Metoprolol Withdrawal (Page 98)
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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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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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I would keep a measure on it. For the first couple of days I had no pvcs but now they are back maybe only slightly better and I'm not happy about it. :( so hopefully after I've been off of this for awhile they will go away again.

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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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(Weaned off for 3 months/clear for 2.5 months). Thanks Bee for the "Dr Joseph Mercola" Youtube tip. Watched it. Fantastic. Dr Andrew Saul too. They then led me to Dr Carolyn Dean. Fantastic. Reading her "Death By Modern Medicine" and "Atrial Fibrillation - remineralize your heart". If you don't have AF still read it. So much knowledge to be gained!!! Thank you.

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Thanks. & I've had clonopin for major anxiety attacks but rarely take it. To be honest I'm the most worried about coming off my Mirtazipine which has made me gain 20lbs thankfully I started working out before it could get any worse. I mean I'm at day 3 and so far no panic attacks yet today significantly less pvcs all and all if it gets too bad my cardio is only 15 mins away as well as the ER. I just feel better knowing there are other ppl going through what I am.

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Ky, I'm not sure what anxiety medicine you're on, but please be careful, for some of that stuff can get you addicted or dependent upon yet another drug. My doctor prescribed Xanax for me when I started weaning off of the Metoprolol, and even though I would've liked to have taken it every day, I only took it once every three days at the very most. Perhaps I've just become overly frightened of any prescription meds these days, but I can't let any drug take control of my life again unless it's absolutely a life or death matter.

I might also add that caffeine and alcohol have been anxiety triggers for me, especially when I was getting off the beta blocker. It seems to be getting a little better in that regard now, but I've essentially been off the drug for over two months now. Just two weeks ago a single cup of coffee made me feel as though I drank a whole pot.......LOL......but now a cup will make me feel just a little edgy. At any rate, I wish you the very best in getting off the propranolol. I don't know much about it other than it's a beta blocker, but I do know that all beta blockers have some similarities.

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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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My doctor told me I wouldn't notice either. He said the same thing about the Metoprolol, "It's such a small dose, just stop taking it" NO WAY!!! I stepped it down slowly and still had a hell of a time getting off of it. The fact is that you DO notice. I don't know how propranolol doses run, but if you think you're having too strong a reaction, then cut the pills in half for a week, and then in half again for another week. Your body needs to learn how to handle the adrenaline and sadly, anxiety is one of the withdrawal symptoms I had too. You should check your BP tho and make sure you stay within safe limits. You don't want to make things worse for yourself. My bad days were usually day 3 and then better on day 4, until the end then it was drawn out more. Go SLOW and be safe. You can do it!!!!

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Hey everyone! My name is Ky. I'm a 22 yr old female who is just now stopping a beta blocker. I was on 5MG of propranolol once a day and haven't taken it in 2 days. I've have felt incredibly anxious today. Like 1000x's anxious. My cardio told me that I'm on such a low does that I shouldn't feel any effect. I want to believe him but my anxiety is just so insane and that is making it worse. I haven't even attempted to take my pulse or BP knowing that right now it will only freak me out more.

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I agree with Jimbo. It takes time. I am on day 22 with no metoprolol. This weekend I went out for the first time in 6 months. I went to a dinner. It was hot out and my pulse was up but I did my best to stay calm and NOT become overwhelmed with anxiety. I made it through the dinner! I can't say I was relaxed but it was a step forward to living again after living in fear of what my body would do. For me it has been a long road of withdrawal. Some people just stop taking it and are fine. I found that what helped most was water with lemon juice (clean the medication out of the liver), drinking lots of water (flushing the body), taking lots of vitamin C and EXERCISE. The exercise has helped me get my resting pulse back down after the weaning. My pulse was 65 on the Metoprolol. After weaning resting pulse was up around 79 (but running higher and well over 100 during the day). Now after 22 days it is down to resting pulse of 69. I am wearing a Fitbit and watching my pulse rate throughout the day. I am seeing improvement which makes me relax about it more. I haven't had a funky head or chest pain in several days, so I am encouraged. Exercising is key. I walk on the treadmill for at least 30 minutes and am able now to increase my speed and incline a my resting pulse drops. I am feeling less effects of the metoprolol. Those of you in the weaning process, rebound stage, or thinking of getting off this poison, you can do it. GO SLOW and listen to your body. If your doctor does not understand that it is not agreeing with you look for a new doctor. Be safe during the process. I had several trips to the Er along the way but am seeing that soon I can live life like I did before the metoprolol.

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Sandra, I only wish I knew what to say or what to do to help you. I was fortunate enough to get beyond the worst of it after being off the Metoprolol for about a month or so, but everyone seems to have a different experience. The one common denominator, though, is that each and every one of us has had an overwhelming feeling of wanting to get our lives back. This drug just seems to encapsulate our well-being so much that sometimes we find ourselves with very little or no hope, for not only does it foul up our physical chemistry, it fouls up our mental state of mind as well. I can only speak of my own experience, but it's one that'll stay with me for as long as live. The only thing I can recommend is to listen to what the others have been saying here in the terms of being patient long enough for the drug to finally let go of its grasp on you. Sooner or later it has to happen, right? I know it must feel as though you're permanently maimed for life at times - I know I did - but you'll get beyond it. I like to believe that many of us on this thread are living proof that we can indeed get beyond it.

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I feel terrible today. Felt ok yesterday. Today I have a horrible headache and so lightheaded. Going on 7 weeks off and no end in sight :( I want my life back!!! Its like a medicated withdrawal feeling if that makes any sense.

