Metoprolol medicine side effects: What's your experience?

I had an Afib episode in December 2024 and was put on diltiazem. After about a month I was switched to metoprolol 25mg once a day. The end of February I had a cardioversion which kicked me back into sinus rhythm but still on Eliquis and metoprolol. From the very start I did not like the effects of the drug. Lethargic and some minor balance problems but my legs below the knees were like I was dragging around led weights. Some episodes of the BP being in the low 50s. I had a PFA at the end of May and after many consultations with my EP Team 2 months after the PFA I stopped taking metoprolol. It was almost an overnight improvement. More energy and no leg pain. Back to 2-mile walks and doing everything I need to do around my small ranch. Still on Eliquis but mostly because of age. 86

Ive been advised that too. I don't get side effects. I have AF and I've had an ablation and Pacemaker fitted. I still get 20% AF but its no where as bad. It's my BP that plays up since I've had AF now on 4 BP tabs I was only ever on 1 x 10mg. I'm under a Kidney specialist now too.

@suerte my husband had the same experience. When he got off metropolol he felt great. He had felt tired and awful since he started taking it.

Yes, side effects on low dose. Exhaustion, super low energy, brain fog and others.

No side effects numbers great.I don't know why I stopped 🙂

I have HCM( nonobstructive). I have a pacer/defibrillator because my PVC’s would become runs of Vtach( nonsustained) but sometimes lasting for hours. Metoprolol was used ( in conjunction with amiodarone, diltiazem, propafenone, flecanide, none of which helped my arrhythmia but caused NUMEROUS side effects. Dizziness, brain fog, depression, lethargy, generalized pitting edema, feelings of suffocating ( at rest). I might add, my heart heart rate would be in the 40’s so I had to be paced at 60 to prevent this. Blood pressure was chronically low, all I wanted to do was nap. I found an electrophysiologist who did an ablation( septal) even though I had HCM( which makes ablation difficult). I begged to stop the metoprolol because my episodes have lessened, yes I wear an Apple Watch with ECG capabilities. I see bigiminy at times but I hardly feel the PVC’s now. I walk3-5 times per week at a brisk pace for about an hour. I limit alcohol (two drinks maybe once or twice a month). I have one cup of coffee, I dearly love ice tea but have cut back on that. I rarely eat chocolate. I try to get enough sleep( I was prescribed a c-pap machine for mild apnea). I am now taking OTC meds : vitamin E 400IU, CoQ10 100 mg, magnesium glycinate 200mg ( in the evening-for sleep) and vitamin D3 5000IU weekly. While I am not advising anyone to quit their prescribed meds, I gave doctors 4 years to control my issues and it wasn’t working very well. My quality of life was negatively impacted. I feel more like myself than ever! Good luck, research, ask questions and by all means , find a doctor who really listens to your concerns!

I had a CT-A scan done a few days ago and one of the criteria was that my heart rate needed to be at or below 65BPM. I was bouncing around 63 to 67. The nurse/tech that was doing the prep said that she may have to give me a shot to lower my heart rate. When I asked what drug, she said metoprolol. I said NO! Diltiazem is OK, but if you want to give me metoprolol I will walk out. I got neither and had the CT-A scan.

@suerte

Interesting...I was given oral metoprolol for my CT scan to slow down my heart rate. Worked out ok for me with no adverse reaction. I was already on a daily dose of 25mg of metoprolol at the time, so I figured I would tolerate it ok, which I did. Everybody is different.

@suerte why do you object to metoprolol? I’m on it and haven’t had a problem

@mikead Everyone is different. The impact on my legs from the knees down and the general feeling of just blah impacted my ability to do what I needed to do around my place. As soon as I went off of metoprolol all of that stopped.