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Stopping Carvedilol (Coreg): When will the effects wear off?
Hi everyone,
I am glad to be a part of this community. Please foregive the long post. I was wondering if anyone has had a hard time while being on and going off Carvedilol (Coreg).
I am an active 45 year old mom of a young child. I have always tried to eat healthily and keep in shape (I do yoga, pilates and, run about 5k 2x per week). My BP has always been pretty good, but since my 40´s it has gone up a bit (heredity factors play a role). My BP and heart rate also "spike" when I get stressed or anxious, but for the most part are pretty level during normal times. I do have anxious moments, but I would not say anxiety has been a major life problem. At my last check (Feb 2016), and after wearing a 24 hour BP monitor, my cardiologist suggested I start Carvedilol 6.25 1x per day (quite a low dose) for the spikes and to keep the heart from getting too excited. I agreed that maybe it was a good idea and started over two months ago. Other than stimulating rapid bowel movements, I did not notice any side effects at first. I would say about three to four weeks into taking the Carvedilol, I began not sleeping well. I also noticed my heart pounding, like a bass drum, slowly and steadily, at times. Then the heart pounding began to wake me up at night (it turns out my HR was down in the high 40s at night). Some nights I even felt my chest muscles vibrate, as if a phone on silence mode was on top of my chest. I started to notice this more and more and then I would have a few normal nights, so I figured I would just talk about this at my next cardio check (booked out in June). I also noticed I was getting more and more anxious. I wasn't too sure why little things were beginning to bother me. I thought it was hormones, PMS, whatever, and started looking for someone like a therapist to talk to.
The previous week was bad. I woke up from a few nightmares and I started to panic in bed, just woken up from sleep. I had three nights of waking up to panic attacks and body shakes. The experiences made me very nervous. At this point I started looking into the side effects of Carvedilol and I was seeing not only chest pounding, but in rare cases reported effects of nightmares, visual disturbances, tremors, anxiety. I also know one does not simply stop a beta blocker, so we talked about tapering down. I tapered down for four days, and then I got in to see another cardiologist on Monday and he said just stop immediately. The effects are rare, but they have been noted. Going off this medication has been frightening. I feel weak and shaky all the time, and I get sporadic periods of pounding and muscle tremors in my legs, anxiety and fuzzy vision. I frequently get so cold I begin to shake. Yesterday I went back to the clinic for an EKG (normal) and some blood tests (including thyroid) and everything was normal. I am just assuming this is my body reacting and readapting itself after being on beta blockers. It has only been five days, but I am wondering if anyone out there has had similar experiences. How long did it take you to feel normal again? I ran a 5k just two weekends ago and yesterday I could hardly take a walk. Thanks for listening.
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This is a response to @clariseb and @michelep1964, both of whom had severe side effects from Coreg (Carvedilol), although their doses were relatively small. I have taken Carvedilol for more than a year in doses of 25mg twice daily (with breakfast and dinner). Clarise says she is taking 3.125mg in the morning only. Her experience takes me by surprise, since I don't have any significant adverse symptoms from a daily dose of more than 15 times as much. Coreg seems to be what I need to manage my a-fib and hypertension, but comments here on Mayo Connect from a few individuals make it clear that they can't tolerate Coreg, and because of withdrawal symptoms, they have to work with their medical without delay to transition to a medication they can tolerate. Don't delay!
Martin
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2 ReactionsI have asked, he says this is the best medicine. He tells me I have "heart disease", I am not sure what this means. when I asked the nurse, she said because I had clogged arteries. Does Carvedilol help that, I don't see it anywhere. It is mainly for heart failure and I think my doctor may be using it for high blood pressure. My blood pressure this am was 116/66. ( I am taking 3.125 mg carvedilol at night, tried several times during the day and cant do it).
