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How did you wean off Metoprolol?
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.
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I was on 50mg of metroprolol for about a year. Had an ablation done for svt and discontinued use of metroprolol completely with no problems.
It's not the blockages. Eliquis is meant to interfere with the body's clotting mechanism. When we fibrillate, we can get stale blood lurking in the left atrial appendage (LAA) and it can turn into a clot...just like stale blood near a wound that isn't flowing. If that clot gets dislodged, say when you resume normal sinus rhythm if you are in the early stages (paroxysmal and persistent), it will travel out of the heart and into one of its own blood supply arteries or into the lungs, but especially worrisome into the brain where it will cause a stroke.
So, whether you're between runs of AF, waiting for an ablation, or recovering from one, your EP will almost insist that you take a DOAC like Eliquis for at least the next 10 weeks until a Holter test shows conclusively that you are free of any further fibrillation. Even then, a scrupulous EP or cardiologist would advise you strongly to remain on the DOAC. This is in case a clot formed much earlier and becomes dislodged. This is known to happen months after the last episode of AF. Unless you have a Watchman implanted in the LAA, and until the follow-up TEE (trans-esophageal echocardiogram) shows it to be sealed and that there is no leakage of blood, usually at the six month mark, you have a risk of a clot.
This is my inexpert understanding based on a lot of reading. Your EP will use your CHA2DS2-VASc score to assess your risk, and based on a score of 2.0 or higher, you would be advised by that EP to continue a DOAC, perhaps for the rest of your life. I was told it would be until I die.
https://www.mdcalc.com/calc/801/cha2ds2-vasc-score-atrial-fibrillation-stroke-risk
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1 ReactionMetoprolol made me depressed and I also suffer from depression so I didn't want to add that. What I'm doing is I'm taking 12.5 mg am and p.m. I was supposed to take 25 mg a.m. and p.m. but I have to take care of my depression as I had tendencies towards suicide
I just had an ablation and we'll go for my follow-up next week. Hoping I can just drop the metoprolol completely. I'll have to ask about the eliquis. My testing show that I have no blockages so maybe I can get off of the eliquis although I have no problems with it
My doctor put me back on lisinopril and told me to just stop the Metropol. There was no weaning off of it.
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1 ReactionJust last week my doc took me off metoprolol. I was on it for 6 weeks but I had reaction with rash itching and a weird thing with my tongue and the roof of my mouth. He told me to take half of a 50 mg tablet for a week
I believe that if a suitable substitute is given, you can stop metoprolol. In my case, I stopped 100 mg/day but was placed on amiodarone immediately, and not only that but a heft 'loading dose' of 800 mg for seven days. However, when I first read the monograph about metoprolol, there was a warning about stopping to take it suddenly.
My healthcare provider said I could stop immediately when I started back on lisinopril.
The recommended starting dose for metoprolol is 25mg and then after two or more weeks if no issues to move to a 50mg tablet. I have had asthma problems since infancy but have minimized the problem by avoiding foods with wheat as an ingredient. It may also be the exposure to glyphosate with U.S. grown wheat.
I take Entresto and its two drugs work best when also taking metorprolol succinate (not the other version of metorprolol). Beta-blockers improve heart function by slowing your heart rate and decreasing the work done by your heart. They may also control blood pressure, reduce the chance of a heart attack, regulate abnormal heart rhythm and block stress hormones.
My focus is on remodeling of my heart and everything else is secondary.
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2 ReactionsI was taking metoprolol daily for about 6 months to prevent AVRNT episodes. I, too, read more than I should on dr google. Anyway, I finally asked my cardiologist if I could quit taking as it sucked all my spunk out of me and he said. Go ahead. Stop tomorrow. The only other med I take is amlodopine. No issues from my cold turkey with metoprolol. Although each of us is totally different. Just sharing my experience.
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2 ReactionsA cardiologist in Orlando gave me Metropolol, Atenolol, & another beta blocker which caused inability to breathe as I am an ASTHMATIC. Inability to breathe lead to anxiety and panic plus all the horrible other side effects. He wouldn’t take me off…didn’t know how to wean a patient off. I had to get to a different hospital with different doctors to wean me off after a month-of-life threatening suffering. In the ER nightly until changing doctors & hospital. These were NOT Mayo doctors diagnosing or fixing the problem. Never would have happened with Mayo doctors! My message is to know your medical history & don’t rely on doctors outside of Mayo to have read your history. Even then, doctors will make mistakes. I didn’t know why my reaction was so severe until changing hospital and doctor who took my medical history & immediately knew what and why when I said “ASTHMA.” It took Benzodiazapine to calm my system while they weaned me in hospital & months afterward so I could finally breath and stop gasping for air. Know & keep list of your history of allergies and reactions to drugs. Before taking a drug, personally show the prescribing doctor your list before he orders it.
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