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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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My husband just came off coreg this week.The problem is he is waking up two or three times per night to urinate.He had never done that before.He is a smoker has a history of stents # 11 .He has been on coreg for three years. Complaining of fatigue and constant headache so he abruptly stop taking coreg this week.
@jacobwill
When I abruptly quit core I suffered migraines. Have a history of them and they seemed to disappear after my bypass surgery. Then I asked my Doc about going off Coreg. he stated that I should try it. OOPS!!! Back came the migraines I had been free of for 6 months.
Tried again just cutting the does in half, still got migraines.
Sooooo, long story cut short I took advantage of advise posted here. Don't be abrupt about weaning off the stuff. Go slowly, work out a wean off schedule. Took 14 weeks, but when I was completely through with the stuff , not a single migraine.
Maybe your hubby should figure out a wean off schedule and temporarily use the core but begin a wean off , but not so fast.
Hope this helps.
Eilena
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3 ReactionsHi @jacobwill,
I'd like to welcome you (and your husband) to Connect. Before anything else, I'd like to mention that your husband's decision to stop taking Coreg (Carvedilol) abruptly should be an immediate concern. According to this information from Mayo Clinic, "Do not interrupt or stop taking this medicine without first checking with your doctor. Some conditions may become worse when the medicine is stopped suddenly, which can be dangerous." https://www.mayoclinic.org/drugs-supplements/carvedilol-oral-route/precautions/drg-20067565
Moreover, the black box warning placed by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for this drug states, "Don’t stop taking this drug without speaking to your doctor first. Stopping carvedilol suddenly can cause changes in your heart rhythm, worsened chest pain, or a heart attack."
I sincerely encourage you to view this other ongoing discussion, started by @teatime, where @doug_58 @1712aolg @shawn2018 @strmalik @vbrooks82 @zany @and many others have shared some truly valuable insights and experiences about tapering off and/or stopping this drug:
–stopping Carvedilol (Coreg): When will the effects wear off? https://connect.mayoclinic.org/discussion/hi-everyone-i-am-glad-to-be-a-part-of-this-community/
@jacobwill, it is often a matter of trial and error finding the right medication; would your husband consider asking the doctor for something else? Has he informed the doctor about waking up frequently every night?
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2 ReactionsI tried my best to convince him not to quit taking his Coreg. He was put on that medication for a reason he is a smoker and still is. He had a bypass some years ago with a continuation of yearly or every other year a stent, So far he has 11 His EF is 45 and also a diagnose of COPD with constant flare-ups, Low energy lost of appetite and a hard worker. Welcome to Kentucky !!
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1 Reaction@myra,
Welcome to this chat. Glad you came here.
Metropol is not really a great drug either. But, as for you stumbling around, you might need a dose adjustment. The doc may have given you too large a dose. Ask him if you can reduce the dose until you adjust to the new med.
I moved from Metroprolol shortly after I got home from my bypass and never went back. Spent about 2.5 years on Carvedilol and finally weaned off. Now just on Losartan. and potassium chloride for my BP. It goes low when I am very tired as if my heart is scolding me about not resting enough or something. I've seen it go down to 109/59. I just get onto he bed and rest for a bit, might even fall asleep when it is that low.
Glad you will see your doc soon. Please do ask him about adjusting your dose.
Eilena
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1 ReactionHello jacobwill. Just wanted to share that my mother has long standing hypertension and is taking Coreg and Lisinaprel. When she started to get up several times during the night to urinate, the cardiologist explained that this can be a sign of the BP rising during the night. The body responds to the high BP by urinating. It is a protective mechanism. I'm not sure if this is what is happening with your husband, but possibly if he is not taking the Coreg he may be experiencing high BP during the night. Maybe you should check with your cardiologist. My mom's cardiologist increased her BP med by adding a small dosage right before bedtime.
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1 Reaction@maryd
Thanks for your input, @maryd. I was not aware that night-time trips can be related to higher BP during the night.
Teresa
@maryd,
I was wondering whether her doc had also told her if when her BP rises her heart rate drops?
Eilena
Hello Ellena. Her doctor never mentioned anything about the high BP causing a drop in heart rate.
I too am on it now after a few tachycardia bouts due to slight enlargement of left atrium..2 mm.
I've been feeling anxious tired. Lethargy is the side effect it seems plus take 60mg..nifedipine daily. Now feel depressed and sense of humor has evaporated I never actually thought that these were side effects but now after reading your post I'm beginning to wonder...