Metoprolol Withdrawal (Page 99)
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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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Does a month off the metoprolol and still having effects from it seem likely? I was on for a year and a half. Worst year and a half of my life. I quit cold turkey but was only on literally dust by the time I got off because I couldn't tolerate more. I am mainly just having fast heart rate when up moving around or cleaning etc. Blood pressure goes up when heart rate does. Just still feel like crap. I was put on it for tachycardia which they thought was from anxiety but they never really found the cause. The heart rate came about after a 2 month sinus infection. I feel pretty decent otherwise but this stupid heart rate won't go down. Has anyone here suffered longer than a month OFF this crap??

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Nice to hear others are having similar experiences with Metropolol! I'm on the Met Tartrate XR 100MG/Once a day...It has had a HUGE impact on my life...I've gained 40 lbs and it has turned me into a zombie...As soon as I get home from work, I crash at the computer and hardly move...

It also regularly causes me cloudy vision and unfocused vision problems...And then there are the weird/random/anxiety-based thoughts! Also, my concentration is at times, seriously affected, and my general mental well-being is terrible-No interest in taking care of daily chores or taking part in activities, etc...

Due to a period of unemployment and now only part-time work, I have no health insurance...so no DR to see to get a diff RX, so my current option is to take half pills, 50mg...After 3 days of this, I've already seen an improvement in my general mood/thought processes, etc...

Tied to all the problems however, is the weight gain-18 months or so ago I had gastritis from stress, and responded by quitting smoking, eating MUCH healthier, and walking literally every day..Result was I lost over 40 lbs and felt 100% better, both physically and mentally..

Sadly, I got back on the cigarettes, then was trying to hide my smoking from my work colleagues and due to nico withdrawal and the BP meds, I got angry and walked out of my job..Partially due to being physically worked like a slave for 2 years straight, partially due to a *ucked up head from getting back on nicotine plus BP meds...

Of course, I somewhere in there lost all motivation to eat healthy and exercise, so that combined with Metropolol slowing my heart rate and thus my metabolism, I put on 40+ pounds...

Also-WTF my Dr put me on a medication that's primarily for heart patients(when I had an echo stress, etc and all was normal) IDK..

I suggest that:

1. Do not blindly agree to take ANY RX without doing research first!

2. If possible, ALWAYS request the BRAND NAME version of the drug, as the generics have been proven to not be exactly the same...Search the internet for "Metoprolol Recalls" and you'll understand!

3. DO not be surprised (men esp) that MET has a deleterious affect on your libido...Lack of staying power, lack of interest, ED like symptoms, etc...

However, problems I experience when OFF MET, although generally seeming to correlate to caffeine and nicotine intake:

1. Shaky hands-prob the caffeine
2. VERY short temper...
3. Massive sweating....

All the above may just be too many cigs and too much coffee and not enough water though... One reason it's hard to determine what's causing certain things is multiple possible factors: I'd suggest trying for a week to cut out certain foods/drinks/meds/supplements, etc. as it may help determine which side effects are caused by which meds...

Anyway-Just some basically random thoughts on what I've dealt with on Met Tart 100MG XR

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Toonces just go slow. There is no rush. I weaned 1/2 dose at a time from 100 mg on down. Take a week or two at each dose and let your body stabilize there before taking the next step. That way if there are rebound effects they are not as extreme. It's scary to do since it has to do with your heart AND one of the side effects is anxiety which makes it even harder. I kept records all the way of my BP and pulse. That way I could see my reactions. That way I could reassure myself that this was "day 3" reaction after a dose reduction. I usually had a bad day or two after each adjustment, usually day 3 or 4 and then my body would adjust. Make a plan for yourself and you can do this. Your body knew what to do before this drug and it can learn what to do again. I'm beginning to feel better now. It's 18 days after weaning. I weaned over 2 months. This takes time. But it's worth it. It's hard because the doctors LOVE this medicine but it was horrible for me. Be encouraged and you will be so glad to have this nightmare behind you! I'm beginning to see the light at the end of the tunnel.

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Toonces... Mostly when I'm guaging my fat to protein ratio, I just go by the food label and do the math. I eat a lot of deviled eggs. For example , I'll boil two eggs and make four deviled egg halves. I only put in mayo and paprika. It's roughly 200 calories and 80/20 fat to protein ratio.

Sometimes I'll eat pecans . The fat protein ratio is good in them.

But again, this kinda dieting should only be done by those most resistant and only if vitamins r taken and your kidneys r in good order.

