Metoprolol. Tapering off. Side effects. Horrible drug!

Hello Ann C.  Had no idea about the sun. Thank you. I decided today that I'm taking control of my health. I'm done trusting the medical profession. I will be at my 3 mos check ups to get the two safe meds I have for MS (not MS meds. Those are awful too) but if they try to give me anything else I'll politely said. NO!!! I'm in charge now. This won't happen to me again. I start week 3 of the taper Sunday. Praying hard because last night was bad 

May I ask everyone's highest BP and current numbers please 

Thank you so much to all 

Tee 

Thank you Mike I have a very informative email you're fortunate to have such a sensible physician caring for you the humidity here kills me is I also have MS but this is our last summer here we're moving to the mountains in a couple months where there's virtually no humidity and nothing but wonderful cool air. 

I've had a headache the last few days when I wake up. I think weather and this taper is the cause. Thank you for great info 

Hi, Tee, sorry, as mentioned, i cant help, the agitation has clicked in quickly with you - but then, i was not on Meto, so have no experience of that, if i were you i might think of stopping weaning for a while, and talk with your doctor about changing to the med Mike mentioned. I did not have the adrenalin symptoms until a week or so after total stopping,  and when i started stopping i had already got down to the smallest amount .  i cannot go into detail here, but the first 3 months after those first quieter weeks post stopping were the worst, maybe it might not be a good idea for you to stop bbs totally, and simply try an alternative med for a while.  i did not know about idea this until i read the forum, or i might have done . PS  I did not know this forum was international,  had assumed it was part of patient.co.uk. i dont  travel, so am ignorant of what it's like in  very hot or very cold, (is Stany in Poland? - i have heard how there are extremes of weather there)..  

Hi Annie. I'm in the United States. I took a bit of aprazolam given to me in case of bad anxiety. I try not to take much especially getting off this poisen. It's calmed me. I'm normally a very strong person. I never act this way. I apologize. This has me a total mess. 

Tee19...from what I was able to find...<0.0l  is the normal level. Yours was at <0.012. As an uneducated guess, I'd venture to say your level was normal or very slightly elevated.

As per the other you asked about, I don't know what it is, & therefore had trouble finding it.

Thanks. It says CK-MB CK2.  And that 0.99 result   

I'm wondering if the troponin is elevated because I also have MS because they say that it doesn't have to necessarily be linked to anything cardiac I'm not sure of anything anymore I really do appreciate all of your help Mike thank you so much

I think MB is muscle/brain. Maybe it's a regular CK with that added. Not sure 

Useless medical people where I live 2 more mos and we move to perm home in a great area with great medical 

Hello again Mike. I just called the ER. I left a message for charge nurse (at lunch) and secretary stated she will call back. I'm hoping they tell me. 

Today has been so so for the most part but I've had bouts of anxiety which I'm trying to breathe  through but if I need the anti anxiety Med. I'll use it. Just trying not to unless it's bad like the other night 

I truly do appreciate you very much. Everyone here is great 

hi Tee, i looked up  labtestsonline re your query, and followed from there - "Total CK is no longer requested in people with chest pain who are suspected of having had a heart attack. It was superseded first by one of its isoenzymes, CK-MB, which is more specific for heart muscle damage, and more recently by cardiac troponin. Troponin is highly specific, is more sensitive than CK-MB and remains raised much longer after a heart attack."

.......as far as i see it, your tests should be read together, and, you were below 0.012 re the first - 

Hi Annie.  Does it look like these numbers are ok?  Thanks so much for the info.  Waiting on a call. Hoping for answers 

Hi Tee19....Glad you seem to be doing ok. You're doing the best thing you can do by staying as calm as you can. The worst thing you can do it worry about 'what ifs'. How are you weaning off the Metroprolol???

When I stopped taking it, there weren't any residual effects. A few months later, I went on the Atenolol. As I mentioned in a previous post, Metroprolol crosses the blood brain barrier, whereas Atenolol does not. 

I also find these threads to be very helpful. While none of us pretend to be medical people, we try to help each other as much as we can. Gathering opinions noting the different side effects has been very helpful to me. A lot of side effects is what I've been bothered with as well,while some have not been as bad. 

