Metoprolol. Tapering off. Side effects. Horrible drug!

Like many, I myself now seem to be on a merry go round and being prescribed one drug to counter the effects of another.

During 2019 I finally went to the doctor due to years of intermittent heartburn and was prescribed Omeprazole and remember the pharmacist telling me upon my first collection that there were "no side effects, its incredibly safe" and I recall thinking at the time that it sounded too good to be true.

Anyway, I started taking it and my heartburn went away almost immediately and that was that. However about 6 or so weeks later I started to feel unwell, I couldn't say how or why, it was just a feeling of malaise, sort of like how you feel when you're coming down with the flu, before it hits. That feeling of knowing something is about to happen.

This went on for a few more weeks and I then started getting heart palpitations, which made me anxious and when I rode my mountain bike with any great exertion I'd get mild chest pains, so again, more anxiety and off to the doctor I went and was given an appointment to see a different doctor for a few weeks later.

In the mean time I was getting more and more anxious, many more palpitations and starting to get waves of depression, which would often come on shortly after eating. I'm a truck driver and was parked up one night, had nodded off and woke up some time later with a pounding heart, sweating like mad and very light headed. I couldn't understand it, I'm only 35 and whilst I'm not exactly in shape, I'm in far better shape than most truck drivers etc. But at that moment I thought I was in the process of dying and called an ambulance who came out and took me to the nearest hospital, who in turn could find absolutely nothing wrong with me apart from a slightly elevated blood pressure and they discharged me a few hours later.

I then hit google and almost straight away found a strong link between Omeprazole (and other PPI's) and mental health due to the changing of stomach acidity and knock on effects to your gut and the way you digest food and take in vitamins, minerals etc and then found all the horror stories of people who'd suffered the same as me. I didn't take another Omepazole pill after that, just stopped cold turkey but the symptoms largely remained. Crazy anxiety, extreme depression, suicidal urges, fatigue etc etc etc. One day I'd feel 90% normal and the next two days I'd be feeling so bad I'd almost welcome killing myself to be out of it. Now, I was and still am in control of myself enough to not actually do that but the urge was and sometimes still is there.

Anyway, I returned to work and felt a bit better for a few weeks, then had two weeks at home over this past Christmas and went back to work again in January and 2 or 3 days in came down with another panic attack when parked up at night. This time I knew what it was and waited it out and it passed but I'd had enough of it so when I got home a few days later I went to see a doctor in the hospital who more or less dismissed my theory that Omeprazole had caused it but prescribed me Citalopram for anxiety and depression and if needed, Metaprolol for the palpitations.

I started off with just the Citalopram (an SSRI) and within a day or two the heart palpitations had all but gone. I did have some uncomfortable muscle twitching just above my groin that slowly went away after about two weeks and at first it was impossible to ejaculate, though I could still get an erection without too much trouble. Thankfully that also passed, though I still can't ejaculate within 12 hours of taking a Citolopram pill, after that I can,though it takes longer than before.

About 4 weeks in, palpitations almost gone, side effects pretty much gone and another doctors appointment, this time with a new GP I'd managed to register with. He asked me why I wasn't taking the Metaprolol and I said the other Dr told me to only take it if I continued to have bad episodes of palpitations and only to have one as and when needed.

He said my BP was a bit high (was something like 155/85) and that it'd also help with whatever palpitations I still had. I went home and duly took them. 25mg once per day.

As he predicted, the heart palpitations completely stopped, and for a couple of days I felt surprisingly good with less depression as the Citalopram had done absolutely nothing for that.

About a week ago, so 2 or 3 weeks in to taking Metaprolol, I started noticing a slightly blurred vision. I'm short sighted anyway and wear glasses for it and it just feels like my eyes have deteriorated a bit and I need a new prescription lens etc, nothing major but I notice it.

I'm also feeling like I'm in a daze all the time, slightly less aware of things, reactions times slightly down etc and now I'm suspecting that the Metaprolol is perhaps doing this, or maybe its the Citalopram even, I have no way of knowing.

As I've noticed the least benefit from Metaprolol, I'm inclined to stop its use first. But I'm insure as to how to carry on. My next doctors appointment isn't for another 3 weeks and I'm currently out of my home country (Canada) and visiting my parents back in the UK.

Would someone who's only been on 25mg of Metaprolol once a day for just over 3 weeks still need to ween off it over a long period or could I stop cold turkey given my dose is pretty low and I've only been on it a short time?

hello. I have been on the trouble all 50 mg once a day for almost 2 years now just because every time I went to see my doctor my blood pressure was high about 160 over 80 and I guarantee that was because of the anxiety I already have all the time and being in the annoying and being in the annoying doctor's office.

I did not like any other side effects I have had since I started it and they did not go away the whole time while being on it I recently told all my doctors I do not want to be on this medication anymore at all.

a few months ago I did try to stop it cold turkey myself and probably almost had a heart attack I was outside working in the winter and my heart started racing fast when I started to get really tired and my heart rate was super super I had to call 911 rate was super super high I had to call 911... I went to the hospital had all the tests done I did not have a stroke or heart attack thank God so I would never just stop that or any drug right away anymore

recently I have been taking half of the 50 mg once a day for about 8 days now and I am going to in a few days just stop it all together and see how I do.. recently at the same time I am also in a cardio program I am losing weight eating better I don't drink or smoke so that's a plus and I plan to continue to exercise a few days a week as well.

I'm still feeling the side effects of being dizzy without any pre warning. they are getting further apart and I'm looking forward to bring totally free of all side effects. I still have bouts of shortness of breath and now in a meditation program that brings me peace. the mind body connection is amazing when pursuing the spiritual path. you can do this. you've already displayed your inner strength and resolve. sending healing intentions to you. much love and light, Suzette

Hi Tee19

thanks for this review, I don't feel alone in this, Metoprolol is re really the worst medicine ever. I was looking the whole internet to find someone that would say they felt swollen discomfort of pain in there chest, me too, except I felt it also in my upper back area where my lungs and heart is, I told my doctor it felt like my kidneys were swollen and full of pressure and full of pain with the medicine It made me feel like I have a weak heart with flickering, that made me feel week. on this medication I have all the side effects too, but the back swelling and depression was the worst. this should not be legal to prescribe this medication, I was going crazy on this toxic medicine. I took amlodipine as my first medication but it is cause only two side effects which was the severe back pressure , chest pains and breathing problems and my doctor put me on metoprolol, but because metoprolol cause all the side effects and worse he put me on denazapril which I have the same problem pressure and pain in the back and chest severely I do like these medications better but I would can't take it if it's causing that kind of pain in my back area, it worries me that nothing is working for me. Any advice from anyone would be deeply appreciated.

Ps. my doctor didn't even wean me off of the metoprolol, which i was given 100mg which i too for 4 months i did even have bad hi bp at the time 140/90s now because of this drug my pressure gets very high and in need to the medicine. no weaning and he put me under benazapril....I don't know what will happen with me.

i was on metoprolol for 6 months and was having weird episodes where i thought i was having anxiety attacks but i never had a problem with anxiety until i got on this drug . I stop taking it on February 25 after two weeks of lowering my doses it's been 14 days and i still dont feel normal i feel so unwell on top of that I'm wearing a hoster monitor for 14 days .