Posted on 11/01/2017 9:24:49 AM PDT by HarleyLady27
August 31, 2017 at 3:45 pm
I am a migraine sufferer. Approximately 18 mos ago I was put on beta blocker Metoprolol (25 mg twice a day) as a preventative to reduce headache frequency and severity. I had no problems with the medication, other than slight lethargy and a few pounds gained. About 6 weeks ago, however, my pharmacy advised they had switched to a different manufacturer, and things went quickly downhill.
My bp, which is usually steady and in the good range of 120/67 started going all over the place from lows to highs, with accompanying rapid heart beats of as much as 90 – 118, other than my normal of 62 – 68. I felt lousy, going from being extremely cold, especially in my lower legs and feet, to breaking out in a sweat at the smallest task such as getting dressed.
I had rapid weight gain (10 lbs in two weeks), several anxiety attacks (which I had never suffered), swelling in my ankles, blurred vision, dizziness, a dull headache which lasted for days and fatigue so bad I could hardly get out of bed. My brain felt as if it were in a total fog, and I couldn’t remember something I had done five minutes earlier. At first, I thought the issues were caused by seasonal allergies and a sinus infection, but after the infection cleared, the symptoms grew worse to the point I could hardly get out of bed. Not taking the drug one evening resulted in my feeling much better upon waking, but as I started moving around, my bp hit 146/86 with pulse of 92, and knowing that beta blockers should not be stopped abruptly, I took the dose, which caused things to get even worse and I quickly ended up in my doctors office with a bp of 170/100 and a pulse of 118. After blood work, urinalysis, EKG, my physician and I both believed the culprit to be the new manufacturer.
Ping...
FROM THE ARTICLE:
NEVER Stop Beta Blockers Suddenly!
No one must ever stop a beta blocker suddenly. Doing so could trigger chest pain, irregular heart rhythms or even a heart attack. We hope that the new guidelines will not create withdrawal symptoms or complications for millions of patients who have been taking beta blockers for years or even decades. Because there are no clear guidelines on how to phase off such drugs, doctors will need to be very cautious about this process. No patient should ever discontinue a beta blocker without careful consultation with the prescriber.
Thanks
Generic drugs are a crap shoot. Blood pressure was reasonably regulated until our pharmacy changed suppliers for clonidine and metoprolol.
I missed a dose of metaprolol one day because I was out of the medicine. I nearly passed out in the shower when I held my breath to rinse my hair. I have forgotten to take it a time or two in the past. I always feel like crap if I don’t take it like I should. That is scary stuff.
“People’s” pharmacy?
I take atenolol, but sometimes I forget to take it on weekends.
It doesn’t seem to make much of a difference..............
I was on Metoprolol for years to control BP. It did so very well, problem was the side effects. Very lethargic and always seemed to be in a fog. Got off Metoprolol a couple of years ago and felt like I had walked out of a dark forest into the sunlight. Way more sharp alert. No more beta blockers for me if I can at all help it.
Ping.
Been taking generic propranolol for 20 years. Haven’t had a problem.
Been on it for a dozen or so years....Guess I may be ‘lost in the forest’,,but I can’t say I’ve suffered side effects as some folks here have...Just lucky I guess..Trandolapril too..
I have had a similar experience with beta blockers after only one year. Lethargic, major loss of fitness (was a competitive cyclist), major weight gain. The doctor tells me that everyone my age takes this, and that I should have more realistic expectations. I fired that doctor. It’s been a long road getting back in shape.
This doctor teaches at University of Texas Medical School.
Yep, exercising was near impossible for me. Now I cycle and walk regularly with no problem.
Arnt there TWO different problems with health being talked about here: Heart, and Other.
So arnt the dosages different for each?
I was taking a VERY SMALL dose, sometimes, NOT for heart.
FYI it interferes with THYROID MED.
Anything with “People’s” is not something to take seriously, at best.
My idiot cardiologist said if he was king, he’d put beta blockers in the drinking water. So he prescribed metoprolol.
I have low blood pressure and many drugs have side effects which lower BP, a bonus for most. In my case the metoprolol got my BP so low I could hardly stand up and keep conscious. I stopped it immediately. Doctors seem to treat patients like black boxes all of which are identical.
My doc had put me on some ‘new’ medicine for my High BP a couple of years ago. Instead it made me worse....................
I have been taking metoprolol for about 6 years for an irregular heartbeat. I, too am often sleepy during the day, and I feel very unmotivated. I don't do anything to stay fit except yard work, and that's because I have to. Trouble is, my palpitations keep getting worse and I am now taking 100mg of metoprolol twice a day. Whenever I try to cut back one of my doses to 50mg, the palpitations start increasing again. The palpitations are allegedly a benign condition, but they usually occur at night, which makes it hard to sleep because the feeling of skipped or extra heartbeats is very disturbing.
I am having an electrocardiogram soon to make sure everything is okay (last had one 5 years ago). Afterwards, we may try changing my medication.
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