Metoprolol Withdrawal (Page 53)
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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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Tabitha, if you have been so many times to ER lately, you will first have to find out why do you have these attacks. Only then you may try to live without Beta Blockers.
If you have some serious problem (or some unknown problem), you will need to take Beta Blockers, or other options like Calcium channel blockers or a new drug Ivabradine for lowering heart rate (CCB and Ivabradine work differently than Beta blockers).

Until you find out why do you have these attacks, it makes no sense to stop Metoprolol. You will very likely have your original attacks back again, plus this time they will be even twice as stronger since you will suffer original attacks plus a withdrawal from Beta blockers (Metoprolol).

So again, it makes no sense to stop them until you know what is wrong with you, and then your doctor can decide between several different types of medicines.

About Tramadol, who knows, made it has caused problems in the first place.
With medicines, more or less any side effect and strange consequence is always possible.

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I definitely understand Matt was doing great and I've been having a crappy weak as well,sore muscles all over,tremors,bouts of anxiety and I made 3 months off on yesterday,very discouraging....

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Day 50 off M.......headache all day yesterday, BP is 170/80 with a HR of 82 and I feel awful....when does this end? Or does it?

Nausea has been better, but I feel it lurking all the time.....and the hot head is still there.....I started back using Deplin, a type of folic acid for those, like me who have the missing gene from both sides and cannot absorb folic acid as most do through the intestines via certain foods....burning knees, hot head, irritable, what else can this withdrawal do? Very frustrating

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I am 26 years old, went to the ER about a month ago for high heart rate (176. I'm sure anxiety got it up that high. I was terrified). They had me on some kind of drip till it went down and Ativan. EKGS and blood work were normal. They don't know what happened. Had a couple more episodes but in the 120s (I've never had these till tramadol script up'd to 200mg every 6 hours) The ER then put me on 50 mg metoprolol and it's been nothing but he'll since then. Been to the ER a good 12 times since the first visit, been to urgent care, been to family dr. Had chest X-rays, plenty of EKGS, blood work, 2-D echo, and even a CT of the heart with the dye and large amounts of metoprolol to get my heart rate down low for it. Anyway, everything has come back normal. I've also worn 2 holters but have no results. The cardiologist/electrophysiologist gave me an appointment October 11th but got myself moved up to August 31st. So far i'm passing every diagnostic perfectly and since that due to side effects, I want off of this poison! It's been hell. I've been on 25mg from 50mg for a couple days now and feel awful. I can't sleep, nightmares when I do. Chest pains most of the day, elevated HR (95-120 depending) they also put me on Xanax at the same time as the metoprolol. I have lost so much weight because it feels almost impossible to eat sometimes. I can deal with most of the side effects and withdrawals but my depression and anxiety has increased so much. The most worrisome for me is the heart rate and tightness. The shortness of breath really bothers me also. I was only on the 50mg for a week or so, then when they did the CT, I had 100+ mg, took 50 the next day, and then 25 the last couple days and I hate this is much. I've been reading a lot of what you all have posted but still just need reassured that this will someday pass. I don't want to take this anymore. And the heartburn! Ugh! Just a nightmare and trying to take care of a 5 yr old and 1.5 year old and being in and out of the hospital has been complete hell.

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Day 47
Thanks, Bob already taking a benzo, Ativan, it is the only thing that helps my sciatica....and yes it does help with HR and BP somewhat.

Magnesium has not done much for me as CaMgZn...going to try Magnesium Citrate, in pill form.

The nausea returned yesterday after a few days of remission. It seems to come out of nowhere.

Feels like I have a sore throat and a warm head sometimes, too. This is tougher and longer than any recovery I have had and that includes a triple bypass and a right hip replacement.

One improvement is the HR at rest is in the 90's in the AM, not the 110 on Day 1.

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Matt, also, about anxiety while quitting Beta Blockers, you can take low doses of Valium which will both lower your anxiety, heart rate and blood pressure and some pain caused by anxiety.

A few docs told me the same: take Valium while weaning off and when you'll be fine, then quit/wean off from Valium.

I know that you don't want to start a new medicine again, but if it is the only way (since it is so hard to quit BBs for some of us), maybe you should try.

But if your options while quitting Metoprolol are: a new Beta Blocker or Valium, then the choice is quite simple, imo.
After 1-2-3 Months you can quit Valium or lower your dose over time as you'll feel better (while you are going through a BB's withdrawal).

I also take Magnesium, as suggested from lots of people here over years, it seems that it really slightly lowers a HR during withdrawal's "bad days".

