1. < Heart Rhythm Conditions

How did you wean off Metoprolol?

Posted by kenny48 @kenny48, May 11, 2018

Hi,
I've been taking both flecainide and metoprolol now for eight years, as a prophylactic for Afib. I recently moved to North Carolina and have a new Cardiologist. Have had a lot of PVC's this past two months, and had to wear a heart monitor for an entire month. He said that although I had a lot of PVC's I didn't have even one PAC! He also noted that my BPM was low in the low fifties most of the time. He asked why I was taking metropolol. I told him that the only thing my previous doctor had said was " it makes the flecainide, work better". He suggested I stop taking the metoprolol to see how I do without it. Unfortunately I read a lot of information on the internet. I read that it can be very dangerous to stop taking it. I take 25 mg metoprolol succinate, split in half. Once in the morning with my flecainide, and then again in the evening for a second dose. He wants me to take half in the morning and skip the evening dose for two days, then stop entirely. Has anyone else stopped taking this drug in a similar manner? I'm worried that the cut off is too soon.

Interested in more discussions like this? Go to the Heart Rhythm Conditions Support Group.

garlandtown | @garlandtown | Nov 20, 2019
In reply to @soliloquized "Most Beta Blockers are effective and safe, and Metoprolol is both. For those of us with..." + (show)
@soliloquized

Most Beta Blockers are effective and safe, and Metoprolol is both. For those of us with Afib; my family doctor said mine is Paroxysmal, though that's the first time I heard that; the top part of the heart beats at a very fast rate, and in some people, that fast rate causes the ventricles to beat very fast as well. That's the form I have, known as Rapid Ventricular Response.

Fortunately, between the top of the heart - the Atrium, and bottom - the Ventricles, is the AV Node - the AtrioVentricular Node. This limits how fast the ventricles can beat in response to activity in the Atrium. BetaBlockers such as Metoprolol slow the passage of signals through the AV Node, reducing the rate the Ventricles Beat.

I take 200 mg Metoprolol in the morning, 25 mg Metoprolol Tartrate in the early afternoon, and 150 mg Metoprolol Succinate at night. This is approved of by my physician, and the pharmacy had to talk to him before they'd fill it, even though the prescriptions were in their hands, because it's not common to take the Succinate (long acting version) and Tartrate (shorter acting version) in one day.

Only the Tartrate version has been proven to reduce the chance of a 2nd Heart Attack, but I'm not sure why. It may be because the only research was done on the Tartrate.

But I'm taking a large dose of Metoprolol, plus various other medications, I've not had the problems some attribute to even a smaller dose.

So, it safely, when used as directed, slows your heart rate, reduces the Contractile force of your heart, and actually helps calm some people down by limiting the effects adrenaline has on your heart and in some cases, system.

Jump to this post

Ive been on metoprolol tra for 16 yrs now. I had a virus last month that stressed my heart
, now its crazy ! I was on 75 mg 2x aday, now im down to 25 mg twice aday! !!!!????

REPLY
1 reply
Gary Levin | @galevin | Nov 20, 2019

The virus may have caused a mild myositis, which weakend the contractility of the heart muscle. Decreasing the beta blocker will help the hearrt by pumping faster, and allowing your BP to rise. It may just be temporary and will require adjustment. You should check your BP daily

REPLY
2 replies
Soliloquized | @soliloquized | Nov 20, 2019
In reply to @garlandtown "Ive been on metoprolol tra for 16 yrs now. I had a virus last month that..." + (show)
@garlandtown

Ive been on metoprolol tra for 16 yrs now. I had a virus last month that stressed my heart
, now its crazy ! I was on 75 mg 2x aday, now im down to 25 mg twice aday! !!!!????

Jump to this post

Your doctor lowered it to 25 mg Twice Per Day? And he's aware of the symptoms you're having? What is your heart rate now, what was it then? I only developed afib a year ago, I'm surprised how much my heart feels like it's banging around at times but how relatively steady my heart rate is. Afib is known as an Irregularly Irregular heart beat. So the feeling of your heart beat can be irregular.

To give you an example, and I'm talking disorders other than afib, some people have PVCs in a pattern. Bigeminy is a normal beat and a PVC, and so on. Trigeminy is two normal beats and a PVC. These people are Regularly Irregular.

Afib is Irregularly (no pattern) Irregular (not the standard sinus rhythm).

Anyone first experiencing these heart rhythm issues must be assessed by a doctor. Anyone with a known disorder that experiences a change for the worse, or new symptoms, must be assessed by a doctor.

Those of us with heart rhythm disorders should be assessed by a doctor at a frequency usually set by him or her, even if we feel well.

