Metoprolol Withdrawal (Page 92)
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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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Toonces are you saying the lisinopril raised your BP? I've been struggling with it lately and the doctor just switched me to losartan... Which is making my heart skip beats. I'm so sick of being a guinea pig..and losing months of my life "adjusting " to these drugs. I was taking 10 mg of lisinopril. I wish I could take zero. The doctors want me to be on medication. It's so frustrating with all the side effects I don't know if it's worth the benefits.

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Hope that heart cath might lend some information on the heart. Try to relax if you can. I know it's easier said than done. Sending prayers your way.

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Hi Jimbo:

Thanks for the response. Sometimes I'm 109/65ish, but now it will go up to 120/80ish...so I'm happy with that as I'm 7 weeks off of M, and only a few weeks off of lisinopril and Xanax...and I haven't had any heart or chest problems. I agree with your last post...I've now lost over 100 pounds, and I've turned around my eating. I was borderline when they put me on my first bp med the lisinopril which raised my bp more n then they added M...I so wish I could go back in time...but like you said...it is what it is...a shame.

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Tony:

Prayers to you for quick recovery and hopefully you'll get an answer that makes sense from the doctors. I agree with Anita(I always do), to ask whatever questions you can to get answers that make sense.

Thinking of you...try to relax and get better.

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They r going to check the enzymes again. And see if the troponin goes up or down. They ordered a heart cath. My breathing keeps getting interrupted. Like my heart is sruggling for oxygen at times.

Ty guys for thinking of me.

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Tony I'm praying for you to get well and our of hospital. Relax and let the doctors find your problem. We are all rooting for you. Hope you can let us know how things are going.

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Praying for you Tony. I pray that the hospital can take good care of you and identify what you need. Try and relax, and I know you will ask lots of questions and make them explain what they are doing, what they are giving you and why. Maybe a solution will be found. Keep us posted if you can.

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Hi guys. I'm n the hospital . My heart took damage. I have elevated enzymes. Not sure what happened . I had an interruption in oxygen somehow. I'm scared but I can't do anymore. Pray for me.

I love u guys.

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Toonces.......sorry for the late reply, but my BP levels have typically been around 100/65 to 110/70 with average pulse rates at around 65 or 70.....not bad, and much better than 80/50 or 90/60 with pulse rates in the 40s. I don't get any BP spikes anymore, either, but I've also been completely off the Metoprolol for about four months now. I still get an occasional heart palp along with some slight chest discomfort once in a great while, but even those are continuing to decline with time. All in all, things are going very well.

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Tony, for what it's worth, I was at about 215 pounds when my doctor first prescribed Metoprolol, and I was at borderline pre-hypertension levels at the time. Needless to say, it would've been better to avoid the BP meds altogether, but there's no need to go into that now. Long story short, my troubles began last April when my weight dropped below 190. That was when I realized that I needed to get off the meds since my BP and HR dropped way too low. We all know how it went with getting off the meds - horrible experience - but keeping the weight off has kept my BP at very stable levels. If anything, it's actually been a little lower than normal but certainly not into dangerous levels like it was. I guess my point is simply that the 25+ pounds I lost along with a change in diet has made an incredibly huge difference in my BP levels. I know it isn't easy to lose weight, but I've since become a firm believer that the amount of excess weight we carry around is quite significant when it comes to blood pressure, even if it's only a matter of losing a few pounds. Funny thing is, I'm 6'2", and when I was at 215 lbs., none of my doctors ever considered that losing a little weight might actually help matters.

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There was a typo. I was trying to say food sits in the stomach for roughly 3.5 hrs. Most absorption is done in the small intestine. My apology.

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Well I have not been able to sleep well. Not horrible but just not resting. I have decided to not take my bp Meds YET. Not sure if that's smart but I'm doing it anyway. I was only on it a few days so I should b ok. I've given it tons of thought. Been checking it regularly. My bp now is 129/78.

My gut feeling is lorazepam caused my spikes in bp when I was withdrawing and weening it. I read a great deal on Benicar hct. It seems to work ok but it does have an intestinal side effect and increased history of sudden death by a good margin versus placebo. I know they all have side effects and anytime you take them it's a risk versus reward but I decided to do two things first before taking more of it.

I decided to wait and see if I get anymore spikes of bp after two weeks of being off lorazepam to see if that was the reason and to finish my weight loss before I start committing to bp Meds again.

My current weight is 222. I need to get to 200. The US ARMY has my ideal weight at 196. I figure 200 is close enough. I figure with continued exercise, weight loss and no lorazepam, I might not see a need to take the bp med. but it's hard to know. If I get too much bp elevation, I can always take the stupid pill but I'm trying to exhaust my options first.

I figure this is the smart play. And if I do take the Benicar, I'm going to drop the hct since I think with my diet and running, hydro diuretic would be stupid.

It's effective but since I already diet to keep my sugar in line, getting 3500-4000mg of potassium in my food is hard enough, I certainly don't need a diuretic putting me in danger. As it is, less than 2% of Americans get 3500 mg of potassium daily according to the US GOVT. Food choices do matter.

