Metoprolol Withdrawal (Page 41) (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.

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I have been checking my pulse. I have gotten super anxious and but it has calmed down a lot. I am going to pretty much lay off all caffeine, alcohol and exercise until I feel ok. Today I feel like may be the worst for me bhopefully. Also I haven't been drinking water since I was on vaycay and was drinking a lot of alcohol. I am feeling slightly less anxious now and have been able to control it. I am back home with my anxiety meds now so if I get to anxious I can take one of those and I think that might rly help. Since the main reason I was on it was to control anxiety but it ended up giving me horrible pvcs.

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Hi Anita...I just re read one of your posts for a "boost." Last Sunday I went to the next level of weaning from 25 to 12.5...it seems like this level is worse than going from 50 to 25. :-(. But like you posted and from the last weaning level...I had about 3 days of boomerang Bp readings. My Bp usually rund 95 over 64...the boomerang readings go up to 115 or 120 over up to 75... So I guess that's ok. Yesterday, I was back to 95 over 64 and a pulse of 54. My pulse is usually 60... So the 54 seemed a little low. I also get some anxiety during the 3 adjustment days. Ugh... Thanks again for all of the info and support...it truly helps. And I hope you're getting better and better.

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Hi Toonces, Today is my 28th day off completely. Zero side effects, zero anxiety. I think the worst is behind me although I'm still on alert for a racing pulse of weird feeling in my head. My BP (with 10 mg lisinopril) is between 115/65-120/75 which is good. I think yours sounds low with both numbers below 100. Take your time getting to 12.5 and then stay there for a week or so. That final step to zero was the big one, although I think getting down to 12.5 had surprisingly more rebound than I expected too! It's such an unpredictable drug..you just need to trust that it's better to get off of it. Also keep in mind that the anxiety is part of the withdrawal and will go away if you can hang in there. I avoided the Atavan the old doctor tried to give me because I didn't want yet another addictive drug to deal with. You can do this. Just take your time. :)

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Hi I have been on metoprolol tartrate 12.5 mg twice a day for about 2 weeks my question is will it be hard for me to come off this medication

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No not after only two weeks. But I'd still ween it just to be safe since it does impact your heart.

You could be off in a few weeks. Sooner too but I'd go easy to be safe.

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Okay so what is a safe way too wean off of them

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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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today is 33 days. I have the funky head thing. My pulse is still all over the place particularly when its hot out. I'm not sleeping well again, and am somewhat irritable. My BP is fine. I agree Toonces that there should have been some serious discussion of these side effects both before starting and before weaning from this stuff. My (old) doctor did neither and in fact, didn't even tell me to wean off it! If not for the support of the forum, I wouldn't have known what to expect, or had the confidence to continue. I am better, and do more each day with more confidence. The occasional side effect does surprise me, but I was told that it could take a month or more for drugs to get out of your tissues. I'm patient, and forward is 1,000 times better than where I was. I am encouraged by my good days and accept the bad days for what they are. They are fewer and further between. I'm so grateful for all of your comments. My anxiety is gone, and there was no major depression but I know what that's like. I would wake up and my first sensation was a fear in my stomach and anxiety before I got out of bed. This hasn't happened in a while. Toonces, you are in the worst of it. Stay strong, and if need be just lie down and rest. You will pass through this hell period. It took me several days in a row of what you are describing. You can do it.

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Yeah, Toonces, I hear ya! I really can't express enough how much the folks on this website have helped me. It was very comforting to find some people that had the same problems as I had when I had no other place to turn. Just hang in there! You'll start feeling better soon!

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I'm not on any other medicine. I am a bit out of shape, this medication has had me to where I can't do too much or exercise. I am 165 pds 5'3. My bp is 120/80. Usually pretty good. I've had a chest xray and they say its good. When I first was withdrawling and having the shortness of breath, I broke down and took a small sliver of metoprolol and the shortness of breath went away. It has made me have shortness of breath since I first got on it. So, I assumed since I still have it that it either caused asthma or its still withdrawal. I was on this medicine for a year and a half.

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Metoprolol is contraindicated in people with asthma history. Used with caution but you need to see the doc who prescribed it before changing dose. Be careful with it. Good luck.

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You're never supposed to stop metoprolol abruptly! Doctor should have lowered your dose SLOWLY!! i.e. 200mg rice a day would go to 100mg once a day for 2-3 WEEKS, then 50mg, then 25mg.... I take 200mg a day and forgot for 4 days- I thought I was losing my mind!! Blurry vision, headaches, restlessness, fatigue, heart rate in the 120-130 range and confusion. You must have felt awful! I hope you called the doc or saw someone to lower your dose slowly. Take care!!!

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How much Torol or Toprol XL and how often. You may be experiencing the symptoms metoprolol treated. It also handles the physical symptoms of anxiety quite well. Every doctor with an IQ above 20 knows NEVER TO DISCONTINUE BEAT-BLOCKERS abruptly, except to switch to an equipotent dee of another drug in the same class. The only time we give these drugs PRN are to order small doses (= to 20mg of Inderal) for performers or students experiencing "state fright." I can't have a patient take 2mg of Xanax or 1mg of Klnopin irregularly. Too much sedation.

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Hi Anita: 12 days completely off...had some rough days this week, but overall better. ...And the highest my Bp has been this week has been 117/77 with a 66 pulse...so, I think I'm still in the clear there. I've been reading over the posts again for another "boost" and to keep going. All of you guys have been my strength to keep off of this stuff. I'm trying to keep light at the end of the tunnel imagery. All of your experiences are keeping me on track...I can't thank you enough.

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U got that right doc. These beta blockers r lethal. Took me a year to get off safely and still suffered through horrific side effects.

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Day 40. Mostly I feel good but this week, my pulse and BP are higher than usual for no apparent reason. My friend the doctor says it could take a month or two to clear the body completely. Is stores in your cells and liver. I'm trying not to panic that trouble is starting again. I've gone past "white coat" hypertension to "blue cuff" (I made that up)which causes my BP to rise at the sight of a BP cuff. :-( I'm currently having anxiety about checking my BP. Trying to relax about it but after what I've been through its like PTSD but with medicine. Anyway... Hanging in there and carrying on. Overall my resting pulse is between 68-70 which is fine with me. I am exercising daily. I'm doing more but it's frustrating that things aren't settled yet and I don't trust that I'm fine. Having a bad few days. :-(

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Sandra... I feel the same way. I'm going along fine and then ... The old symptoms come back! High BP, erratic pulse, chest pain, funky feeling in my head, anxiety. That was yesterday ... Day 40 felt like day 4. Today I'm fine. Bp normal, feel normal, no erratic anything. Yes... It happens. Does it make sense? Can medicine be stored in the body that long? All I can tell you is that it happens and it's not due to any outside factors. Just a bad day. Sandra I'm sorry it's still happening after all that time but I'm with you that it's the beta blockers. Just have to ride out the bad days and know they will pass.

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Guessing Dr. Joey is a monitor maybe who is showing us some facts?? Not sure.

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maybe this is why my depression became worse all of a sudden? other than that I seem ok with it, I did reduce the amount a little and I take my BP often at home and it's fine. I do notice my heart slowing down at night, I think that's what may have scared me at first and sent me to the ER, that and I had recently been in the hospital with some heart issues. Doctor checked me out and said I was ok and sent me home.

I think the VA wants to put me back on meds for depression, I didn't do well on them years ago, I was too hyper and could not sleep, so then they gave me another drug and I did sleep but felt hangover in the morning, finally had to quit my job. At least now I'm retired and don't have to work anymore.

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