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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 taking 25 mg Metoprolol Tartrate and 2.5mg Amlodipine Besylate both twice a day. They are both for reducing blood pressure. the Amlodipine does not lower your heart rate like the Metoprolol does. My calves were mildly swollen from the Amlodipine. I had two incidents where my calves were hard as rocks.
I stopped the Amlodipine. The cardiologist said he was Ok with this but if my blood pressure goes over 140 take one Amlodipine. My systolic gets high but not my diastolic-usually in the 50's. My heart rate is usually in the 50's. My previous cardiologist told me since the diastolic was low not to take the metoprolol if the systolic goes below 120.
The generally accepted medical practice is to hold the Metoprolol is systolic is 110 or below or the heart rate is 60 or below. If I followed this for my heart rate I would never take it.
How high does your systolic get? Are you off all salt?
There are other drugs to lower it.
Here is an excellent article:
https://www.consumerreports.org/cro/2011/03/best-drugs-to-treat-high-blood-pressure/index.htm
There are7 pages (lower right)
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1 ReactionI have a question about weaning off Metropoplol tartrate. I have been taking this med for approximately 6 years. It was started when I was having fluctuations of hypertension and heart palpitations. For about two years, I've been so fatigued and short of breath that I could hardly function. In the last month, it has become so bad that I can't do anything physical. My cardiologist said that I have no heart issues to cause this. I do have asthma which is pretty much controlled. I take 50 mgs of Losartan once a day, 2.5 mgs of amlodipine twice a day, and 12.5 Metropoplol tartrate twice a day. I called my cardiologist for an appointment to discus the meds with him and all I got was a call from his nurse to try discontinuing the metropoplol but to watch my blood pressure. Nothing about weaning off it but I did research and so I have just been taking 12.5 mgs once a day for 3 days. I am shaking, feel awful, blood pressure going up and down and am wondering if this is from lowering the dosage. I'm aware that I was already on a low dosage but I can be pretty sensitive to drugs. I have had problems with my blood pressure going to low and my pulse rate hardly ever goes over 50 and is sometimes in the 40's. If this continues, I will insist on an appointment and don't understand why they wouldn't give me an appointment to discuss this issue.
No, we can't know, Debra. We don't have your file, your history, nor what the prescribing Dr. has concluded about your circumstances, including if you are habituating to metoprolol. Heart arrhythmias like atrial fibrillation are progressive in nature. Because they progress, they tend to work their way out from under the first and second drugs prescribed to control your rate or your rhythm. At some point, the best advice is to treat the arrhythmia using mechanical means such as catheter ablation or a pacemaker. It's quite involved, and worth learning about, but most people find their medications becoming less effective over months and years.
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1 ReactionYes...misspelled it....probably misspelled Carville too but the name brand for that is coreg.
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1 ReactionDo you mean the drug Metoprolol?
Does anybody know why doctors are steering away from metetplol and recommending cardivlol?
I was on metetplol for 10 years and my 1st visit at heart doctors he took me off and put me on cardevlol...I had irregular heartbeat for a week....I got a 2nd opinion and doctors keep telling me that cardivlol is better for the heart than meterplol.
I also had unexplained spikes in BP 250/130 and pulse over 200 with a bit of arrhythmia thrown in AF and VF which was rather exciting and lots of ambulances but it all calmed down without explanation whilst in A&E. It was happening about 4 times a year. Doctors increased the dose of bisoprolol which made the problem worse. This was whilst on bisoprolol and rivaroxaban and ramipril. I started feeling really rubbish and was feeling really ill and very tired all the time. I thought my life was basically over but I was sure it was the tablets that was causing it all and was linked to how it affected my digestive system, it was causing my gut to balloon which seemed to cause the heart issues. All heart scans were fine. I argued with my doctor who gave me metoprolol instead of bisoprolol. This improved things a bit but after a while I was feeling ill again. So I experimented with the combinations and found the solution quickly. It turned out that the combination of Rivaroxaban and Bisoprolol shut down my digestive system which caused the spikes in BP, pulse and arrhythmia . I am now on aspirin, metoprolol (low dose) and ramipril and it has been a miraculous recovery. No spikes at all, lots of energy and lots of hope and everything works again properly and it has even cured my psoriasis. The tablets were causing the problems they were designed to stop which was a little disappointing. I hope this story helps.
I am getting off Metoprolol now. The nausea is doing me in - same with Carvedilol. I am also having sores in my mouth, weakness, muscle pain, loss of hair and difficulty with breathing. I need to find a beta blocker that does not cause nausea. That seems hard to do.
Thank you for the reply..I think a fast heartrate 90 to 95 may be normal for me..some people might just have a higher heartrate and some lower...as long as I stay asymptomatic..not going to increase the medication...my heart rate does go down to 76 to 78 at night..I just wish it was like that during the day