Metoprolol Withdrawal (Page 38)
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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 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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Hi!! Jimbo how are you doing ? Do you have any anxiety left ?

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For those of you who are about to wean off this drug or in the process of weaning, my only advice is to be very careful. It's good to taper very slowly, and it's also a good idea to let your current dose settle into somewhat of a normal state before you begin your next cut or taper. I was on 25mg twice daily for two years before the drug went totally crazy on me, at which time I tapered for six weeks followed by another six weeks of pure withdrawal hell. Needless to say, I survived, but after several visits to the ER and upon looking back, I've come to the realization that I didn't taper slowly enough. Of course, everyone is different, but I probably should've doubled or even tripled the amount of time for my taper period, for it wasn't until I got beyond my withdrawal that I realized I was treading on very thin ice with my life. I sincerely wish all of you the very best in getting off this horrible drug! It's not easy, but if you take the time you need to wean yourself properly, you'll get there.

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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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I currently started taking lexapro again I took it for 8 months and it worked but I need to take my time this time around and do therapy and then get off .

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Yes. Please listen to JR. This is a process. Talk to your doc so you can get off this poison safely

JR: how awful that your doc didn't taper you off. Just awful. How are you handling the anxiety?

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Loulanda- you would have to lower your dose super slow . Take your time you don't want to end up going thru what I went thru. My doctor unfortunately didn't tell me to taper off and I went thru hell and still dealing with the anxiety left from 2 yrs ago

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You can look up my posts on here if you can find them, I'm not sure how. I always have a hard time looking for certain posts with the format on this page, but I've been on it for a year. I only went up to 50 mg twice a day, but I'm now going into my fourth week of tapering off this drug. In the last year I've become so ill taking this medication that I can't even put into words anymore, and I don't even know how much damage is already been done by taking this medication. I was put on it mistakenly but I'm in my fourth week of tapering off. I made up my own schedule and the doctor approved it. You must contact your doctor and tell them that you want to get off the medication but it must be a slow taper if you read all the information from the FDA you will see that they strongly advise against stopping this medication abruptly as it can be very dangerous. I did my first two weeks slowly tapering and now I'm in the fourth week of the six week taper. I won't say it's been easy I've had some days that weren't bad but some days where my anxiety has been worse than it already is and that may be due to this taper but I also have anxiety for another issue and another illness but it just got magnified on this medication. My heart rate seems to remain within a certain range which is no problem. My blood pressure has always been a little elevated, nothing to any of my former doctors were ever concerned about but when I had a couple Highwinds here my doctor here immediately put me on this medication. At the time I really wasn't paying attention. I should've done my homework.

Had I done that I would've never taken the medication but I have a lot going on during that time frame. Long story short, I'm in the middle of getting off of this medication now but my doctor knows every move I'm making. I sent her all the information on this medication. It should've been vice versa but that's neither here nor there as whatever is done is done. Now my goal is just getting off of it but I faxed her weekly every Friday a report of all my blood pressure's heart rate and any sort of issues I'm having coming off this medication so that they're in the loop. We're in the process of moving so I can't start with a whole new doctor here. I'm going to wait until we get to our perm home until I get a new doctor. What kind of things are you feeling if you go without it? I wouldn't be skipping any days either. This is by no means medical advice but I would definitely not skip any days and I would definitely call your doctor and tell them what you want to do in terms of getting off this medication and come up with a plan to slowly taper off it gradually over time. I'm told that even once you're done with your taper you may still have side effects for a month or so until you feel better and they say some people never really feel right. I will never let this happen to myself again. This is the worst part of my life with medication. I don't even call it by any other name than poison.

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I'm on 150mg per day I feel like I'm dying just a few hours when missing a dose. I'm reading that a lot of you are only taking 25mg. How am I supposed to supposed to get off of it?

