Metoprolol Withdrawal (Page 64)

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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Ralph...I'm not a MD just nurse but I'd say there could be spikes in BP. Metoprolol (aka Lopressor) is a drug that should not be stopped abruptly. It's in the warnings. By changing the dose you could see changes in BP readings. Cutting the extended release tablets not good either because you're not sure of the doseage you're getting. The absorption is also changed because the coating is broken so you're taking a chance with erratic doses. Will not belabor the point except to add my physicians nurse told me I could cut 50 mg tablet when my dose was charged to 25mg. I ended up in the ER with tachycardia and arrythmia. Also be sure to stay well hydrated when taking Metoprolol.

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i was only on them for maybe 5 weeks cardiologist said to cut them ,to 1/4 size , to wean off for 3 days they are 50. Mg ,they are the e r type , only been taking 25 mgs a day

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Ralph, DJS is correct when she says that cutting the "extended release" tabs can result in miscalculated doses. If you're going to need to wean off slowly, I'd strongly suggest getting the regular round/white Metoprolol tabs that don't have the colored coating on them. Also, the 25 mg tabs are perhaps a bit easier to deal with. While having been on them for only four or five weeks may well be in your favor, it may be just long enough that you may find yourself needing to take a longer weaning period than anticipated. Everybody is different, but the one thing that most of us here have in common is that we're very sensitive to this drug. Just be careful, and don't worry about taking all the time that you'll need to do it right. Wishing you the best!

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Dr. (Cardiologist) Told me this a.m. To stop metropolo and start on valsartan right away , said I was on lose dose of metropolo it should be ok to quit . I do feel like crap , I hope this new med isn't like metropolo

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Hi

I posted 2-3 times before, I tried to wean off, but since I have some kind of a tachycardia which is very sensitive to adrenaline in the first place, I didn't make it (since my adrenaline went to skies after weaning off) and had to go back on BBs.

Anyway, I researched tons of articles around the internet about Beta Blockers and their mechanisms. And I found one interesting article which will maybe help to a lot of people here.
A lot of you probably had a feeling how it is much easier to drop from 100 Mg to 50 Mg of Metoprolol, than from the last 6 Mg to 0 or from 2-3 Mg to 0 Mg.

Well, this is why, imo:
It seems that the power/strength of BBs is not linear. So, if you take 50 Mg and your Heart rate drops for 10 points (from 80 to 70), then someone could think that 100 Mg will then drop your HR by twice as much compared to a 50 Mg dose (a drop from 80 to 60).
But it is not working that way.

Here are some numbers for Bisoprolol, a similar selective class of Beta blockers:
(5 Mg of Bisoprolol is like 50 Mg of Metoprolol in terms of strength, something like that)
From tests on a lot of patients:
2,50 Mg of Bisoprolol: lowers HR on average for +13 points
5,00 Mg of Bisoprolol: lowers HR on average for +15 (so, only +2 drop from 2,50 to 5,00 Mg and you take twice as much of a drug on 5,00 Mg than on 2,50 Mg)
10,0 Mg of Bisoprolol: lowers HR for +18
20,0 Mg of Bisoprolol: lowers HR for +24

With that logic and explanation, it seems that on tiniest doses, you already get "a base of a drug" for your HR drops a lot and BP drops a lot. While on higher doses, your drop is way smaller (in relative terms) and it progress slowly.

So, in rough numbers, it would mean that:
50 Mg of Metoprolol would lower your HR for around +15 on average
25 Mg would lower your HR for +13
12,5 Mg would lower your HR for +10 or +11
And even 6 Mg would lower your HR for +6 +7 or +8

This would explain why the last step in the process of weaning off is the hardest.
Because those tiniest doses, like 3-6 Mg still affect your HR a lot, and a drop from 6 Mg to 0 Mg will cause bigger problems than a drop from 100 Mg to 50 Mg.

I hope that this will help to some people.
Good luck to everyone

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Ralph I had spikes for the first 4 months but worse of course in the first two. Now the only time it spikes is if I keep stress in my life. Hang in there it soooo gets better!

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Second day off metropolo feel much better aready, I'm on valsartan now, slight side effects just a little queasy

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Steve its April 2016 and i need to know how are you feeling todayI'm thinking of taking your advice

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Almost 4 months off...today, I am lightheaded, heart rate a little high and have had 2 anxiety attacks for no reason. I know some of the heart rate and dizziness is my anemia but I didnt feel this way a few days ago so I guess this withdrawal is still sticking around!!

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Happy Birthday to me, feel like Crap and have to work a ten hour shift. Have had very challenging couple of weeks, hopefully this cycle ends soon and I can get back to the feeling better part.

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Happy Birthday Lauren!!!! My bday was last week and I felt great until the day of then on my bday it hit me. Talk about depressing. I dont know whats going on with me today but im sooo lightheaded and cant see straight. I started a new higher dose vitamin and im wondering if thats it because im so sensitive to every little thing!!!!

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Lauren, isnt this crazy how it comes in cycles?! A few good days or a week then feel like crap for a couple weeks!!! Im horribly lightheaded today. Cant even stand up.

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Anyone have a loss of appetite? In just don't feel like eating much, have one more day of weaning off metropol how ever you spell it !

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Has anybody been off this about 5 months to a year? I just am having a week of racing heart and anxiety after not having it for awhile. How long have you been off if the M Sandra? I forgot. I saw where somebody posted awhile back that they didn't feel better until a year. Bouts of good and then bad! Geez! I hate the racing heart and anxiety!

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I just can't shake off anxiety . Its horrible it think i hit the restarts button when i got off lexapro last month . But it will come and go .i know thats going to be the hardest part.

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Im 4 months off. My main issue is lightheadedness and fast heart rate when I move around. Also bad anxiety. I was on 6.25 mg when I got off. How about you Justme?

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Happy birthday Lauren. Hope you're going to get over the problems of stopping/ decreasing Metoprolol along with others here lately. Some of our earlier folks not on her anymore. Glad to see there are familiar names and support still being shared here.

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I've been off for five months and was taking lowest dose two times a day for I think eight years! I would have to check my medical records! I haven't been exercising for the last month and eating really bad so I'm thinking this is not helping at all seeing I'm going to be sixty soon. Back to healthiness I go and will check in and let you all know if it makes a big difference. I don't want to go on any bp meds at all so I'm gonna have to get healthier. Hang in there everybody!

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Justme, I'm 62 and have been off of this stuff since last June, and while the worst of the withdrawal mostly occurred for about five or six weeks after I quit, I still get little bouts of anxiety along with a higher heart rate and BP spikes about every three or four weeks or so. Since it's mild in comparison to the withdrawal period, I can still function pretty well when this occurs. Still, it's a constant reminder of a medication that became my worst nightmare. I do eat well and exercise daily, though, so I'm sure that can't hurt. I also continue to drink protein shakes that contain all kinds of helpful supplements. And water......keep hydrated at all times and drink lots of water. I'm just hoping the after effects will disappear once and for all some day.

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Thanks Jimbo and the anxiety calmed down today. I'm doing a cleanse from my chiropractors office and started today. No coffee until after the 21 days and already feeling better without the coffee. I really believe I'm gonna feel better after this detox program. I really think no exercise, toxic food and toxic people really feed the anxiety we were left with from the M so I just need to work harder on myself but be gentle also. Thank God we are off that poison M.

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