Propranolol Rebound After Taking for Migraines
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I know there are a lot of threads concerning the withdrawal symptoms of stopping Propranolol, but I was hoping to find someone with a similar situation as mine to ensure that what I am experiencing is normal. I am a 63-year-old male and prior to being placed on Beta Blockers for migraines my blood pressure was 115-120 and my resting heart rate was in the lower 60's. So, I had no heart related problems. I have also been fairly physically fit and have always exercised.
I was placed on Beta Blockers over ten years ago for severe migraines. I was first using Metoprolol, but I had suffered for years with excessive sweating. At the beginning of this year the doctor decided to try me on Propranolol since it had less reports of excessive sweating and was actually a better drug for migraines. I ended up on 50mg's three times a day. At first it seemed to be fine. Then after about 4 months I started experiencing crashing fatigue and no desire to do anything. I started checking my blood pressure and heart rate and my systolic was in the 80's to 90's and my pulse was in the 50's to lower 60's. I couldn't even hit my target heart rate on my Bow Flex Max Trainer. I did some research and found out this is very common with Propranolol used for non-cardiac conditions.
A couple of years ago my neurologist started me on Aimovig injections which has done wonders for my migraines. I decided it was time to get off of the Beta Blockers, so I started reducing the amount I was taking. I reduced it 10mg's per dose at a time and then waited for two weeks and would reduce it again. Everything was going well, with only a slight increase in resting heart rate, until I got down to 10mg's three times a day and I saw a marked increase. I then went to 10mg's twice a day and the heart rate went up even more. After two weeks I completely stooped all Propranolol. I saw an instant increase in my resting heart rate to the upper 70's to mid 80's. If I stand up it goes instantly to 110-120. If I exert myself at all it is in the 150's. If I try to exercise it will hit 150 in less than two minutes, so I have to really take my workouts really slow to keep my heart rate under control. On a positive note, my resting blood pressure is ranging from 108-120 over 65-72 since I stopped the Propranolol.
It has now been over three weeks and I am still having the same problems. I will actually have a day or two where my resting heart rate will be in the mid to upper 60's then the next day it will be back to 80 and stay there for several days. This morning was one of my worst workouts since I stopped taking the medicine, I had to go really slow to keep my heart rate below 150.
Please tell me that all of this is normal and that it will get better with time, and I just need to be patient. Sometimes I feel it is getting better then it will be worse than it was two weeks ago. I refuse to believe that in just 10 years my heart has gotten this bad compared to what it was before I started taking Beta Blockers.
Thanks for any advice you can give,
Dale
0 likes, 4 replies
gemma94098 daleg
Posted
Hi Dale, I'm wondering how you are getting on now? i have been on propranolol 80mg a day for about 18 months but I'm started to get concerned about some of the side effects. I'm having night time hallucinations and I'm always cold and tired. I've put weight on as well. Have you gone back to normal now?Hopefully you are still posting on here.
Thanks
Gemma
daleg gemma94098
Posted
Gemma,
I went to see a cardiologist over a year ago and he said I did not need to be on beta blockers because my heart was very strong, so he had me stop cold turkey. He made this decision after running numerous test and they all showed I have a very strong heart. My heart rate has been high for a year now and does not seem to want to come back down. My resting heart rate is still below 100 bpm, so my cardiologist isn't worried. But it is still higher than I am used to, mid 70's to 90. My resting heart rate before the beta blockers was in the upper 50's to mid 60's. What has me the most concerned is how fast it goes up when I exert myself. My target heart rate should be 138 and my max heart rate should be 155 for my age. When I use my Bow-Flex Max-Trainer within one to two minutes my heart rate is in the upper 150's to lower 160's and if I push the exercise it will go up into the upper 170's to 180, way too high. My cardiologist is not concerned, but I am. My heart rate has never been that high. I am concerned that 12 years on beta blockers for migraines did something to my heart. He says no, but I don't believe him. I have always had a low heart rate because I stay in shape. I started looking into the high heart rate and I have almost every symptom of an overactive thyroid, so I have contacted my VA primary care physician to ask him to test me for it. I am waiting for his response. My concern is that there is such a thing as wearing out your heart from it constantly beating too fast which can lead to heart failure. I still think that the beta blockers did something and now my heart beats way to fast. Or, I started having thyroid problems when I was on beta blockers, but the drug covered up the thyroid issue. I will see once they run some blood work. And get this, one of the treatments for an overactive thyroid is beta blockers, go figure.
Hope this helps,
Dale
gemma94098 daleg
Posted
Thanks for replying Dale. I'm sorry that you haven't gone back to your baseline and I totally understand how that must be really worrying for you.I feel like we are constantly patronised by medical professionals. They might not be worried but if we are and things have changed in our bodies from our norm, they have to accept that would be anxiety inducing for us. I am guessing you are in the US from some of the terminology you've used. In the UK you really have to push for anything to be investigated if your GP (general practitioner in primary care) doesn't think there is a problem. I am already dreading the conversation with them when I say I want to try something other than beta blockers for migraine.
I wish you well on your journey to get answers and hopefully back to your baseline. Thanks for getting back to me. I think you have consolidated my own concerns about the drug and made me more determined to t
try and get off it.
All the best!
Gemm
daleg gemma94098
Posted
Gemma,
Yup, I am from the US. I forget when I use things like VA instead of The Veterans Administration that not everyone will understand it.
My neurologist put me on Aimovig (erenumab-aooe) Injections (140mg/ml) once a month a few years ago. It is an autoinjector and you give it to yourself. It has done a lot to cut back on my migraines. Then I use Treximet (Sumatriptan 85mg / Naproxen 500mg) to treat any migraine that I might get. The Aimovig has helped cut back on the number of migraines I get and the Treximet stops any migraines that I might get. Instead of them lasting for 14 hours to 48 hours, now they only last a couple of hours and are not debilitating. I also did the Botox injections for a few years with good results but switched to the Aimovig when it became available. I like the one shot a lot better than 30+ shots in your neck, shoulders, and scalp. I don't know if these are available where you are, but it might be worth asking. The Aimovig injection is why I came off of the beta blockers, I did not need them anymore.
Good luck getting them under control.
Dale