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.

Colleen Young, Connect Director | @colleenyoung | May 29, 2022

In reply to @dprest56 "I weaned off Metoprolol one month ago. I was diagnosed with a myocardial infraction when I..." + (show)

Did your cardiologist explain why the decision was reversed? Is she/he aware that you weaned off the medication? I’m just concerned that there may be a heart issue that was left unclarified.

dprest56 | @dprest56 | May 29, 2022

In reply to @anacarel2018 "So far I been good still a little bit anxious about the fact that my brain..." + (show)

I weaned off Metoprolol one month ago. I was diagnosed with a myocardial infraction when I was in the hospital with Covid. All the imaging done in the hospital showed no concerns with my heart, Size was normal, my heart was filling properly and pumping properly and there was no clots. But they left me on Metoprolol 50mg because of my heart rate was too high. After taking it three months my doctor reduced it to 25mg because my heart rate was in the 40's when resting. My doctor told me to come back in 6 weeks and he would wean me off. Much to my surprise he changed his story and said he was going to leave me on it despite all the side effects I complained about this drug. So I weaned myself off of it. I took one pill every other day for one week and then stopped. After stopping I felt much better. My blood pressure didn't change (113/70) but like you say the anxiety of not knowing is a daily issue. Any little thing becomes a big thing because of the unknown. I decided to go to a Holistic doctor to get another opinion. I have lost faith in my PCP and cardiologist. I feel they just want to keep me in the rotation and they are not concerned with me as a person.

Teresa, Volunteer Mentor | @hopeful33250 | May 28, 2022

In reply to @becky1024 "Oh yeah, I’m also a Guinea Pig, actually a scientific lab rat, I mean specimen. You..." + (show)

I just love your attitude, @becky1024! Yes, I'm sure the "beat goes on."

bobbyd1017 | @becky1024 | May 28, 2022

In reply to @hopeful33250 "@becky1024 What an amazing opportunity for both you and your doctor! You must be so glad..." + (show)

Oh yeah, I’m also a Guinea Pig, actually a scientific lab rat, I mean specimen. You see, my recorder is recording every millisecond of of the day and the battery is good for 5 years. The problem is, I’m almost 79yo with an extremely weak and damaged heart. I may not live long enough to map out the short circuit but I realized something, this recorder will record every electrical pulse my SA node commands, including the very last beat of my heart as it dies. Gee, I don’t think anyone has ever had that event happen, wow, I’ll end up being a teaching tool. Just think, my heart will be dead but “The Beat Goes On!” Just had to do that if you know the oldie song!!!

bobbyd1017 | @becky1024 | May 28, 2022

In reply to @hopeful33250 "@becky1024 What an amazing opportunity for both you and your doctor! You must be so glad..." + (show)

They already know where it’s at in the right Atrial Chamber. It’s s a short circuit between the SA node (the heart’s normal pacemaker) an the AV node (which commands the right ventricle to contact) thus it pushes the chamber full of blood into the lungs to be oxygenated. My defect is a loop of rogue cells between the SA node and the AV node. When the SA node sends out a heartbeat pulse it sometimes will accidentally jump into the loop and the same pulse just keeps going round and round, triggering the command to the right ventricle to pump. Unfortunately, the chamber is not full of blood yet and that triggers my Tachycardia. That’s bad enough but the short circuit is not the only path to the AV node. The beat also goes down the normal pathway. Now I have an extremely dangerous crisis (it only happens when I’m asleep). The right ventricle is being commanded to pump by both pathways. See the problem? My heart is pumping so little blood, it will soon trigger the Tachycardia to go into A-Fib, and immediately trigger a fatal heart attack. My highest rated tachycardia was 197bpm, it’s going so fast you cannot feet a pulse and it has its own name. Pulseless Ventricular Tachycardia. It happens about one hour after I go to sleep. Lucky for me, I woke up at about the 50 minute mark and was already in PVT. The problem with the mapping of the short circuit, I haven’t gone into PVT since the recorder was placed inside me. That’s why my recorder is so expensive, it can record the the short circuit in action but the short circuit cannot be manually activated, it must happen naturally, in order to map out each heart cell involved so it cannot short out again.

Teresa, Volunteer Mentor | @hopeful33250 | May 28, 2022

In reply to @anacarel2018 "Is so exhausting I will post again in couple days thank you" + (show)

I'm looking forward to hearing from you again, @anacarel2018. Take it easy!

anacarel2018 | @anacarel2018 | May 28, 2022

In reply to @hopeful33250 "@anacarel2018 These types of changes are difficult, and when you have anxiety problems it seems to..." + (show)

Is so exhausting I will post again in couple days thank you

anacarel2018 | @anacarel2018 | May 28, 2022

In reply to @hopeful33250 "@anacarel2018 These types of changes are difficult, and when you have anxiety problems it seems to..." + (show)

Yes I been keeping myself busy it help I don’t have any heart issue everything was good on the echocardiogram and ekg with health anxiety ocd is like I need to know for sure I won’t have a heart attack from stopping this even though I did a low dose for 7 days as the nurse told me too

Teresa, Volunteer Mentor | @hopeful33250 | May 28, 2022

In reply to @becky1024 "Definitely, I’m now in possession of a $75,000 loop heart monitor implanted in my chest just..." + (show)

@becky1024

What an amazing opportunity for both you and your doctor! You must be so glad that you took the time to explore other options rather than just take meds.

Do you know long it will be before the mapping is completed?

Teresa, Volunteer Mentor | @hopeful33250 | May 28, 2022

In reply to @anacarel2018 "So far I been good still a little bit anxious about the fact that my brain..." + (show)

@anacarel2018
These types of changes are difficult, and when you have anxiety problems it seems to be even more of a challenge.

During this time when you are going off the med completely are there things you can do to occupy your mind? I'm thinking of enjoyable activities like having lunch with a friend, going to a movie, spending time in meditation, taking walks, etc. ?

Please remember that if you have symptoms that are uncomfortable you can always go to Urgent Care or to an ER and be checked out to be sure there are no heart issues that need to be addressed.

Will you post again as you go through this process and let me know how you are doing?

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