I'm not referring to beta-blockers, but anything. To be truthful, I'm so tired of getting notifications that some one has commented on Amlodipine..that I won't read them anymore. Some people will bitterly complain about a medication when they haven't even given the medication a chance to do its job. 2-3 days is nothing, & most doctors would tell a patient exactly the same thing. I have a friend who will stop any sort of medication in just one day if she finds it 'makes her feel weird'. Immediately she'll blame it n the tablet or whatever, & I've told her time and time again, that one tablet will not fix what ails her.

Anyway...keep up the good work. Please keep us informed.

Hi Mike.  Thanks for answering back so quick you're so good on this board responding to everybody. :-)

 Today's actually been kind of a tough day I had a massive panic attack it took forever to get out of it and then I just haven't felt well all day my chest doesn't hurt or have pressure like it used to just feels like a big bruise it's really weird   

I've also never had anything like reflux or stuff like that but I find that now out of nowhere I have it today I actually had these tums which I've never had to use much of before in the past especially since I had my gallbladder removed a few years ago.     I'm not even sure it has anything to do with food because I don't eat anything spicy or high fat at all 

And the only kind of dairy I have a skim milk for cereal once in a while because I can't tolerate Melker much dairy stuff so I don't know if it's this medication causing all this or the MS

You asked about how I'm tapering off of this medication I started four weeks ago using a certain amount and then after two weeks I cut it down to 1 and 1/2 tabs to equal 75mgs. Now I'm down to 1/2 of a 50mgs in the morning and The other half at night and the last two weeks I will basically take 25mgs a day till I stop. 

I started st 100mgs 

 I was on the medication for a year actually about a year and two months and I do understand about those people that take medicine for two days and stop thinking it's not working well because they feel funny I do agree that your body does need time to adjust to some side effects and such but if it gets intolerable I can understand stopping but I gave it a long chance by taking it for that long so I know it was the wrong medication for me and it made me so very sick 

I have a friend that gives  New medication three days tops to work otherwise it's done she throws it away   

At least I can say I tried even when I was having side effects and reporting them I kept at it hoping it will get better and change but it never did it only got worse

I can't sleep laying flat anymore I have to sleep up on pillows or sitting up in recliner sometimes it's really awful I'm hoping that soon I can sleep in my bed again like a civilized human being

My hubby sleeps  in the recliner next to me just so I'm not sleeping alone through this mess.  I hope it's done soon and  hope when I stop the drug that I won't have any more damage or additional side effects to deal with 

The other thing is I still have these bouts of extreme dizziness

Thanks for checking in 

What are your BP readings now if you don't mind my asking 

Hi again Tee19...You don't have to eat spicy or fatty foods to get heartburn.It can happen with just about anything, AND you do not need to take a prescribed medication to rid yourself of an individual attack either. Believe it or not, what works for me most times is COLD water!!!...That's right...COLD water!!!

Don't sip it..but drink it in gulps..drink the whole glass if need be. The odd time I'll take an antacid, like Gaviscon..I'll chew on one tablet, then the heartburn is gone. The moment I feel the heartburn coming on my, I go for the cold water. 

Sleeping propped up definitely helps if you're having gerd (hearburn). Don't lie down within 2 hrs of eating. If your chest feels sore, it likely could be because of the anxiety...you're feeling panicky...so it would make sense to me that the muscles in your chest are tightening, resulting in a feeling as though there's a big bruise there. I'm sure if you were to touch the spot..it would feel like you're pressing on a bruise. Try heat...heat up a water bottle, or a magic bag & place it on your chest. Of course, you should be sure not to put it on bare skin for fear of burning. The heat not only relaxes you, but eases that bruised/sore feeling.

As for the extreme dizziness; have you been tested for vertigo? 

Hope these hints help in some way. Again, let us know how you're doing!!

Hello no sooner do I report hanging in there, getting through this taper off Metoprolol I have my worst 2 days.  As of today I've not slept since last night. Anxiety not being helped by med, chest pressure soreness, very emotional and not myself. Very sick to my stomach.  No doubt the storm of this taper has arrived as I reach week 5 and smaller doses. No matter what I do I can't get calm. I'm exhausted but can't rest

I'll never forgive myself for taking Metoprolol without looking into it first.  