Also, please don't try and use potassium pills to reach your goal if you have low potassium. They all come in 99mg pills pretty much OTC. The reason for this is because nearly all potassium is absorbed from food into the intestines. And if it's from a natural food source, it's safe. But concentrated pill form can cause harm if it's from too many pills in a large quantity.

Most times food sits in the small intestine for about 3.5 hrs and is stored in the large intestine for hours. Only about 10% of total absorption is done in these two places. The other 90% is done in the small intestine and food is only there a short time. So if you need potassium, eat a healthy meal and you can reasonably see a difference in a few hours.

But of course, always consult a doctor if you have any concerns or have questions. I'm no doctor.

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you have a good point. That doc's behavior was unprofessional and your should know better than to respond to vitro wITH vitriol. That destroys all chances of communication. If that doc's behavior was "de rigeur," I'd not only reprimand him, I'd report him to the Office of Professional Conduct. If he came under my direct supervision (which he wouldn't, since he's not a shrink or a clinical psychologist or Master Social Worker), I'd fire his ass. AS ibis, I'd light a fire under HIS service chief to do so. WE don't need docs like him. I'm not going to suggestion were wronger even "intemperate" to respond as you did. The DOC is the professional in your type of interaction. He needs to calm his ass down. I'd be VERY UPSET if you also were one of my patient's and your reported this to me. NO EXCUSE.

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Any first-year medical student can tell you that beta-blockers need to be TAPERED. Hey, I'm a shrink and I know this. Your doctor is a ***** and that's my professional opinion. THERE'S NO EXCUSE FOR IGNORANCE. There are plenty of accessible (some healthcare professional only) to find this information. If reworked for me, I"d fire him for "Gross Negligence in the Practice of the Profession." Real MALPRACTICE often has an explanation or mitigating circumstances. STUPIDITY AND IGNORANCE MAKE NO VALID EXCUSE FOR THIS? I see so many of these posts. Are you all going tontine- stupid doctors, or what?

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I'm a fan of yours Anita. Nice post.

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I agree with Tony 100%. I also think that Doctors are just too quick with the pharmaceutical remedy because it's easier than figuring out the cause so they treat the symptoms... Causing more symptoms. Medicine should help not harm and the benefits MUST outweigh the risks. My doctors has just change my BP medicine from lisinopril to losartan. The lisinopril worked for years with No side effects but recently caused me constant trouble with dizziness and chest pain. I didn't feel well. I have yet to make the switch but am hopeful that I can find a medicine that controls it at the lowest possible dose. I watch my diet and exercise, and have a family history of hypertension. I would like not to take any medicines but at 55 that might not be in my best interest. I'm down from 5 meds (the metoprolol doctor) to 1... So I'm doing much better than I was. YES be your own advocate and if you have a doctor that isn't hearing you or paying attention, find another one. The struggle is real... Keep fighting for your health.

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I'd like to mention something about drugs versus natural remedies.

You know, so far Benicar hct has worked for my bp when compared to others I've tried. But just beware that what works for me may not work for you. Same with metoprolol. I'm no doctor but I've against the use of any drug unless it's absolutely necessary and even then I take the least amount possible to accomplish my goal.

Even though Benicar has worked, im trying to figure out if I can take less and even drop the hct from it and it still work. Im also trying to decide if my spikes are from lorazepam withdrawal instead of a natural issue. I guess I'll know soon.

The thing about drugs, in my opinion, is that too many doctors don't try simpler solutions first. Blood pressure for example naturally increases with age. And sometimes too good control with drugs will only lead to other problems like mineral depletion . Even when people say, watch your salt intake they really are wrong in this assessment to a degree. It's not that I am saying go out and eat tons of salt, of course not, but many times the effect salt has on your bp is a result more because of your deficiency in both magnesium and potassium. Good potassium levels have a direct impact on controlling salts effect on the body. Of course too much potassium isn't good either. But generally it's hard to get too much potassium naturally as long as you don't have kidney problems or are on a diuretic etc..

And many times blood pressure pills relax arteries to such a degree that circulation becomes an issue. And this isn't normal so you'll of course feel your heart pounding abnormally etc, to compensate.

And one thing is for certain, for those of us that take bp Meds , taking it unnecessarily can shorten your life and put you at greater risk for many other issues. So u should always exhaust all healthier options first.

Metoprolol is like that. Sometimes it's absolutely necessary but sometimes it isn't. Discussing things with a good doctor can make all the difference in your long term health.

I really want to see each of you have a great holiday season. Be your own advocate.

I'm no doctor, this is just my personal views!

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Hi toonces, hi guys.... I hope all of you are doing really well today and that your Metoprolol weening is going very well.