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Betty. Please check with your doctor This drug must never be stopped abruptly according to the FDA. I'm not a doctor therefore please check with whomever prescribed the Med. I'm on a six week taper and going into my fourth week you have to carefully taper off this medication I made up my own schedule and my doctor approved it and there of been some tough days through it but I think hopefully there's an end in sight and I never want to be on this poison again it's made me very sick the last year of my life that I've been taking it in my opinion it's a horrible drug Every week I Faxon my blood pressure and heart rate readings and any notes I make on how I'm feeling to my doctor so she can monitor it week by week with me I only have two more weeks to go and I'm off this but I know that after you finish your final those you can still have some issues with it so for myself I'm hoping that it won't be too bad I'm not even sure how much damage has been done because of this medication but I keep the Xanax on hand for panic attacks and I use a fourth of the lowest dose available at a time and then increase it if I need more and that helps me get through the worst of the panic part I normally have panic attacks due to having been overseas and war but I am experiencing worse attacks while coming off this medication but the xanax is helping me get through it. Ask for an Rx of something for the anxiety. Use the least amount and be very careful with it but again go to your doctor for everything even though my doctor should've never put me on it I'm still having to keep her in the loop of this until I change doctors which will be a soon as we moved from this area so I'm holding off any changes until our move is complete. Good luck

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I have been taking metoprolol tartrate for 4 weeks and want to get off it because of panic attacks. My blood pressure shot up to 180 over 90. Is it safe to stay off it?

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I got help from vitamine E natural. Take four of them daily and it helps

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I will follow up my writing earlier in this thread. As I said at last took E-vitamin and it works well. But I yesterday got sick when had eaten some chicken for lunch and some other meat for dinner. I have my own "hospital" at home and could see that my bloodpressure was very high the morning after. I remembered an old relative that had stopped eating meat and now only took fish. So next day I eat very carefully and saw the result next morning in a much lower blood pressure. So now I quit meat. Maybe also soda drinks and coffee(sorry for that)

I eat LCHF so I automaticly follow in your footprints. But have started with short time fast like you inspirated by Jasong Fung. As one of his example I don´t eat breakfeast and lunch and a little dinner. Then nothing more until next lunch. That makes 24 hours without food. If this goes well I will go on with 36 hours fast (also quit dinner on the fasting day). Will report to the site how it goes.

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Yes I have had the same withdraws it's horrible been on it fore years then I had one heart doctor take off but but slowly then after much of course my heart rate went up a little so my new heart felt I should go back on metoprolol 25mg.so I did unfortunately I ran out and I thought well I would be okay for a few.days wow I gotten withdraw so bad I thought I was dying.dont ever go cold turkey,they finally got my med refilled but I had to wait for my doctor to call it in took four days to get it filled I'm still suffering the withdraw,my plan is coming off it real slow like the first heart doctor that took me off.i wished I nevered agreed. To go back on,now it's going take probably months to completely come off of it again

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I have been taking Metoprolol for two years for curing side effects from another drug. Wanted to stop because I vomitted almost all food. The doctor said. "you have to do it yourself. I can´t help you" I was deperate. At last I got help from an acupuncteur to stop Metoprolol slowly. Had no side effects at all. But they came a time after stopping the acupunct (it was expensive) Then I got a pressure over my breast. Took Magnesium Taurate and was good for around 14 days then the breast pain returned. Now I am trying to eat E-vitamin which has helped a friend of mine.
Hope it will help because I never go back to betablocks. Prefer to die. (Sorry for my bad english. I am swedish)

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Has anyone tried clonidine? It is an alpha blocker, but serves to block adrenalin, similar to beta blockers.

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I have been taking Losartan 160 mg for 5 yrs. The dosage has been adjusted many times. When I started my bp was 252/115. Went to ER. Thought I was gonna have a stroke. Lately, my bp is all over the place. Could wake up with high 180/90, take meds, stabilize and then start bottoming out by mid afternoon. Bp could be 90/60. I've read a few of you describe these symptoms. Anybody ever resolve this problem?

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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 started taking metoprolol in january of this year only side effect i had was tiredness i have never had high blood pressure in my life i am 55 i had 2 stents .one was in my L D A. and another artery of my heart i took metoprolol intill a week ago cause of the sideffects my employee health insurance made me start useing their mail order pharmacy in june of this year so 3 weeks ago the side effects started messing with me really bad and i stoped taking it you wouldnt believe how it did me i am finely getting over it i would tell anyone not to take it.

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Starry,

I was put on this medication because i had high blood pressure only at the doctors office, but when i would check it at home it would be fine. I should have never started this medication. At the doctors my BP readings where 144/90, 157/88, 140/87, 137/84... at home my readings where 124/74, 121/73, 126/80, and the highest at home 134/82. I told myself i suffered from white coat hypertension, High BP only at the doctors... just keep praying and be calm and patient, things will get better! I highly recommend this organic tea called Hibiscus Tea, it has amazing health benefits including controlling anxiety and lowering blood pressure! I have been taking it for 4 weeks now and trust me it has helped me tremendously!

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