feel but I am not happy feeling my heart race occasionally. Tends to be in the evening only but I still have it this morning.

REPLY

Was this helpful? 1

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.

REPLY

Was this helpful? 1

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