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Yeah, toonces, I share the same sentiments about those who've been prescribed this medicine only to find themselves in deep trouble with it. It's really a shame that these things essentially go unnoticed by the medical community. It's not like we're drug addicts, but yet, in many respects it isn't much different.

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Hi Anita: thanks for your post...you're encouraging me to go to the next level of weaning. I'm so sorry any of us were put on this stuff...thanks again for sharing your experience.

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Hey Toonces, I think I went through about a two-week period during withdrawal when I didn't sleep well. I knew it was the Metoprolol still at work, for it gave me a feeling of being on the edge all the time. It felt like I had been drinking three or four cups of coffee when in fact I had none. It was sort of like being on the verge of an anxiety attack all day and all night, if that makes any sense. It eventually went away, but it was followed with the feeling of not having enough sleep, probably from sleep deprivation. After a few days of that I finally settled into my normal sleep routine of about seven hours per night.

Anita, you're almost there! If you're anything like me, you'll have just a few more days to go when the good days will start becoming more consistent. That's when you know you've made it, even if you still get little twinges every now and then. My worst withdrawal issues lasted for about three weeks, and then I had some rebound effects for a few days after a week's vacation. I'm still not sure if the rebound thing was due to flying or drinking alcohol or perhaps both, but it was short-lived. Now I avoid caffeine and alcohol, for I really think they can act as triggers to my system.

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Day 18, no Metoprolol. Feeling better a little bit each day. My energy is returning and the anxiety is subsiding. Last night I was sitting and my pulse suddenly dropped. I got that funky feeling in my head (like someone had blown up my head like a balloon) and so I took my BP and it was elevated. Metoprolol at work! STILL! I'm doing what I can to get this stuff out of the body. Drinking a glass of water with lemon juice to cleanse the liver might help. I'm getting on the treadmill and walking every day. This week my balance was so improved that I didn't have to hold on. The Metoprolol made me so dizzy I couldn't walk straight. Sad. I'm still apprehensive about doing too much but I'm doing more each day. Working hard to get my life back. Stay positive and you can get off this stuff. I can see glimpses of myself before this drug. It might be a month or two before it's completely gone. I wont be surprised if there are more weird rebound events. I will beat it.

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Hi Jimbo: thanks for the congrats...it's taken about 2 years and I still have more to go. And congrats to you on the 30, and all of the lifestyle changes you've made.

Can I ask how long it took before you went from 3 hours to 7 hours of sleep?

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Hi Tony: I have been on a cpap for over 10 years. I guess I would have to have another sleep study done. I live alone, so I don't know if I'm snoring without the cpap. Thanks for the info on the link to heart and Bp with apnea...I didn't know.

I'm on a low fat, low carb diet...boat loads of raw fruits and vegetables with turkey, fish, eggs, nuts, cottage cheese. I have done Atkins in the past...I remember reading about his patients improving heart numbers whilst on steaks, etc. Can I ask what kinds of fats make up the 80% of your diet.

Thanks again

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Hi Jane: thanks for lead on olive leaf. I'll pick some up for my next level, lower dosing of M. I knew you were still off of M, but since you still have withdrawals, I mentioned the M eventually being gone from our systems. I'm just hopeful that once I'm completely off of M that eventually I won't feel any withdrawals, even if I still feel them for awhile because possibly it takes them awhile to leave the liver, etc? I'm so afraid that I won't get my life back, and I'm not even completely off of them yet.

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Im going through something similar too. i was on memetoprolol for a year and a half. Just a small dose is all I could tolerate. I would stop it for a week and try to get off it then end up getting back on it. Really messed my body up. A month ago I got off it. I still have an adrenaline rush a couple times a day but the biggest annoyance is the fast heart rate when im walking or trying to clean the house. Does that seem normal for the "adjustment" period? Im not sure if ill ever be normal again. Im really losing hope.

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I'm not sure if my sleep experience is related to the sleep apnea discussion or not, but I did have insomnia of some sort when coming off the Metoprolol. It seemed to be more of an anxiety issue more than anything but, for whatever reason, I went through a spell where I couldn't sleep for anymore than about three hours a night. It really wore on me after a while. The longer I was off the 'M', though, it felt as though my body started begging me to get eight or more hours of sleep. Now I've settled into my average of about seven hours a night. There's no doubt that the Metoprolol had a profound effect on my sleep patterns during my weaning and withdrawal periods.