@clariseb, can you arrange for another "doctor" (cardiologist perhaps) to review your medical records and give you a second opinion? Can I help you with that? Your case seems ready-made for it. Your low blood pressure reading of 116/66 and your lowest possible daily dose of Coreg align with each other and suggest that hypertension is not the target of the medication. Something else may be, and you deserve a full advisory conversation on that, your prospects, and a longer-term plan for managing your symptoms. Martin
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1 ReactionWelcome to Connect, @michelep1964,
Thank you so much for sharing your experience with Coreg; the "one size fits all" concept does not always apply when it comes to medication, right?
The way a person responds to a drug is affected by many variables, like genetic makeup, age, other diseases, drug interactions. Since so many factors affect drug response, doctors have to choose a drug appropriate for each person. Mayo Clinic advises that people consult with their current care provider before making any changes to their existing medication or treatment plan.
We look forward to getting to know you, @michelep1964; may I ask what brings you to the Heart & Blood Health group on Connect? What alternative medication(s) did your cardiologist suggest?
I have dialated cardiomyapathy with ejection fraction of 30. I am on lisiniprol only right now. Even this makes me feel crappy but i can function
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1 ReactionThank you Martin. I plan to see another doctor to get a second opinion. I want to do what is best for my heart. Also, my doctor agreed to prescribe the coreg, instead of carvedilol, which may be giving me the extreme problems. I will post a follow up when I get a second opinion. Thank you very much.
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1 ReactionYou're welcome, @clariseb. I look forward to hearing from you again when you're ready. Coreg is the brand name for Carvedilol. I assume you drew a distinction between them based on whether it comes in a pill or a capsule. One point I forgot to mention: You should try to take the medication at the same time(s) every day (so your body doesn't react poorly to what may seem to be abrupt withdrawal). Also, I found that it is better to take it with food, so I do mine at breakfast and at dinner. Finally, the "label" that FDA requires to be given with a prescription runs to four typewritten pages. My pharmacy included that so I have all of the important instructions and side-effects from this medication. Those four pages are filled with good information and issues to discuss with your doctor or your pharmacist. Martin
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1 ReactionI just started taking coreg and im haveing the worst time not knowing about this drug i take clonodine and AZOR thus coreg i want to stop taking ot im feeling worst than i have ever felt and i been dealing with HBP for over 15yrs..... im qaking up at night around the same time and my heart is pounding HR 70 -80 IS THIS THE SIDE EFFECT and on top of that my BP 170/118
Im not feeling this drug at all im waking up at night around the same time 11pm and my HR 70-80 and my BP is 167/118 ....is this normal to go threw this is tbis a side 3ffect i want off this coreg i didnt take my dose this morning and i can feel my pressure is up...
Hello @krj1213. Welcome to Mayo Connect. Like many others here, I'm a volunteer mentor on selected topics -- one of which has become difficulties with blood-pressure and/or heart-rate medications. I hope you'll take the time to read the various messages in this discussion, which is focused on Coreg (Carvedilol).
My immediate concern is your decision to stop taking Coreg altogether and abruptly. Doing so is contrary to medical knowledge of beta blockers in general and this drug in particular. Abrupt termination of Coreg causes much more discomfort than phasing it down under guidance from a doctor. It's also interesting that you are taking three other drugs for high blood pressure -- Clonidine and Azor (a double-barreled diuretic and kidney medication). Have you considered whether your symptoms might be the result of a wide variation of antihypertensives or of complications arising from adding Coreg to the three other different drugs?
Morning blood pressure is often higher than later in the day, but its increase today might be attributable to the missing beta blocker medication. Your heart rate of 70-80 doesn't seem threatening, but the pounding in your heart is something to be concerned about. You should try to see your physician (cardiologist or nephrologist?) today and discuss your symptoms and the role of Coreg in your treatment. And as you know, should symptoms of fainting or dizziness occur, you should consider going to an emergency room.
Would you mind giving us more information about your medications -- their dosages and when you take them? Several of our members may have dealt with experiences similar to yours, and the additional information will help them to raise questions you might want to put to your doctor(s).
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