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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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Hi @paquerettehealth. I'm sympathizing with you right now, not because I have such troublesome symptoms and treatments, but because I have some experience with Carvedilol as a medication for mitigating A-fib. I appreciate your alerting us to IST, which was a mystery to me until now. After a search online, I found an article on Inappropriate Sinus Tachycardia that I found helpful and thought you might like to see it too. The URL is at: https://www.verywellhealth.com/inappropriate-sinus-tachycardia-1745220.
As to Carvedilol, I overcame the side effects rather quickly and have several years of the drug at 25mg twice a day. Fortunately, my medical team gives me access to discussions with them about the medication and its effects, and as a result, I benefit from the cognitive part of accommodating the drug. Best wishes to you in your efforts to recover confidence in your treatment. Martin
Its been 9 months since I went off Coreg. I am still shaking internally at times (mornings) ,my right hand shakes, my right arm hurts/shoulder. NEVER had all this before I quite Coreg! I am going to my Doc in September. I will ask for a scan, thyroid test and whatever she thinks! Odd!!!
I have been on it for 2 months for high BP. It made me so dizzy I was pretty much useless. Dr gave meclazine for dizziness but that didn't seem to help at all. I would get feelings like I was on an elevator and it would get to bottom floor and theat feeling you get would come at random times through the day. I weaned off and been off for three days now. Still dizzy but its a different dizzy and no more elevator drop feelings. Tried lisinopril before this and it was like poison to me. Idk how long this will last but it's been a long time since I've felt normal. I just want to feel normal again
I've been taking 3.125 MG twice a day for 7 years due to heart muscle damage from chemotherapy. I've never had high blood pressure and my EF is now in the mid 40's after a baseline of low 50's. I had PVCs that have now been addressed with ablation and have completely stopped. I been taken off of Jardiance and Mexiletine. I also take 25MG of Losartan twice a day. I have no shortness of breath with exertion. I have no issues with blood pressure other than it occasionally drops. I have not had an erection in the past 7 years and believe it is directly caused by the Coreg's intended effect on smooth muscles. I recall how when I began this regimen, this drug really hit me hard. I would like to stop taking it but don't know the process. I will discuss with my cardiologist but wanted some other information to assist in the conversation.
Yes, am trying to figure out if that drug is the problem. Found in a website that heaviness in legs and sore/tenderness in feet can be a problem. It is only happening in right side (so far).
I have been a cardiac study for U of U and the VA since 1995 and after several surgeries, including a 7 hour afib surgery I am currently on 37.5 ml/bid of carvadilol . If I find my old photos I will send them. I am a viet vet with artificial mitral valve, pace maker, artificial L upper arm and work as an RN for a VA snf/ltc. I am still working at 75 years old and like it but I'm a DNR pt. Dont worry about myself only others ha ha ha. Love to fish even when SOB. My advise "live and enjoy to the best of your ability and accept death as a benefit to true love and heaven".
Always take care of others first.
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1 ReactionDrug is not a problem. Always taken BID and FYI I am a VA vet who is on 37.5 ml/bid. Sounds high and experimental but working well.
I'm glad that people can take losartan. I've read great reviews about it. However, after reading many comments about the drug, I found my leg and foot symptoms actually listed on a Mayo website. Have been off it for about 3 weeks and no problems! Showed it to my doctor and we both agreed that everyone can react differently and that I should quit.
Weaning off carvedilol 3.125mg twice daily for 90 days
Hi. I was given carvedilol shortly after Bentall procedure and have been on it for 90 days. I recently got a new prescription but my provider only sent me one for 15 days. I am concerned that I will run out of my meds before next renewal.
I've been on 3.125mg taken twice daily for 90 days and aside from occasional dizziness have been tolerating it wonderfully. At such a low dose, are there any risks to abruptly stopping just in case I run out? I considered breaking the pills in half and trying to extend how long they last but at that strength the pills are not made to be taken in half a dose.
After reading about the side effects of suddenly stopping a beta blocker I'm concerned if it runs out. I've already notified my cardiologist and am awaiting a response.
Hi @jdgreene2008, welcome. I moved your question about weaning off carvedilol 3.125mg twice daily to this existing discussion:
- 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/
I did this so you can connect easily with other members like @maryd @juliebrown @eileena @jfperrone @ronsharp @friz @piperscot @wgoodman @predictable who may be able to offer thoughts on your concern about running out of medication.
Did you hear back from your cardiologist, @jdgreene2008? If you're concerned about running out of medication before hearing back from your doctor, your pharmacist should be able to provide you with an extension prescription for a few days.
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