Toonces.......man, losing 100 pounds is a huge accomplishment! Congrats! I can only imagine what that did to your blood pressure. I'm 6'2" and dropped from about 215 pounds to 185 last spring, and that 30 pounds was enough to drop my pulse rate and blood pressure into some dangerous territory. It was also the primary reason I needed to get off of the 'M.' I'm also exercising regularly these days - mostly cycling - but thankfully my BP and PR are right where I've been wanting them to be.

Tony, I'm in WI, so my guess is that lunch or a party is out of the question. But hey, one never knows. I get down your way every once in a while, so I'll be sure to let you know if I get that way again.

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Hi Jane. If you are not on any other medications , I would assume it's your body still adjusting, especially if you are seeing improvement. But of course this is just a guess. I'm not qualified to diagnose.

If it were me, I'd listen to my body and use good judgement as to whether I'd worry. If I felt like it was too scarey, I'd ask a doctors advice on what I was feeling. Otherwise, I'd give myself more time.

I can totally understand your frustration . Anytime my heart does anything, it demands my attention and I have to remind myself to relax. It certainly can be very stressful. So I really sympathize.

I think you are Gonna have to rely on your instincts here. But go get looked at if its too concerning.

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Hi toonces. Most cardiologists are concerned about sleep apnea because there is a definite link between that and a greater risk of heart problems and can add to high blood pressure. Before I started dieting n exercising , I use to stop breathing when sleeping and catch myself and start back again. It was like my throat would close and stop me for a second and of course I would have a reflex trying to recatch my breath.

Well if you read dr Atkins new diet revolution, he touches on this. After being on a low carb diet, combined with excercise and nutritional supplementation, it just resolved itself. I no longer stop or pause when I'm breathing while I sleep. I rarely snore anymore when I use to snore a lot.

But let me clarify. When I say low carb, I'm more on a high fat low protein and very low carb diet. I take in less than ten carbs a day most days. But when I say high fat, I'm really meaning percentage wise. I eat 80% fat, 20% protein. This forces your body to burn it's stored fat through ketosis. Most people don't go that strict and it's safer if you don't unless u are very resistant to losing any other way. For me it works. But I of course watch my potassium level very closely.


The point is, an effective diet and weight loss can generally cure those sleep issues . It may take some effort and time but you can resolve it.

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Further to my previous message I am not on any medications whatsoever.
Side effects decreasing slowly but still a bit annoying especially when it happens when trying to get to sleep.

Olive leaf is good for blood pressure, antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and disease-fighting characteristics.

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Hi Jane: I do theanine and magnesium and omega 3's as well as vitamins. Can I ask how you like the taurine and I haven't heard about the olive leaf before. What does the olive leaf do?

I'm with you on the anxiety...I hope once the M is completely out of our systems, it will go away.

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Hi Tony: Can I ask how do you know when your apnea is gone? I've lost 100 pounds...should I have another sleep study done to see if I still need a cpap?

I have a doctor's appointment this Friday and I'm going to ask about weaning down more on the metoporol and Lisinopril. I've tolerated going from the 50mg down to 25 on the M for the past 2 weeks, but I'm concerned about going from 25 to 12.5 next. I've also had the blurred vision, extreme fatigue...lots of fatigue, here and there anxiety. My blood pressure did rebound after a couple of days off of M...but it had dropped down to a daily read of 95/65, which is how I started doing research online about the possibility of going off of meds in the first place. That's when I stumbled onto this forum and started seeing everyone else talking about all of the symptoms that I had for years. I just assumed all of these problems were from aging. I'll be 51 next week. ...So, my Bp jumped up to about 115/70 for a few days after cutting the M in half, but then dropped and settled at about 101-110/65-70. My pulse varies, but it's usually 65ish to at most 70. ...so Bp-wise, i think that it would be safe to keep weaning, but I'm afraid of more side effects again. I have to say that this is difficult, but easier than getting off of Paxil.

Again, I am so grateful for this forum. Just to be validated by what all of you post on here truly helps keep me from going off the deep end and keeping straight what's a withdrawl vs. Am I losing my mind?

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It's hard to say Jane . Your body is obviously having trouble adjusting to life without it. It's certainly not in your system anymore.

The real question is, are you on absolutely any other medications at all? Other than the natural supplements.

If not, then it might just take time. But I would certainly follow up with your doctor and discuss your issues in case you have any underlying issues.

Are your side effects improving at all? I know you said they happen but is it decreasing in intensity at all over time?

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I have been off Metropolol for almost 18 weeks but at least twice per week when Im trying to get to sleep my heart still speeds up and I get an anxiety attack. I take magnesium and taurine, olive leaf ,green tea (for theannine etc.
How long until these feelings go away?

I was on M for 3 years.

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