A fib for 13 year history

I'm not a physician, but I have ready a great many reports from people across heart health fora that metoprolol sometimes works against the patient. It depends on how the individual metabolizes it, how much the patient needs vs. what he/she is advised to take per prescription, and also changes in the myocardium as well over time.

AF evolves. The heart remodels itself the longer it is fibrillating. Eventually, the changes might mean that metoprolol is not the better choice of medications...but that would be determined by a cardiologist...not by me.

150 mg is a whopping dose. It was the highest I was ever prescribed, and I did poorly on it. So have many others who end up with bradycardia, a very slow heartbeat and low blood pressure, as a result of ingesting metoptolol.

Don't get me wrong! Metoprolol is a wonderful drug in the right patient at the correct dosage. However, as their arrhythmia progresses to other forms, and as the dose of metoprolol rises, there is more of a chance that the drug overwhelms the heart when it isn't needed....meaning when it is happily beating in normal sinus rhythm (NSR), or wants to.

So, my advice is to see a new cardiologist and seek that person's studied advice.

According to google, here are the common side effects of Metoprolol, and yes you can blame it on the drug.
Blurred vision. chest pain or discomfort. confusion. dizziness, faintness, or lightheadedness when getting up suddenly from a lying or sitting position. slow or irregular heartbeat. sweating. unusual tiredness or weakness.

I suggest you make a list of the other SIX meds you are taking, and google each of them for the side effects. If it was my doctor, he/she would have a side effect of a headache, after I gave a bong on the head.

I had afib or similar for 7 years and learned it was from being very sensitive to caffeine. After 55 years, I ate some HaagenDaz ice cream with coffee in it without thinking, and in no time was having heart beat problems. So, when the bell in my brain went off, I realizesd I had to quit it along with chocolate that I was eating. Had some minor issues, and after investigating discovered it was because not drinking enough water. Within a few days they were just 2-3 second problem and now no problem.

Most health issues have a root cause that is usually something we are doing to cause it. Eliminate the culprits and very possible you will eliminate the problems.

I pass the pharmacies and they have lines of people waiting to get their meds. They are either very overweight and rail thin and white as a ghost.

One example is a friend I used to rent from about 30 years ago. Her and her husband ate garbage and both very overweight and always parked in front of the TV. He died a few years ago. One by one he had to have his legs amputated and she took care of him for a few years. I was talking to her about a month ago, and she was telling me about her diabetes that she supposedly manages with insulin. She knew me to be a health nut from years ago. When I mentioned diet, she stated very quickly with pride in her management of it with her insulin. She went on to say that she is not going to DEPRIVE herself of cake or sweets once in a while. Well, she has 5 kids and tons of grandkids, and so that means birthday cake and ice cream for each one, not to mention not going to DEPRIVE herself at Thanksgiving, Christmas, etc etc etc. You would think that after watching her husband without LEGS for YEARS that she would DEPRIVE herself of a lousy diet so that she could ENJOY having good health and LESGS!!!

But that is the thinking of I don't know how many people. I have a list of 34 people that I personally know that died horrible deaths because of self destructive habits. I am 76 and take no drugs other than a baby aspirin which I took when I had the minor heart beat issue which is gone.

Life is made up of choices. For me, I am going to INVESTIGATE root causes of problems, instead of running to a doctor who from my experience knows nothing but handing out drugs that in the past caused me more problems than the issue. What you do, is YOUR decision along with eh consequences of the decisions you make Sorry for the long post which is your decision to read or not.

Thank you so much for your reply. It is certainly heartfelt. I see my doctor tomorrow Monday at the clinic. I know my heart specialist has suggested Abulation but I’ve read that causes scar tissue that can cause concerns in the future. My concern is am I being kept on 150 mg of Metropol per day to slow my heartbeat down to help with the A-fib or is the clinic just farming me out to expensive doctors? I’m 72 years old from Rochester Minnesota. The Mayo clinic was our general practitioners back in the 50s and 60s. We knew and trusted the doctors there. Now that I’m living in New York. I don’t have that kind of trust any longer. Thank you again for your response. Best regards.

Thank you so much for your reply. I see my doctor tomorrow at the clinic. It’s a neighbourhood clinic here in Manhattan. The positive aspect is it that I see a different doctor every two years as they go through the program. The negative aspect is basically start over every time I see a new doctor with new test generally the same ones with the same results and continue the same medications. The heart specialist I saw a month ago complained to that so many of the patients he sees there are basically just left “on their own“. I of course would like to continue dealing with my constant a fib through medications rather than any kind of cartelization of the veins around my heart. The cost being my primary concern of course. thank you again for your comment. I do appreciate it. Best regards.

Metoprolol regulates heart rate. It does not regulate heart rhythm. I'm on 50mg of metoprolol, which is supposed to keep my heart rate from going through the roof if and when I have an Afib episode. The thing about metoprolol is that it depresses my heart rate all the time, not just during Afib, and as a result my HR is well below 60 BPM when I'm resting, which is technically bradycardia, and makes me feel sluggish. I had PF ablation five weeks ago and so far so good, no Afib. Hopefully I will be cleared to discontinue taking metoprolol.

Has anyone had poor circulation to feet while on metropolol.. it is very cold here and my toes turn blue. I understand that beta blockers constrict blood vessels. Anyone have problems with metropolol

I think beta blockers do the opposite of "constrict blood vessels" [link below] and they all provoke fatigue to some degree.
https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/high-blood-pressure/in-depth/beta-blockers/art-20044522

It can happen, and it is well known:
https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC4972171/