Hope you and everyone here is well 

I forgot my ears bother me and yes I think I have vertigo but never had it before. I had it starting with this Med. I had occasional dizziness due to MS but never this bad 

Also blood sugars are all over the map 

I'm still taking HCTZ. 25mgs a day

Hi, Tee, as this is a public/international site, i cant go into more detail than i have already. As you know i had lots of bad things happen while on the bb i  took for only a few months,  and then a week or more since ending,  the 'not myself' very weird months started, (when i felt well, no pain, on another plane, felt stronger, younger, etc ) but , after those months worse than ever, exhausted,   the vertigo bad in bouts, etc - i had had some probs before bbs, but not so strongly,  The time after i 'got myself back' was worse re this, though as i tapered it came and went, and combined with more  now i pave been pretty much temporarily disabled for months after a fall during one  loss of balance/mild infection, so take care, in case you have similar probs.  Maybe settle - as i now feel i should have done -  with a tiny dose for more months, then go on reducing if need to get off? cant be more help - you seem to be testing your blood glucose - are you type one diabetic? best wishes

Hello Annie. Thank you so much for your response again I appreciate it all and I definitely understand that you can only post so much this site just is wonderful the matter how hard this is the ups and downs I never feel alone I feel like there's this little group of people spread out across the world that know what I'm going through and that I'm not crazy

 I finally fell asleep at 06 this morning but only for about an hour I'm hoping to be able to rest some today as now I feel like I'm coming down from this massive panic attack that hit me last night with a host of other symptoms I'm in to my fifth week starting Monday of this taper coming off this medication where I will only be down to 1/8 of 25 mgs once a day for the remaining 2 weeks.  I'm so anxious to read myself of this but I still fully intend on doing it very carefully so I may have to add two more weeks to it unfortunately or two weeks of every other day until I can just be done with this I never want to see it again whatever medication is left over I'm flushing down the toilet 

I greatly appreciate each of you 

It helps  more than I can put in the words to have each of you hear and understand exactly what I'm saying such a shame that the doctors don't seem to understand it and handle stuff out like candy without doing proper research but I also felt myself I normally am very very careful researching a medication before I take it as I said in an earlier post I had so much happening at once  when I was placed on it that I didn't do my homework that we always be my regret 

Thanks again so much XXOO

Hi Tee19...In your paragraph, you said you were down to 1/8 of 25mgs. 1/8 is hardly anything. Seriously!

You're doing very well!!!!!! What you can do now..in fact a pharmacist would very likely agree with me...you can take that 1/8 every other day...then every other other day...then stop. Truly 1/8 of 25mgs is nothing now.. Don't let the panic set in over it. You're stronger than the pill..you can do it.

 

Hello Mike 

Sorry. I start the 1/8 this coming  Monday. I currently at the tail end of 25mgs am and 25 mgs pm. 

I start the "sliver" for lack of better words ;-) on Monday.  Yes, totally agree that will be nothing and I have anxiety from being sick and unfortunately several deployments to a war zone which hit me last year out of nowhere (I  that I have most things under control until one day I just had a massive panic attack out of nowhere ).  For some reason this just exasperated everything the symptoms I had off this medication just seem to make everything worse especially when you feel like something cardiac is wrong with you but everyone tells you it's not cardiac and all the test come back clear for that still your body acts crazy with cra zy BP numbers (mostly only at the doctors office) and that awful chest pressure which as you previously said (and I know being a Nurse) that is common for anxiety.   I was an outstanding nurse for so many years and is soon as I return from Afghanistan I became very ill and was diagnosed with MS and that's when things went downhill health wise and on top of which my husband was injured in combat so caring for him, being sick myself, and all just finally hit me one day.  I saw my doc and she put me on aprazolam for the bad anxiety (but I take very little) and the Metoprolol because she felt my BP was way too high even checking it twice in one visit but that day I was sick, in a panic, emotional, exhausted and I believe it was white coat hypertension 

Without doing my homework as I'm picky about taking meds I just took it and a year later was worse than ever with a list of crazy symptoms all pointing to this drug 

I think my anxiety contributes to the panic of what I hear happens to people off this drug  

I could take more aprazolam to get through but I use the smallest amount as I know this Med is very addictive and I don't want that. Although historically I'm great being responsible with meds. Even pain meds.  When I hear the amount of pain meds some people take I simply can't believe it. I would be knocked out cold 

You're right and have helped so much here. I just need to remain calm and I'm trying but the last few years have been a bit crazy and I had everything under total control but one day my body and mind said ENOUGH and it's like it all caught up to me. That's when I was placed on the BP Med and aprazolam. 