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Matt, about anxiety on Beta Blockers, I know what are you talking about. I never had anxiety in my life (I am in 30's). When I started to take BB's, at first I started for 3-4 Months with Nebivolol, and I didn't have anxiety, but did have some bad side effects. Then my doc switched me to Bisoprolol, and then bang: anxiety all the time (it lasted all 7 Months on Bisoprolol). I was scared/nervous most of the days for no reason, I didn't know what is happening and why I am not calm and why I am not a normal self anymore (also I never had problems with summer and high temperatures in my life. Suddenly, the first summer with Beta Blockers, and I started to feel as my body is having insane problems when it's hot outside, I needed to be at home under colder temperatures all the time. Very strange. As if BB's also altered our natural system of how to adjust to different temperatures. Something was "broken" inside of me).

Also, about the part where you say that you didn't like Atenolol, imo, I experienced the same when switching from Nebivolol to Bisoprolol. You see, from my experience, since I tried 4 different BBs in the last 2 years (Nebivolol, Bisoprolol, Metoprolol, Atenolol) and switched forth and back a few times, from my experience: all BBs are the same (let's say 80% the same), but each of them has it's own mechanisms, some minor difference in actions and in strength of some side effects and it seems (at least to me) as each of them affects slightly different receptors in your body.

Something like (my estimation): imagine that you are taking Metoprolol for some time. And Metoprolol blocks 50 out 100 receptors in your heart and brain. And your body adjusts to that way of working. And now you start to take a different BB. The 2nd BB will also block 50 out of 100 receptors in your heart and brain, but IMO, not exactly the same 50 receptors as the first one did. So, you'll switch to Atenolol, it will block let's say 25 same receptors which Metoprolol was blocking. But also, Atenolol will block some others, 25 new receptors which Metoprolol wasn't blocking (which were "free" back then), and also, Atenolol won't block 25 receptors which Metoprolol was actually blocking (this receptors will now be "free" suddenly).

So, over time, they do block equal amount of receptors in our body and they will do the same effect over 2-3-6 Months. But you see, when you switch from one BB to another, you can experience some minor withdrawal effect (my opinion), at least this is what happened to me when I was switching BBs. Each time I needed some time to readjust to slightly different mechanism of a new BB.

So, about how you felt bad on Atenolol, maybe it wasn't Atenolol (I am not saying that you should go back to Atenolol, since it is a crap also), it was just that your brain wasn't protected anymore by Metoprolol (since Propranolol, Metoprolol and Nebivolol enter into our brains, while Bisoprolol only enters to a 50%, and Atenolol doesn't enter at all). So, you see, it seems that Metoprolol affects both our heart, blood pressure and brains, while some others (Atenolol 0% and Bisoprolol 50%) affect mostly heart adn blood pressure.

So, while you were on Metoprolol, BB was doing something to your brain. And when you stopped taking it, since Atenolol can't cross a brain-blood barrier, your brain wasn't protected anymore and you had withdrawal symptoms. Again, I had the similar problems with anxiety and strange feelings when I switched from Nebivolol (affects brain 100%) to Bisoprolol (affects brain only 50%). So, when switching BBs, it is hard to tell which symptoms are new side effects, and which symptoms are actually a withdrawal from the previous, slightly different Beta Blocker.

Further, Matt, if you have "only" problems with heart pressure, and you don't have some tachycardias/arrhytmias (not now, but your general illness, or a reason why you started BBs), I think that there are tons of combinations of drugs which should lower your BP, without BBs.

My dad is taking 4-5 different drugs, he has high BP for 30-ish years. He takes only 1,25 Mg of Nebivolol and tons of other, different class of drugs. He doesn't have any side effects, even though he takes tons of medicines. So strange...

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Denise, if that question is posed to me, I had my thyroid checked by my PCP via a blood test and it was normal. Is that what you mean by hyperparathyroidism.

And my calcium levels were OK a month ago from that same test.

Several months ago I tested low for magnesium in one of my many ER visits during the ludicrous anxiety periods...so I have been taking CaMgZn supplements, which have not produced anything.

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Have you been tested for hyperparathyroidism. Please check your calcium levels. This condition makes you feel unwell and high calcium will cause you to have high heartrate

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Bob,
I am off M now for 46 days and I weaned off quickly in about two weeks because the anxiety had turned on me while on the beta blocker. I had little problem with M for nearly twenty years, just some lightheadedness, but then switched to atenolol, because it does not cross the blood brain barrier as does M, and it unleashed all hell for three weeks, unbelievable sweating, anxiety, then I tried to go back to Toprol but it was too late as I was feeling the overwhelming anxiety on Toprol, too....so I got off M.

I will likely need something, because I have lots of chronic sciatic pain and that certainly raises anxiety and BP, but am fearful of all BP medicines now since the overwhelming anxiety at the end of my beta blocker "career."

Beta blockers never calmed me down as they do for most people, according to the doctors. They have little clue.

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Thanks, Bob....I had decided I was not going back to beta blockers, but your input has reassured me.