REPLY
garlandtown | @garlandtown | Nov 20, 2019
In reply to @galevin "The virus may have caused a mild myositis, which weakend the contractility of the heart muscle...." + (show)
@galevin

The virus may have caused a mild myositis, which weakend the contractility of the heart muscle. Decreasing the beta blocker will help the hearrt by pumping faster, and allowing your BP to rise. It may just be temporary and will require adjustment. You should check your BP daily

Jump to this post

Thank you, see that’s the things I need to hear! When the Drs scratch their heads, that’s when I start my own research! Little meds , lots of rest, another ablation????? I need simple
answers ! I know their smart brains ok, but they seem to apply the same for all, none are are the same, not in the rhythmic heart!

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garlandtown | @garlandtown | Nov 20, 2019
In reply to @galevin "The virus may have caused a mild myositis, which weakend the contractility of the heart muscle...." + (show)
@galevin

The virus may have caused a mild myositis, which weakend the contractility of the heart muscle. Decreasing the beta blocker will help the hearrt by pumping faster, and allowing your BP to rise. It may just be temporary and will require adjustment. You should check your BP daily

Jump to this post

You must be a man of some brain means of your own ,lol. This gives me help with looking at other av to help
myself! Thanks

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vyronp | @vyronp | Dec 10, 2019

hello, i had a mild heart attack before almost 3 years that was treated successfully with angioplasty. after that the doctor prescribed for me medication which included metoprolol tartrate 25 mg daily. i never had high blood pressure, before the attack and after. i was wondering what's the point in continuing this drug?

REPLY
1 reply
grandmajan | @grandmajan | Dec 10, 2019

Hi vyronp: I had a DVT and they found AFib going on. Started me out on 25mg of Metoprolol. 2 x a day. I was a slug. I kept cutting down. I still take 1/2 of a 25mg once a day. But now a new Dr has decided that my heart was beating so slow as to not keep the fluid build up down. So I'm asking like you, why keep the Metorpolol. I also have never had high blood pressure. Right now it's 122/84/heart 74.

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2 replies
suzanne2019 | @suzanne2019 | Dec 10, 2019
In reply to @grandmajan "Hi vyronp: I had a DVT and they found AFib going on. Started me out on..." + (show)
@grandmajan

Hi vyronp: I had a DVT and they found AFib going on. Started me out on 25mg of Metoprolol. 2 x a day. I was a slug. I kept cutting down. I still take 1/2 of a 25mg once a day. But now a new Dr has decided that my heart was beating so slow as to not keep the fluid build up down. So I'm asking like you, why keep the Metorpolol. I also have never had high blood pressure. Right now it's 122/84/heart 74.

Jump to this post

Your pressure is great and your heart rate.not a doctor but I wouldn't take that marginal amount! I have had the worst side effects from metoprolol. Have had afib since started on it so am weaning myself off all together.was on 50mg per day tablet, cut to 3/4of tablet to 1/2 tablet down to 1/4 tab to 0. I have done a lot of research on the subject. Even the FDA has serious warnings about Metropolol. Hoping my afib goes away, if not will control with capsules of Hawthorne berry which relaxes the heart muscles

REPLY
Soliloquized | @soliloquized | Dec 10, 2019
In reply to @grandmajan "Hi vyronp: I had a DVT and they found AFib going on. Started me out on..." + (show)
@grandmajan

Hi vyronp: I had a DVT and they found AFib going on. Started me out on 25mg of Metoprolol. 2 x a day. I was a slug. I kept cutting down. I still take 1/2 of a 25mg once a day. But now a new Dr has decided that my heart was beating so slow as to not keep the fluid build up down. So I'm asking like you, why keep the Metorpolol. I also have never had high blood pressure. Right now it's 122/84/heart 74.

Jump to this post

I'm taking 350 mg of Metoprolol Succinate AND 25 mg of Metoprolol Tartrate daily, as well as Phenytoin, Zocor, Coumadin, and a few other things, I'm not seeing the effects that many in this thread have stated. I understand we're all different, but, overall, I think we must consider that some things might be the Metoprolol, or the effects described might be from other disorders that just happen to be afflicting us while we're on Metoprolol.

Such decisions must be made in concert with, or with the awareness of, your doctor.

REPLY
Soliloquized | @soliloquized | Dec 10, 2019
In reply to @vyronp "hello, i had a mild heart attack before almost 3 years that was treated successfully with..." + (show)
@vyronp

hello, i had a mild heart attack before almost 3 years that was treated successfully with angioplasty. after that the doctor prescribed for me medication which included metoprolol tartrate 25 mg daily. i never had high blood pressure, before the attack and after. i was wondering what's the point in continuing this drug?

Jump to this post

Metoprolol Tartrate, but not Metoprolol Succinate, has, according to the studies, been proven to reduce the chance of a 2nd Heart Attack. Perhaps that's why it's still prescribed. Discuss it with your doctor.

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