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Sandra.
it took me a year to get off the (M).. I barely had a life for a year.........It was aweful.. I was on the drug for over two years.............but I wanted to take it slow and have the least amount of side effects.. Even though I did it slow I still had horrific side effects............My last dose was last March and it took months for my body to get rid of that stuff in my system ........If anyone watches a video from Dr. Joseph Mercola on beta blockers you will be blown away.......... You can find it on utube I guess.

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Hi Anita: me again...my last doctor put me on lisinopril and metoporol about 10 years ago for barely borderline hypertension. Had I known all of the havoc these meds have caused, I would have just tossed the script. I remember taking the lisinopril first and my Bp did not change. Then the metotoporil was added and my Bp actually went up. I never in my wildest dreams thought that the meds were what pushed it up. I just panicked and thought, " oh no...it's getting worse...I really need these meds." My doc at the time said we need to increase the M to get it down, so that's what we did...but looking back...the meds are what pushed borderline Bp up...what a racket. Ugh...and we're all left to pick up the pieces of the mess these meds have done to the rest of our bodies. I used to come home from work and lay down...I would be so exhausted and I felt like I was walking in cement all the time, blurred vision and gained 50 pounds, lowered libido, depression... In conclusion, I would have been better off staying in a borderline hypertension state. I've subjected my poor body to 10 years of this stuff and there's nothing I can do about it...very sad.

Again...thanks for your posts...it truly helps to know I'm not alone...there is comfort in numbers.

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Anita.
I was put on the (M) for high blood pressure and anxiety.. 100mgs. and right it did not work for me either.. My heart was fine before the drug.. my echo and a few EKG's showed it.. I wasn't exercising at the time and probably eating too much salt and had gained 30lbs.... so I started exercising again, lost weight and drank a lot more water and started eating way better ................I lost 35lbs. but still on the meds..but they weren't even working......I told the doctors I want off this stuff and they said no its fine. I said tell me how to get off and they wouldn't.. since the meds were not working I started taking Magnesium, Taurine, Olive leaf and beet root. My bp would stabilize but still go bonkers on and off................then I wanted off this drug. I was on 6 bp meds before the (M) and none of them worked. Not all at the same time of course..............so I figure if meds don't work why am I on them.. So I went to see a naturopathic doctor and she was of no help either.. gave me the wrong weaning process............so I went online and found more info how to wean off and that is what I did............followed the instructions online and it worked.. no doctor would help me..............MY bp was going bonkers when I weaned off and that bp cuff makes me sooooooo nervous........but I have lost the weight, watch my diet, watch salt and now take a bunch more of stuff as I have no faith in western medicine.................
I do EFT tapping which lowers my blood pressure and am now taking L argenine for prevention also. Oh; I also love hawthorn... it will lower a heart rate that is going too fast......

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Hi Anita: thanks for the encouragement. I had a 6 month meds check/blood work appointment on Friday. I have been tracking my blood pressure every day(sometimes I forget, but usually every day at the same time so I can look for patterns and changes). I just took it before writing this and it's 98/62 with pulse of 60. This is average for the past months...but at the doctor's office, they were training a nurse and her first reading was 135/89...I never even felt the cuff tighten around my arm. I mentioned that that was odd and high, so she said, "we'll wait 10 minutes and take it again." So the 2nd time it came up as 115/68. What if I never said anything? That 1st reading would be in my record, and I don't even think the trainee even took it properly. I mean...we all have to be our own advocates...jeeeeez. So, thankfully, I truly like my current doctor. I've been going to her for over a year. She is not the one who put me on all of my meds. She said our next step is to go from the now 25 of M to 12.5 for a few weeks and I should monitor my Bp readings and let her know. She listens, spends time and explains anything I ask about. ...I'll keep you posted on how the next level of weaning goes. I'm stil on 20 mg of lisinopril...that was halved back in February...I eventually want off of that too, but I like the idea of 1 at a time so, like you, I can keep track of what causes what. So far, I have only had 1 quick bout of chest tightness for a few seconds, a few weeks ago. It did scare me, but it passed and hasn't happened since.
Thank you again for positive, move forward posts! It truly helps!

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Hi Jane: I researched all of the attributes of olive leaf extract. I ordered it on Thursday. Thanks so much for the heads up.

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Hi Tony: thanks for the easy to follow explanation...glad it's working for you

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Anita P., how long were you on the beta blocker? I was on for a year and a half. Small doses but enough to affect me.

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Metoprolol did NOT control my blood pressure. It did NOT work. It lowered my heart rate, gave me chest pains, put me in a fog, made my blood pressure fluctuate wildly and killed my energy level. I was a zombie with more problems than prior to taking it. I did NOT have a heart problem prior to taking it. It was a BAD choice by the doctor. Notice that it's one of the top 100 drugs in the U.S. I'm on day 19 off of it. My BP is stabilized, my heart rate is approaching the SAME rate as when taking it and my energy is returning. No more head funk, no more chest pains and the anxiety is subsiding although it still creeps up on me. I consciously manage it knowing where it's coming from. Baby steps but huge leaps in getting my life back. If I ever needed a beta blocker (for some life saving reason?) this would not be an option. It's like all of the drug ads you see on TV, the side effects are worse than the original condition being "treated". If it's not working for you, get OFF of it. It's hard to do but it CAN BE DONE! stay strong, be determined, stay calm and you will get through it. Even when you think it's going to last forever and you're "trapped" on this dangerous drug, you ARE NOT!

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