I tried Cardizem for a while and there were too many mental side effects with it as well and it was only helping the heart rate.

So I am on losartan right now to protect my horseshoe kidney.

It was funny looking back that during the craziness with M, I passed two kidney stones, the first time I ever encountered that. One was so large they had to laser it and so they lasered both of them. The relief of that was so great, I actually felt good for a couple of days, but then the beta blocker effects all came back.

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Hi Sandra yes I still get twitches too from time to time,my legs,arms,buttocks it's really Wierd,I'm mainly just fatigued now and bad back pains,but that could be from the high cortisol issues I'm having too..??

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And yes it when I first got off now that I remember the same happened to me for about 3 weeks straight

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No I'm sorry Matt I thought u meant standing when first out of bed sometimes our heart rates are higher but upon resting lying down that is a little high,that has happen to me upon having nightmares and i jump up fairly fast

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A little over 7 months off...had a crappy last few weeks. Chest is tight, lightheaded, tired, muscle twitches and just generally feeling yucky. I want my life back. I hope it happens soon but hard to keep hope!

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Monique
Are you saying that waking up with a HR of 115 is normal for withdrawal? Or normal altogether?

Because I do not think waking up with a HR of 115 is normal.

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Matt, about your doctor telling you to try Carvedilol: In my opinion: don't do it.

I was taking Metoprolol, Bisoprolol and Atenolol (3 different Beta blockers) for 1 year and a few Months ago tried to quiet (I was on Bisoprolol when I tried to quit). I didn't manage to make it till the end first time. I felt horrible on ALL Beta Blockers, and believe me: they are all the same. They have some minor differences, like on some you will have bigger headaches or bigger vertigo and medium breathing problems, while on other one you will have insane breathing problems and medium vertigo.

But they ALL work exactly the same on your body, by blocking adrenaline, slowing down the heart, lowering pressure and affecting your brain (adrenaline part again).

My opinion, if you'll try Carvedilol now, you will back to where you were a few Months ago. You will have all the same side effects again, and then you'll just try to wean off again in a few Months and you'll be through this same hell again.

I felt as bad as you for 2 Months when I tried to stop Bisoprolol, and I had HR around 90-100 for almost for 8 weeks, but also insane nausea, insane anxiety, I had problems with loud noises, problems with sunlight, and almost as feeling scared suddenly of virtually anything. I felt as if my brain was "deleted" when I stopped using BB's and as if my body now has to adjust to every single thing from the outside's world.

I felt horrible and it wasn't getting better, so my doc returned me to another BB, this time the newest one: Nebivolol (Bystolic). Do I need to say: the same crap again, the same side effects as on Atenolol, Metoprolol and Bisoprolol... Everything the same...

So, I threw into a water all efforts of 2 Months of trying to stop Bisoprolol. And now, a few Months later, I am trying to wean off from Nebivolol, so I have to go through the same process for the 2nd time. It is slightly less horrible since I know what I can expect (and I am less scared this time) and I am still weaning off to tiniest amounts this time (like: 25 Mg, then 20 Mg, then 15 Mg, then 12 Mg, then 10 Mg, then 8 Mg, then 5 Mg, then 2 Mg etc. And I am for 2-4 weeks on every level, no hurry this time, since it is so hard even when I am doing it this slowly...)

Anyway, again, from my experience: all Beta Blockers are the same. You should ask for a Calcium Channel Blockers or some other type of medicines who effect your body in a different way than Beta Blockers. Some people just can't handle Beta Blockers. If one of them don't suit you, you'll have more or less the same problems on all other BBs, this way or another. Plus, if you'll try to quit them again, you'll experience the same hell as today again for 2-3-6 Months.

If you are in this hell already for a few weeks, try to make it now till the end, we all hope you'll make it.

More about Cervedilol [including the most common side effects], from Wikipedia can be viewed at: Carvedilol Details

From what I have read about Carvedilol, you will have very strong side effects because it is a non selective BB. It actually blocks way more things in your body than classic selective BBs, like Atenolol, Metoprolol, Nebivolol and others.

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Yes same here that's all considered normal try not to worry to much about that the anxiety raises it more but I understand,it's frustrating our body will go back normal,it's just the longer u took it it may take longer,take magnesium pills and one a day supplement if u can

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No, it starts out at 110 upon waking and drops to the 80's and 90's..the Cardizem was dropping it into the 70's.... But that will stop and there could be rebound from stopping that.

It seems that when the HR is up, the BP is lower and vice versa?

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Yes that's what's raising the HR the adreline, I bet because you were on it so long If you have your cortisol levels checked they will see that and that alone causes random anxiety attacks,stomach issues,just check it out I pray u get better soon,my heart rate tends to be higher now in the am but 75-90 during daying sitting at my desk,are u over 100bpm on an average in a day?

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