Metoprolol. Tapering off. Side effects. Horrible drug!

hi all

just wondering if anyone has had tingling sensations, body jolts or shocks and lightheadness/dizziness on metoprolol? my arms, face and lips feel very tingly and burning sensation

let me know your thoughts

thanks all

I had an appointment with a cardiologist today. He's moving me to nebivolol 2.5mg a day for a month then gradually reduce, but I'm a bit concerned about rebound side effects with metoprolol, if any. I asked a pharmacist if I can just take it now and stop taking any more metoprolol and they said yep, since they're the same family of medications. I'm probably just thinking too much into this

Hello, all! I found this forum this morning and spent the better part of it reading through some of the pages. I'm both amazed and saddened that so many of you have been suffering just like me. Sorry for the length of this post. I hope someone out there finds solidarity as I have. Maybe some tips for me too. 😃

I have been taking 50mg of metoprolol tartrate daily (one 25mg in the morning and one 25mg at night) since November 2019. My endocrinologist put me on it to help manage my symptoms of hyperthyroidism until he was certain what type I had. I wanted to remain on it even after starting my dose of thyroid meds because at first, it was really helping me. It took away my tremors, my constant headaches, my rapid heart rate, everything. I was nervous about stopping it since it seemed to be helping. The only adverse side effect I really had was a slight cold intolerance and cold hands and feet, but I didn't think much of it because I was told once my thyroid started getting better, I may experience things like weight gain and such. So I chalked it up to my thyroid getting readjusted.

Fast forward to May 2020. Toward the end of the month, I started noticing my old symptoms were returning - most notably the rapid heart rate. The metoprolol seemed to not be working anymore. By the 22nd, I had become 100 times worse. My GAD and depression and panic flared up horribly to the point of being unable to function. My GP even gave me a small dose of clonazepam to take as needed. Every day since then has been a nightmare full of panic, anxiety, even vision problems and brain fog, as well as a loss of interest and aversion to things I once enjoyed, and a few other symptoms such as depression and weight gain and circulation issues. I can't get out of this rut no matter what I do.

I've gotten blood work done but most of my numbers are normal. The one thing that stood out to me was, as I saw another user on this thread mention, was liver enzyme "issues", which keep rising. I have never had liver issues before in my life. Last year before I started taking metoprolol, my levels were well within normal range.

My GP wanted me to get a liver scan and brain MRI done but I'm very apprehensive. After doing my research, I started putting two and two together and realized that maybe everything I've been experiencing is because of the metoprolol. I spoke with my endocrinologist yesterday and convinced him to allow me to start tapering off. He was going to try and raise my dosage of it but I stood my ground. Aside from the troubling symptoms, my reasoning is, my thyroid levels are normal now. So it feels like overkill to keep taking something I should no longer need. And if I wind up going hypothyroid instead, the metoprolol may actually worsen these issues.

Plus I've tried everything under the sun to help my issues. Therapy, CBT, mindfulness. Nothing has worked. The one thing I haven't tried is getting off the metoprolol. I firmly believe it's the root cause of my issues and I can't wait for it to be out of me completely.

So now as of yesterday I began my tapering. I was told to start by taking 25mg a day for a week and then to stop. I'm very nervous and my anxiety and depression are very high. I'm hoping I can get through this like so many of you, but it's scary. I know it's a roller coaster and I won't get better instantly, but I've been suffering for so long that everything feels hopeless.

I completely agree this drug is evil and much worse than the problem it's masking not treating. My story is slightly different. I had undiagnosed fainting in my 20's . now 44. palpitations various other symptoms including persistent bradycardia and low blood pressure. I lost 2 daughters to undiagnosed causes and still no one medical took me serious. my brother then had to have an ablation for svt, my mother has long QT. Her family all having died of heart issues between 35-65. I went from fit vibrant energetic to suffering severe fatigue completely debilitating and breathless. Then one day in may my heart was pounding 100bpm and over at rest for hours .I felt rough but im not the hospital sort. then I got crushing chest pain and pain in my jaw and neck. my daughter rang an ambulance. I was admitted and treated for SVT Z then rapidly discharged because of covid.. went home and within 48h had two more episodes of SVT. GP prescribed propranolol first. I suffered that for 6 weeks of sweating diarrhoea nightmares blurred vision and fatigue I couldn't even be bothered to wash and mega weight gain. I felt suicidal like my life had no value. they changed it to metoprolol. I didn't think it could get worse. all the above symptoms plus urinary retention. after multiple appeals to my gp ive not got far so ive decided to withdraw myself from the pills. going cold Turkey which I know can be difficult but taking those pills is not living.

I took metoprolol succinate 25 with Amlodipine 5 for a diagnosis of hypertension with tachycardia in july 2020. Later it turned out to be inner ear viral infection.....

For 25 days i took metoprolol..i had severe sleep disturbances, depression, even suicidal ideation which by God's grace i overcame, rashes, palpitations each time i got up from the bed, frequent urination, ear pain ...i can list this much

I used to take it at 8pm..it is extended release and supposed to act 24 hours. But at 3pm everyday i was having withdrawal with tachycardia and palpitations. My cardiologist advised me to take 12.5 metoprolol twice a day. I took 12.5 mg for 2 days. Stopped it. Suffered a day of withdrawal. It was 2 hours of tachycardia palpitations and extreme weak feeling lasting for few hours.

