Stopping Carvedilol (Coreg): When will the effects wear off?

Posted by teatime @teatime, Apr 28, 2016

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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Martin Jensen, Volunteer Mentor | @predictable | Aug 28, 2018

In reply to @tgagnier "I too am on it now after a few tachycardia bouts due to slight enlargement of..." + (show)

Hi, @tgagnier. Welcome to Mayo Connect where patients like yourself gather to talk over their medical experiences and share how our experience relates to yours. I was interested in your prescription for Nifedipine at 60mg per day. I also was on calcium-channel blockers about 15 years ago, but at a smaller dosage, and my doctor took me off or it for its tendency to leave fluid in my lower legs and feet. Besides, I didn't then have the heart rhythm problems that calcium-channel blockers also address. When I developed Atrial fibrillation four years ago, my medical team put me on Carvedilol as the main medication for stabilizing my heart rhythm and reducing my blood pressure. In this case, my dosage is 25mg of Carvedilol twice a day. What is your Carvedilol dosage? FYI, it struck me that your Nifedipine dose is pretty large, given that you also are taking Carvedilol. Together, those two drugs pile on a lot of side effects, as you can see at these web sites: rxlist.com/coreg-side-effects-drug-center.htm and medicinenet.com/nifedipine/article.htm.

With the information these web sites provide, you'll be equipped to have a detailed conversation with your doctor about why s/he prescribed each of the medications, why you need them both, why the dosages are so high, and how you can combat the side effects of anxiety, tiredness, lethargy, and depression. Will you be able to get an appointment with your doctor for these purposes?

tgagnier | @tgagnier | Sep 8, 2018

In reply to @cynaburst "I think that it is a bit strange that they would prescribe Coreg for hypertension in..." + (show)

Glad you say that. I have mild LAE with 2 mm dilationand on nifedipine and now carvidilol..3.6 M.G. twice daily. Echo showed no heart failure and an EF of 66% .,EF has gone up from 60% but not sure if this was improved from weight loss and lower BP,or the carvidilol. Sleep poorly now . Feel anxious and jittery at times and depression And I noticed my pulse rate has finally calm down so I’m going to see if I can reduce and finally stop taking the pill altogether if my heart muscle has been able to be repaired to the extent that it does not need to kick in.

Also a cardiologist online tells me with Managing BP in the 125/85 range I can expect 80% chance full reversal of the LAE in six months. Anyone hear of this happening. .?

I had borderline LAE which was on the last year EKG but Dr only Suggested I see a cardiologist but did not tell me why and unfortunately I ignored his advice and things went just fine for another nine months- after a night of partying a vicious dog attack sent me to hospital where I got SVT and went hypertensive for a few hours ..A few nights later I ate four slices of pizza and also got another bout of SVT. This never happened before so guess my borderline LAE was not symptomatic or the attack stretched the atrium just enough to trigger symptoms and an echo cardio gram confirmed a mild left atrial enlargement. I’ve managed to drop 15 pounds my blood pressure is now back in an acceptable range I’ve been on nifedipine for 10 years but was only seriously taking up the last two years so I don’t know if there’s irreversible damage to the atrium or if it can be returned to its original size.

Any one with a comment? I did read the other peoples articles about Corel..not a pleasant drug.

tgagnier | @tgagnier | Sep 8, 2018

In reply to @auntdd "I was placed on carvidiol on Aug 2014, at 3.25 increased to 6.125 where I stayed..." + (show)

Did you do anything out of ordinary to spike it? It usually does not just shoot up like that .

Gene Ames, Jr. | @gamesjr | Sep 17, 2018

My PCP recommended Carvidolol as a good med for heart. I have had asymptomatic AFIB for years and High BP controlled with Losartin and Lasix. But my nightmares on Carvidolol were so bad I had to stop it for good after two tries both ended up in nightmares that almost sent my wife to another bedroom!!

lioness | @lioness | Sep 17, 2018

@gmaesjr that's what I did before I had my by pass the Dr. put me on Coreg I had nightmares the first night I called him and he said to stop it right away which I did as soon as I stopped it they went We are our own advocate listen to your body

dorlando | @dorlando | Nov 2, 2018

I went from 12.5 mg of Coreg a day x 2 to 6.25 mg per day x2 and then 6.5 per day. I've been off at now 3 days and still get slightly dizzy. Miner Falls just says it could take up to 2 weeks.

Martin Jensen, Volunteer Mentor | @predictable | Nov 2, 2018

In reply to @dorlando "I went from 12.5 mg of Coreg a day x 2 to 6.25 mg per day..." + (show)

Miner Falls is correct @dorlando. Getting off Coreg from 12.5mg per day often takes two weeks or a little more. Perhaps you phased down a little too fast. Did you coordinate your withdrawal with your doctor?

Gene Ames, Jr. | @gamesjr | Nov 12, 2018

My PCP a Cardiologist wanted me to take Carvidelol because he said it was a good heart med. In a couple of weeks I started having terrible nightmares and feeling horrible trtying to sleep so my doc said lets test it so I stopped that med for a couple of months and no more bad nightmares and my wife moved back in bed with me, Then my Doc said he wanted me to try Carvedilol again and I did and in a week my sleep was disturbed and terrible nightmates etc etc returned. And my spouse left me again! No more carvediliol for me. and she finally came back!

lioness | @lioness | Nov 13, 2018

In reply to @gamesjr "My PCP a Cardiologist wanted me to take Carvidelol because he said it was a good..." + (show)

@jamesjr sounds like you learned your lesson .lol First time Dr put me on that same thing terrible nightmares .I called cardiologist and told him ,I,m not taking this ,he agreed ,you have to be your own advocate ,you know your body better then anyone

eileena | @eileena | Nov 13, 2018

In reply to @gamesjr "My PCP a Cardiologist wanted me to take Carvidelol because he said it was a good..." + (show)