Metoprolol withdrawal

How long does Metoprolol withdrawal symptoms last? I know there is a rebound effect when stopping Metoprolol. I have been off for 2 days now and my first 36 hours were worst than being on it (being on metoprolol was horrific for me). I am still getting shakes, anxiety that comes and goes in waves, ( I never had anxiety before), Im still getting heart rate that goes up as soon as I stand and still get bouts of fatigue. My family Doctor said it should not be a be a problem but I am still having uncomfortable symptoms after 48 hours.

I was on the drug, even to the point of 150 mg/diem at one point, for a total of just over five years. I was told to stop immediately when I was placed on amiodarone. I experienced nothing except the bliss of NSR once again within 10 hrs of taking the first 400 mg of amiodarone. :About seven months later, I stopped taking metoprolol on the advice of my outreach nurse about six weeks after my second ablation. She agreed that I should taper for a couple of weeks down to 12.5 mg, but I stopped after a week and have not had any problems, no unpleasant aftershocks.

We're all different, so I can appreciate that you're not having a great time. Did you taper for at least seven or eight days? Maybe your anxiety stems from not being on the drug, as in the cognitive dissonance of having nothing like its help in your system...that you might really need it.

Everybody's heart should initially rise as a sympathetic response when we stand. Mine does. It would fall again if that's all I did....to stand. If I begin to move around, it might even continue to climb to 115 BPM...again, at first, but it normally subsides to around 105-107. What is yours doing?

How long were you taking it? Rebound effects from stopping beta blockers is usually something that happens only to people who've been on them a long time.

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gloaming
I was on the drug, even to the point of 150 mg/diem at one point, for a total of just over five years. I was told to stop immediately when I was placed on amiodarone. I experienced nothing except the bliss of NSR once again within 10 hrs of taking the first 400 mg of amiodarone. :About seven months later, I stopped taking metoprolol on the advice of my outreach nurse about six weeks after my second ablation. She agreed that I should taper for a couple of weeks down to 12.5 mg, but I stopped after a week and have not had any problems, no unpleasant aftershocks.

We're all different, so I can appreciate that you're not having a great time. Did you taper for at least seven or eight days? Maybe your anxiety stems from not being on the drug, as in the cognitive dissonance of having nothing like its help in your system...that you might really need it.

Everybody's heart should initially rise as a sympathetic response when we stand. Mine does. It would fall again if that's all I did....to stand. If I begin to move around, it might even continue to climb to 115 BPM...again, at first, but it normally subsides to around 105-107. What is yours doing?

I was only on Metoprolol for less then 2 weeks but the horrific side effects were so bad that my doctor said I need to get off. I was just not ready for these awful symptoms of the beta receptors being so sensitive after I stopped the beta blocker. Doctor said it should pass within 3 days since I was on it such a short period and told me I was alergic to this medicine. My heart rate when sitting is 75-85 and now when I stand goes to 110-125.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 01/03/2024 05:25PM by Rucan.

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Rucan
Doctor said it should pass within 3 days since I was on it such a short period and told me I was alergic to this medicine.

Or, perhaps more likely, would be a genetic incompatibility. Metoprolol is contraindicated for those with CYP2D6, which is a fairly common genetic variation. I know because my EP did genetic testing, I have this variation and was told never to take metoprolol. I took propranolol instead.

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Daisy

Doctor said it should pass within 3 days since I was on it such a short period and told me I was alergic to this medicine.


Or, perhaps more likely, would be a genetic incompatibility. Metoprolol is contraindicated for those with CYP2D6, which is a fairly common genetic variation. I know because my EP did genetic testing, I have this variation and was told never to take metoprolol. I took propranolol instead.

I am not smart enough to understand what that is. I just know I was on Metoprolol for not much more than a week and abrutly had to stop and I have been a mess for 2 days. Anxiety and feeling like a zombie. I have never felt like this and it is awful not feeling who I really am.

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Rucan
I am not smart enough to understand what that is. I just know I was on Metoprolol for not much more than a week and abrutly had to stop and I have been a mess for 2 days. Anxiety and feeling like a zombie. I have never felt like this and it is awful not feeling who I really am.

More simply, because of genetics, some people can’t process metoprolol normally. With the fairly common genetic variation I mentioned, the body would respond to (for instance) a dose of 25 mg as if you had taken 100 mg giving you the side-effects of an overdose. So when you stopped it would be like you were withdrawing from an overdose. Hence the genetic testing lab supplied me with a wallet card listing metoprolol as a drug that I should never take. This could be what you are experiencing.

I am really sensitive to coming off the beta blockers. It is really a problem of inappropriate sinus tachycardia. It does pass. Mine usually lasted 2-3 days. Hopefully you are through the worst of it.

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Daisy

I am not smart enough to understand what that is. I just know I was on Metoprolol for not much more than a week and abrutly had to stop and I have been a mess for 2 days. Anxiety and feeling like a zombie. I have never felt like this and it is awful not feeling who I really am.

More simply, because of genetics, some people can’t process metoprolol normally. With the fairly common genetic variation I mentioned, the body would respond to (for instance) a dose of 25 mg as if you had taken 100 mg giving you the side-effects of an overdose. So when you stopped it would be like you were withdrawing from an overdose. Hence the genetic testing lab supplied me with a wallet card listing metoprolol as a drug that I should never take. This could be what you are experiencing.

That sounds like that could be what is happening to me.

