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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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Hello @krj1213,
Welcome to Connect; we’re glad you joined us.
As Martin explained, Coreg (Carvedilol) is a beta blocker, used alone or together with other medicines to also treat high blood pressure (hypertension). High blood pressure adds to the workload of the heart and artery, and can increase the risk of heart attack. This may be less likely to occur if blood pressure is controlled. Here’s much more information about Coreg from Mayo Clinic: http://www.mayoclinic.org/drugs-supplements/carvedilol-oral-route/description/drg-20067565
There are a few other discussions taking place on Connect you might wish to view:
– Carvediol Bad side Effects - advice & getting weaning off: https://connect.mayoclinic.org/discussion/carvediol-bad-side-effects-advice-getting-weaning-off/
– Side effects of heart medicine carvedilol joint pain and stiffness: https://connect.mayoclinic.org/discussion/side-effects-of-heart-medicine-carvedil-joint-pain-and-stiffness/
Meanwhile, I'm sure that @teatime @murryone @neeci @cynaburst @lynnkay1956 @PatMattos @Sensation @ronaldpetrovich @clariseb @cynthialoulou @eileena @constanceann and others will return to share their insights and experiences with you.
@krj1213, have you consulted your doctor about your concerns?
hello I'm going in for an ablation procedure and am supposed to go off the Carvedilol cold turkey for 5 days before the procedure? I'm reading a lot about how that's not a good idea with a lot of side effects. thoughts on this?
randypape,
I think the reason you might need to go off the Carvedilol is to assist them in locating the exact spot that you are having the procedure for. Is your ablation for Afibs or PVCs? mine was for one PVC spot and it acted up quite a bit, like up to 20 times a minute. It is permanently gone since October 1, 2015. Also, how bad is your problem that you need the ablation for?
I use it to help control migraines, but began taking it following a quadruple bypass procedure. When I did try to wean off the stuff I got a full on migraine again. Then I tried lowering my dose to once per day and got another migraine. So, I guess your other health concerns might factor into this. BTW, I take the absolute lowest dose and it does the trick for me.
Yes they're going to simulate my vtach and then fix the problem. This should've been done first instead of putting the ICD in me and feeding me drugs. Im 58 and perfect health and passed every test ,even the genetic test. So I'm excited to get off the pills and get back to normal down the road. It pays to go to the right place and have the right Doctor.
Will you also be rid of the ICD? My cardiologist keep telling game he thinks I need a pacemaker, but I simply won't give in. I was very healthy back 20 years ago, but stuff happens...like moving to keep a job...it's life.
Be aware that it may take a bit of time to go off the pills, and in the mean time you might want to get some Hibiscus and Hawthorne tea and make some iced tea out of it. Tastes good and is great of your heart. I drink it and serve it when my friend with a bad Afib problem comes to visit.
Thanks for the replies. Yes as soon as we know for sure that the v tach problem is gone he wants to remove the ICD.
Thanks for the tip on the tea also. I use an acupuncturist and nutritionist and we'll fix this naturally. This all started with a stress test and bam, now icd and meds. Didn't get time to think about or digest the problem.
What is ice? I have A fib now and regurgitation left ventricle and little enlarged part of heart.
What does it mean to stimulate batch?
V tach is my problem and ICD is a defibrillator/ pacemaker combo.
@randypape, whatever you hear from me or any other Mayo Connect member, please contact the lead physician of your medical team with your question about abruptly stopping Carvedilol. Point out what you have read from expert sources and ask them for an explanation. Your presurgical advice may have come from a medical professional other than your personal physician, who needs to be consulted. You might also consider getting a second opinion from another physician.