Then i started recovering from the side effects over 7 days.

In august and September repeated bp checks without medications were normal.

But whenever i get a cold attack with ear block i get giddiness and palpitations. Now confirmed as labrynthitis.

But one small thing....even after 2 months after withdrawal of metoprolol extended release i get palpitations on off even without ear symptoms. May be the metoprolol causes some long term side effect not mentioned in literature.

Hi,

Going thru the same thing right now. i've only been taking it for 3 weeks though. my biggest issue is the anxiety. I was given it after a visit to the ER for chest pain. They diagnosed it as angina, which I believe was incorrect. I went to a cardiologist and had ekg, echocardigram and stress test. all came out perfectly normal.

The doctor said I dont need them.

wondering how long it takes to feel normal again?

thanks

I agree about this drug never was sick in my entire life but one day got admitted with high bp was under tremendous stress which caused me chest pain and it has been a rough ride since last 3 months. Trying to wean off this med now with earlier dosage of 100 mg per day to 50 mg now. 2-3 weeks after taking metoprolol succinate i started sighing randomly i dont feel breathless but still i sigh a lot . And now the sighing scares me my cardiologist said its because of my anxiety and i dont understand how is it possible but i am in this never ending loop of sighing and being anxious don't know what causes what! if anybody else encountered this issue please help!

I hope everyone can see this that are going through problems after using metoprolol. One thing that seems to help me is to focus on breathing. I was feeling the same way as everyone else and im starting to feel better now. I noticed that I had bouts of apnea where I would stop breathing and the natural reaction is that your brain tells your heart to speed up because of lack of oxygen. Also get up, move around - do sprints if you can or cycle for a few minutes stop then start back not pushing yourself too hard but in intervals. That has been helpful for me. Get up move around dont let your sickness define you go outside take a walk. It may seem overwhelming at first but it will get better. Hope you all feel better!

has anyone had food allergies from these drugs? xx

I am just discovering this thread and wanted to add my experience to the story. I have had an arrhythmia - PVCs specifically - since I was about 19 years old. Diagnosed as hypertrophic cardiomyopathy. I was told I shouldn't play any sports, should start taking a medication for life - verapamil - and basically go into a shell. I said screw that. I continued to play soccer up until I was almost 50. But continued to be very active including playing 2s beach volleyball and working out regularly. Initially I do want to say I listened to my cardiologist and took verapamil but for a very short period of time. I can't recall specifically why I decided to stop taking the verapamil but I am sure it had something to do with the fact I just believe everything comes with a price. A recent visit to my cardiologist for just a well being checkup and as usual he wants to put me on what he believes is a wonder drug - a mild beta blocker in metoprolol. He's been trying to get me to take it for years and I just keep saying I don't want to and don't think I need to. Being that I am now 53 I decided to listen to him with a more open mind instead of just flat out saying no. He tells me how effective beta blockers are, how they incredibly safe, it's a low dosage (50mg a day), virtually no side effects, taken by millions of people and here's the big one - he believes it will prolong my life expectancy. He even tells me he would prescribe it to his own children. I decide I need to stop being so head strong and just give it a try as the PVCs did seem to be acting up more frequently. What a mistake. About a week in and I am noticing that I feel very agitated and fidgety. I also feel like I have a whole new out of whack arrhythmia that is quite bothersome. I am also having trouble sleeping. I call the doctor and speak with the nurse who says that I should stay on the metoprolol and that these don't sound like normal symptoms. I decide screw this. I don't like how I feel and stop after about 10 days. A day or two later and I have a full on panic attack. I have never in my life had a panic attack and this scared me. I call the doctor again and again get the nurse who says I should not stop taking it. Doesn't say why really but convinces me that I need to give it more time. I decide to commit to a month and restart taking it. Again with what I will now call anxiety (never have I experienced this before) and a really messed up heart rhythm and now my stomach is suddenly screwed up. Not going to the bathroom regularly, pressure right under my sternum and not connecting the new medication I assume that I have some new stomach issue for which I get prescribed Prilosec. 2 weeks go by and nothing is getting better. I feel like I am not even the same person any more. I then just did some thinking and the only thing that is different in my life is this new s**t medication I am taking. I decide to do some research and stumble upon this forum and post. Wow! I am not alone and am not crazy. This drug isn't the innocent little pill my doc tried to portray it to be. I decide to stop and did so immediately even though many said to ween off of it. I just stopped. Within a couple of days my stomach was back to normal, my sleep was better, no more weird dreams, and I woke up one morning and told my wife that I finally feel like "ME" again. The only thing right now is that the heart rhythm is still quite out of whack and I wonder if that is simply because the metoprolol was stopped abruptly vs. weening. If it did some long term damage or if maybe I am going into a new phase with regards to my heart and aging. All I know is that I will take this irregular heart beat over the other horrific side effects I was experiencing. Thanks for all your posts and stories. I helps to know you aren't alone out there.

You should always discuss concerns on medication with the doctor, and perhaps they will prescribe you something different.