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MeganMN
I am really sensitive to coming off the beta blockers. It is really a problem of inappropriate sinus tachycardia. It does pass. Mine usually lasted 2-3 days. Hopefully you are through the worst of it.

Thank you. I am 57 years old and have taken a plethora of medications throughout my life for surgeries or to deal with something. I have never had any medication affect as horrific as this Metoprolol. I have never had panic attacks in my life. They are awful. The shortness of breath, and extreme sadness. Exhaustion to the point you don't even have the energy to say words. Light headedness almost to the point of fainting if you don't lay down. I have never felt this from any medicine in my life. The psychological symptoms are as bad as the physical symptoms. What I have been told by my Pharmacist and Doctor is the beta receptors being over sensitized since the beta blocker medicine has left my system.

I was on atenolol, another BB, for 25 years from 1987 onwards. After my first afib, the three -day - new attending insisted I stop it cold turkey. Husband was a pharmacist at the time but she insisted. I was frequently fainting, they gave me a tilt table test and it was positive and I had withdrawn symptoms (ortho static hypertension) for 6 months until I said enough is enough and I resumed taking the drug.

I’m not taking it now and the second time I gradually weaned off.

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susan.d
I was on atenolol, another BB, for 25 years from 1987 onwards. After my first afib, the three -day - new attending insisted I stop it cold turkey. Husband was a pharmacist at the time but she insisted. I was frequently fainting, they gave me a tilt table test and it was positive and I had withdrawn symptoms (ortho static hypertension) for 6 months until I said enough is enough and I resumed taking the drug.

I’m not taking it now and the second time I gradually weaned off.

That is frightening. For me Metoprolol has been a horrific drug and coming off of it was awful.

Recant- perhaps wean off slower. I remember Jackie had weaned off flecainide using a razor blade and she shaved off the pill very slightly until she was weaned off. I had a flecainide overdose so I went off cold turkey. Everyone is different but if you are getting withdrawal symptoms perhaps wean slower.

I remember when I was getting an ablation, I was asked to split my evening BB dose (full dose morning, half evening) and then two days later split the morning dose, wait two days on the reduced dosage and then stop the evening dose and after another two days only taking the morning dose to stop all. It took 10 days to be completely off so. Started the weaning 10 days before the ablation. Then right after the ablation I was back in regular strength.

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susan.d
Recant- perhaps wean off slower. I remember Jackie had weaned off flecainide using a razor blade and she shaved off the pill very slightly until she was weaned off. I had a flecainide overdose so I went off cold turkey. Everyone is different but if you are getting withdrawal symptoms perhaps wean slower.

I remember when I was getting an ablation, I was asked to split my evening BB dose (full dose morning, half evening) and then two days later split the morning dose, wait two days on the reduced dosage and then stop the evening dose and after another two days only taking the morning dose to stop all. It took 10 days to be completely off so. Started the weaning 10 days before the ablation. Then right after the ablation I was back in regular strength.

It has been 6 days cold turkey for me. I was on it for less than 2 weeks. My side effects were so bad I needed to come off. My Doctor did not tell me I could not come off cold turkey. Still having withdrawal symptoms. Had a terrible arrythmia a couple of days ago that I thought I was going to die. Still hoping this passes. I thought I would be completely better by now like my doctor said only 3 days. But it has been 6 and still feel jitters and heart goes from 85 to 115 BPM just walking in around the house.

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Rucan
It has been 6 days cold turkey for me. I was on it for less than 2 weeks. My side effects were so bad I needed to come off. My Doctor did not tell me I could not come off cold turkey.

That's probably because 99% of the people who've only been on it for a short time have any withdrawal symptoms at all. I've stopped metoprolol cold turkey several times after being on it for months (and in one case over a year) and I never experienced any problems.

I'd say beta blockers just aren't for you and you should probably never take anything ending in "lol" because that indicates it's a beta blocker (metoprolol, propranolol, atenolol, and many others).

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Carey

It has been 6 days cold turkey for me. I was on it for less than 2 weeks. My side effects were so bad I needed to come off. My Doctor did not tell me I could not come off cold turkey.

That's probably because 99% of the people who've only been on it for a short time have any withdrawal symptoms at all. I've stopped metoprolol cold turkey several times after being on it for months (and in one case over a year) and I never experienced any problems.

I'd say beta blockers just aren't for you and you should probably never take anything ending in "lol" because that indicates it's a beta blocker (metoprolol, propranolol, atenolol, and many others).

I agree. I have even thought what if this is not from the metoprolol I took and came off for the last 6 days. But before I took the metoprolol I was 100% fine without symptoms or problems. The several days I took metoprolol started with bad side effects. And the last 6 days off of it have been horrific including triggering an awful episode 2 days ago.This only started when I started metoprolol and when I stopped it got worse. I am getting scared that 6 days off cold turkey and I am still getting withdrawal effects.

Don't be scared. Your body will adapt.

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Carey
Don't be scared. Your body will adapt.

Thank you. That is the most positive thing I have heard in the last 6 days. I say that because it seems like you know about this and what is happening to me. I have never experienced this before. At day 6 today since coming off cold turkey, I still have anxiety (something I never had before), my heart will rise to 105-115 bpm just walking around the house now. Use to be only 85 bpm walking around the house. I sometimes get rushes in heart rate but goes back down. I still get some jitters and of course the fear of it inducing an arrythmia. I get depression from it, (something I never had before). Over all feel like someone I'm not. I just want this to pass and be me again. It has been very difficult on my wife and family to watch me like this.