The heat pad helped a lot. Thanks

Like you I trust my pharmacist more than the docs.  

It's tough because with MS you have all sorts of tough things that it becomes hard to dicifer what's MS and what may be something else

After 24 hours of no sleep I finally slept all night. Chest and sides are still sore but just going to keep using the heat pad and a bit of pain Med to take edge off and rest today as much as I can 

The vertigo is tough

Trying a few things for that. 

If I push on my ear it feels like water and air is in there. Sorry. I know I sound crazy but I promise I'm not 

Thanks for all your contributions and support on this great sight 

Have a great day 

Hi Mike, 

you seem to have a good understanding on the beta blockers.

After months of Amlodipine hell, the Dr now has me on Hydorchlorothizide 12.5 daily. Its brought by BP down but not by much. I have good days and bad days.  When on Amlodipine it sent me to the ER 3x with chest pains and rapid heartbeat. All tests were run...CT, stress, Echo, EKGs all normal. Cardio doctor wants to put me on Atenolol to help with BP and rapid heartrate. Beta blockers give me the FRIGHTS! The hydro is making me pee a lot and i can live with that. But something that requires weaning off is scary! i havent been able to sleep at night. Some night i get hot flashes and rapid heartrate (when I'm suppose to be resting) and some night my BP is in normal range other nights it 151/101. I try to do breathing excerises and i eventlually fall back asleep.

I've been dealing with this high blood pressure thing since May 2017 when i woke up with an extreme headache and BP was high. I went to the ER and diagnosed with vertigo.

I have a couple of appts coming up with an OB/GYN to see if i'm in menopause and my regular doctor to check on sleep apnea.

Maybe all this has just made me a mess of stress. 

There haven't been much discussion on Atenolol on these boards and I saw you have had success. Your thoughts?

Hi theresa 06691...

I would assume from what you've written that your Dr. has taken you off the Amlodipine.  Some people can take it without problems, while others can't. I had taken that drug a few years back, but had to come off. The 5mg reduced my bp but for a short time, then my GP doubled the dosage to 10mg. I have learned since that time that doubling the dosage only increases the chances of side effects. I won't go into a long story to bore you, but the GP I had at that time was a young cocky know-it all. I have since returned to my previous Dr. Anyway, the 10mg caused my feet & legs to swell badly, which is why I came off it. I have a friend who doesn't have any trouble with Amlodipine, but her medication is the brand name Norvasc, NOT Amlodipine. My cousin takes it as well, & it controls her BP. 

The Hydroc. you're taking is a diuretic..so it isn't any wonder you're peeing a lot. It's doing it's job.

You didn't say how long you've been taking the Hydro...but you are seeing some results.

Try not to be nervous about the Atenolol...you likely won't need a high dose. I don't recommend Metropolol though. I was on that a few years back & suffered terrible headaches like you wouldn't believe. I consulted a Pharmacist friend of mine who told me that Metropolol crosses the blood brain barrier. I had that young Dr.take me off...then I went on the Atenolol. Things were & still are fine. I again consulted with my Pharmacist friend who told me that Atenolol does not cross the blood brain barrier which is likely why I didn't (don't) suffer the horrible headaches. Remember, if your Dr. is suggesting the Atenolol, please don't be afraid of it. Atenolol does help slow the heart, therefore it helps reduce bp. This along with the Hydro could  very well lower the bp even more. Perhaps you might want to suggest to your Dr. that you start with 25mg???? I take 50mgs.. At first, I was taking 25mg 2x daily. I asked my current Dr.about taking the whole 50mg at once rather than 25mg in the morning, then 25mg in the late afternoon, & I was told that it was perfectly fine. In fact, this medication truly is meant to be taken 1x daily....not twice. 

As for discussion on Atenolol...you're right...there isn't much discussion on the boards about it...it's mostly Metropolol. In my opinion, it's the Metropolol that's a nasty medication. I'd never take it again..

Atenolol?...Absolutely. 

Please let me know how you get on with this. Cheers!!!

 

what happened to your sugar