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Stopping Carvedilol (Coreg): When will the effects wear off?
Heart & Blood Health | Last Active: Aug 21 10:21pm | Replies (387)Comment receiving replies
Interesting Thread. 58yo and I have CHF with a great prognosis from my cardiologist a few days ago. I've been on Carvedilol 25mg twice a day for two years - Never had a problem. He gave me my latest blood analysis as fantastic. The only reason why I went in to see him is because I started hyperventilating whenever I went into high speed, really heavy freeway traffic (70 mph+). This is no joke. So the last couple of days, I have stayed off the freeway.
But tonight broke the bank for me. Driving county roads and thorofares, (can't spell right now - I'm freaked) after dark, with traffic caused the hyperventilation incidents to re-occur. (What I think is, basically the pre-cursor to a full blown panic attack, yet not knowing what it really was).
The first time this happened (Wednesday) I pulled off at an exit and had my son pick me up and take me to my cardiologist, where he gave me my previous blood test results and had no explanation for the hyperventilation incidents. Blood work was perfect.
At first, I thought perhaps it was coffee doing me in, because the two times I experienced this, 30 mins prior I had had coffee house coffee, you know the black stuff that keeps you going every day. Well that idea didn't work.
I really thought it may have been coffee. Tonight kinda proved me wrong on that with no coffee, driving city and county streets in the dark. This is not something that happened over years, it's only started in the last week.
I'm just talking here, and I am no source of real information - this is just my opinion (perhaps fake news) and this is why I think I created this problem, based on other people's experience with this drug. There are a lot of reports on google with anxiety/panic issues connected to Carvedilol - by taking it. Me, I never EVER had a problem taking a 25mg dose twice a day. What happened was, and I really think this is it - I ran out of Carvedilol 9 days ago and was holding off refilling it until my Lisinopril needed to be refilled too.
I think I made a HUGE mistake by not refilling my rx right away by itself.. Getting off of Carvedilol (Coreg) of this magnitude (50mg) may be a challenge! Wow. I have talked with other people that I know that have panic/anxiety attack issues, but none of them match my situation - and I've never had one myself until now. I really appreciate the crap that people that have to suffer this type of condition more than ever.
Anyways folks thanks for this forum. One thing I've figured out yet again - is that I'm not the smartest bulb on the planet. If your meds work and you have no problems, keep them refilled and keep taking them. Carvedilol has worked for me really well, never had a problem, until I didn't refill it when it was supposed to be. That is what I THINK is causing my psycho issues atm.
Take care all.
PS: I will continue to pursue this issue. The only real thing that worries me is that I may have to stop driving, which would kill everything in my life dead. And btw, my Carvedilol rx will be refilled tomorrow first thing. All this drug stuff makes me fell so stupid. If I'm right on this, (and it may take a number of days for this freak show to stop once back on it), well either way I will post a report - about Missing a dose of Carvedilol. Keywords: Getting off Carvedilol Anxiety, Hyperventilation, Driving, Night driving, Freeway Driving. Carvedilol has been good for me. Hello Google Search Results!
Replies to "Interesting Thread. 58yo and I have CHF with a great prognosis from my cardiologist a few..."
I had a friend like that she would be driving fast and go into a full blown panic attack? Only while driving? Hope you don't have another attack god forbid pull over and calm yourself with deep breathing and try to relax!!
Well @mrsdeecee yeah, that's the scary part for me. When the condition arises, my body knows it and knows its' limitations. I still have the situation creep up in heavy fast traffic from time to time but my brain corrects it rather quickly now. I'm the guy in traffic that aggressive ppl hate, when they are on my ass wanting to do 75 when I'm doing 72, I'm 100 yards behind the other car in front of me with PLENTY of stopping distance ahead. I have a dash cam that I use 24/7, and today I decided to face it backwards because that's where all of the threats are. (But not because I fear them, I just love having driving idiocy on the record - I call it my bash cam instead of a dash cam).
When I first had to deal with this situation last month, it WAS a full blown panic attack and I had no idea what it was! That was why I pulled off and called my son to come get me because I didn't feel safe driving at all. I was hyperventilating walking around a gas station and it was so hard to control. I have been driving in this soup since 1974 (I think).
It is and will always be the craziest thing I have ever dealt with in my life.
This is not something, once it takes control even sub-consciously, is easy to deal with. I thank God I have found a mechanism that helps me cope with it so well! Driving is great again! I am blessed and lucky.
Hey buddy @predictable - I think I responded earlier, but just wanted to reiterate that my symptoms are exactly that of 'hyperventilation - syndrome', however there must be a root cause for it. My bp was within range when I visited my cardiologist that day... even previous blood work results were like perfect. There is a mental dysfunction switch for any type of situation that could be dangerous imo. Mine at that time - simply turned off - like the no-fear of driving at speed on a crowded freeway. I LOST that confidence, that I had had for more than 40 years. It's a real switch.
I'm not saying that I'm cured, but I am definitely on the watch list, and watching myself. Heh, I will tell you there is a devil on my shoulder shaking his head in disgust saying to me - You're joking about this right?
I'm like - YEP! It is a joke. Unfortunately this has crawled into my head like an alien and I fight it with fake insults. I works though.
Take care and thanks!
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Hi @doug_58, some immediate reactions to your quandary from someone else taking 25mg tablets of Carvedilol twice a day.
First and foremost, do I understand that you stopped taking Carvedilol abruptly when you ran out of pills? Gradual withdrawal from the medication is recommended in order to avoid a range of symptoms. Second, you didn't mention your blood pressure at the time of the hyperventilation attacks; perhaps you'd benefit from a portable BP meter when you're out for a drive. Third, you might need a paper sack in the car with you, allowing you to exhale into the sack and breathe in the carbon dioxide you exhaled; often that can restore your control and balance without calling for help.
What about "hyperventilation syndrome," a multifaceted condition that can be difficult to diagnose? Check out this article from the National Library of Medicine: https://medlineplus.gov/ency/article/003071.htm. It may give you a path to study.