I wanted to say that I am now off of lorazepam completely too. Every time I stepped down on lorazepam , it was a rough experience for like 2 weeks during the withdrawal . But to my amazement , after I stopped this last bit to zero, I've had very few withdrawals. I'm shocked that when I finally JUMPED, my body held up so well. So when you are weening Meroprolol, and u finally JUMP off altogether, I hope it goes just as smoothly for anyone struggling.

I do want to share one thing. I had been seeing a doctor who I really like and is well aware of my history and how my year has unfolded. He has been great. He knew I didn't want any more beta blockers or channel blockers for bp Meds either and has tried very hard to help me find the right bp med for me to avoid my spikes and I finally found it.. Benicarhct. Excellent bp med. at least for me anyway. Unfortunately my favorite doctor doesnt take insurance so it gets pricy to see him. So... I went to see one that does because I needed to be more frugal. This doctor knew nothing about my struggles. Was young and very rude. He basically told me I needed to get back on lorazepam and Meroprolol and that i just didn't want to take drugs period and that it was all in my head and I might need a psychiatrist. I was shocked. Talk about a leap. Only 15 minutes and boom... Wanted me on several drugs right away.

Well I hate to say it but I flipped out. I failed to keep my cool. I chewed him out for 20 minutes straight. Cancelled my appointments and swore I'd never b back. I told him he was out of his mind. I said.. DOC, do u know how many pains and pvcs that lorazepam caused me? He said no but how do u even know it was a pvc? I said ummm well Doc...I went to the hospital and they said yeah... You got pvcs. Duh!

He was an absolute jerk to me. He even said, I want you back in losartan right now. I said doc, I agree I needed something for these bp spikes but losartan caused my heart to stop twice for a couple seconds and it scared me. He said I don't believe it. I said I don't care what u believe. He said I had been a doctor and a nurse and had years of schooling. I said that might be but I've known my body for 42 years. Anyway, it was quite the argument.

I went back and told my other doc and he just laughed and said no way I needed lorazepam again or metoprolol. He agree the blood pressure had to be controlled because of the spikes but said no way I needed that other stuff. He said my health has improved so much that if everyone tried as hard as I did that we would be way better off. My blood work is all great.

Anyway, sry for my rant. The point is, there are some fine doctors out there but some are out of their minds. Sometimes medication is an absolute necessity but sometimes it can be very dangerous. It's important to be sure. So finding a doctor you trust is key to knowing the difference.

Remember that just because someone is a doctor doesn't mean he is right. Some body had to finish last in their class lol. Find someone who didn't!

Finding a good doctor is like finding your favorite restaurant. Sometimes you got to find a few bad ones before you find the one that makes that perfect steak that's your favorite.

This year has been the scariest in my life. I've have cried more tears than I ever dreamed. I have jogged in the rain while crying. I hurt my heel from so much jogging but I refuse to miss a day jogging to let it heal because I'm afraid my health will drop a bit. I know it won't but it's the fear on losing all the hard work. I give my boys hugs like 10 times a day just in case.

I have tons of medical bills. I just got an extra job to pay those back. It'll take time. I sit on the coach and my resting heart beat is like 52 now from all the running.

If I die tonorrow, at least it won't be because I didn't try my best to survive. I gave it everything I had.

I love u guys... Thanks for the support!

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Hi everyone. I too am making good progress getting off the metoprolol. I think the worst is over. I get the occasional heart palpitation but nothing too extreme. I'm still taking lisinopril 10 mg which keeps my BP in the 115/75-130/80 range. It does give be funky side effects occasionally (dizzy, mild chest pains) but it seems to be working for the BP. I wonder how high it would go if I didn't take anything but I'm afraid to test it. I thank god that I didn't take the Atavan my Metoprolol pushing doctor tried to give me, and I feel for you trying to wean off these highly addictive drugs.

My husband had a heart attack last week, making a long story short he has a very normal low pulse and low BP. They kept talking about beta blockers in the hospital but didn't give them to him because his pulse was so low. At his follow up with the cardiologist he was very nervous as well as on a high dose nicotine patch. His pulse was elevated and what do you think the doctors advice was? "Im going to put you on metoprolol". My husband and I looked at each other with terror on our faces and asked why he needed it? The doctor blew up and left the room. At home I read the back of the box from the nicotine patches and fast pulse and high BP are signs of nicotine poisoning !!! The doctor didn't even think of that. He stopped the patch, his pulse and BP were back down within hours. Went to a new cardiologist who said he didn't need a beta blocker! If I hadn't just gone through what I went through, there is no way he would have ever gotten off the metoprolol as a person who had a heart attack! It Would have been too dangerous. Many of these doctors are just reckless with their prescriptions.. More more more and don't stop and think about the patient. You all were a large part of getting me through this.

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Hi Anita:

How are you doing and how is your husband? I've been off for 6 weeks now. I just want to thank you again for sharing your story. I could relate and you helped me stick with staying off of M during the worst of the withdrawl. I still have some ups and downs with bp, but overall, I think it's ok. Reading everyone's posts on here keep me going. And I'll come on here and even read old posts for a "boost."

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