Anyone have headache problems with metropolol or other beta-blockers?

[ponygirlmom]

Metropolol (a beta-blocker) has a famous off-label use as a migraine preventative. My cardiologist prescribed it for me (for my heart!) at low doses: first 25mg daily, then 50. These are much lower doses than are usually taken to prevent migraines.

As a migraineur, I figured I would not notice a difference, or I would get some kind of benefit. However, now that I've been on 50mg for two days, I'm getting migraine symptoms that I have not had in months.

Has anyone on the list, regardless of whether they have a history of migraine, had head problems when taking, or getting used to, metropolol or any other beta-blocker?

If your problems were during the "getting used to" phase, how long did that phase last?

 

[OldManEmu]

Beta Blockers

Beta Blockers

Ponygirlmom you are not alone with headaches and beta blockers.
I was on a low dose of Metoprolol post surgery with no problem.
I was then placed on Carvedilol (trade name in US Coreg) an alpha and beta blocker, headaches started within days along with nightmares and extreme fatigue. After 3 months and still feeling bad I asked the cardio if I could go off Carvedilol and was put back on Metoprolol this time extended release.
The headaches and nightmares stopped I still felt some fatigue however I was much improved.
After 12 months post surgery and my heart remodelled the cardio agreed to me stopping beta blockers. Never just stop beta blockers always slowly reduce dosage, suddenly stopping can cause severe side effects including heart attack.

 

[Bina]

Before OHS I had occasional migraines with the preceding visual aura.
Postop I started taking Metoprolol and had not problems, just wild dreams. Lately I have had the occasional visual aura, but without any headache.

 

[Superbob]

Have been on metroprolol quite a while. No problems that I know of. Do have wild dreams, which some attribute to metoprolol, but I don't know whether to blame (or thank) meto or my sleeping pill for that. Some of the dreams are pretty exciting.

 

[alpha 1]

coreg

coreg

bicuspid boy are you on the coreg or the metoprolol? because they swithed some of adams medicine they went from the metoprolol to the coreg and
he had a bad dizzy spell now he is ok. which one helps irregular heartbeats cuz i am still trying to get him off of the amiodarone.
alpha 1

 

[aussigal]

I get relativey frequent migraines and the Metoprolol has made no difference in that area...I take 75mg twice a day. I too was kinda hoping I would get the added bonus you are also looking for . If you havent also newly begun any other new meds then I would try hang-out a week or two and see if this feeling passes...Metoprolol made me feel a bit dopey/sleepy at first but that soon passed. It does a fabulous job of keeping my heartrate and BP under control, 70bpm, 110/60BP perfect!.

Muscle relaxers are the only thing that helps my migraines apart from ice on my head or neck and a lie-down in a dark quiet room.

 

[ponygirlmom]

Muscle relaxers are the only thing that helps my migraines apart from ice on my head or neck and a lie-down in a dark quiet room.

I learned from my chiropractor about ice on the atlas area (where head meets neck) each night before bed. This a good preventative for me. I do my stretching exercises first, then lie down with a blanket or robe over me and ice on my atlas and sometimes mid-back. It's actually relaxing!

 

[Philip B]

Headache

Headache

Nope, no headache from metropolol; just a rash that covered me from head to toe. We still don't know if my allergic reaction was to the drug or one of the binders which is used in the production of the pills. I've had much better luck with diovan.

-Philip

 

[Duff Man]

you guys know what the difference between metroprolol and carvedilol is? Carvedilol is a nonselective beta blocker (beta1 and beta2), which means it can irritate the respiratory system more easily than metropolol which is a selective beta1 blocker. You might be slightly hypoxic, (have a slightly low blood oxygen saturation level). If you have a predisposition to asthma, it could irritate the airway passages. Look at the symptoms of sleep apnea, they're pretty similar to what some are desribing..

But that's just a wild guess. The only reason I know this is because my cardiologist tried to put me on carvedilol after I complained of asthma from taking Tenormin. Some people just can't tolerate any beta blockers no matter their specificity. I never switched because I know it will make matters worse.

 

[PJmomrunner]

I haven't had surgery, but other than that, I echo what Bina said (almost exactly--I've always had wildish dreams). No more migraines for me.

I wonder if the original poster has newly been diagnosed? There is definitely an association between headaches and elevated BP and being diagnosed, as we all know, can be very stressful. Might your stress level be causing BP spikes that are triggering headaches? If so, perhaps they'll subside once you've got a therapeutic dose established.

 

[ponygirlmom]

I wonder if the original poster has newly been diagnosed? There is definitely an association between headaches and elevated BP and being diagnosed, as we all know, can be very stressful. Might your stress level be causing BP spikes that are triggering headaches? If so, perhaps they'll subside once you've got a therapeutic dose established.

Hi! It's me, the original poster!

No, I'm the exact opposite of what you describe. I am a long-term migraineur who has had the most improvement of my life in the last six months, since my neuro took me off all meds and we started to treat me with a combination of alternative therapies. In fact, it was my acupuncturist who recognized that I had something wrong with my heart and sent me to my family practitioner, who sent me to the heart doctors.

I also have a history of LOW blood pressure. My cardio wanted me to try metropolol to make my heart beat less strongly, but he was worried that it might lower my blood pressure too much.

Metropolol really set me back with regard to sensitivity to migraine triggers, plus it didn't even regulate my heart rate or intensity as well as hawthorn! My cardio has no problem with herbal heart meds; it's my surgeon that is uncomfortable with them. Well, if the goal is to keep my heart from pounding and beating unevenly, then I think the surgeon is going to have to get comfortable, because we have found something that works great AND doesn't make me feel like I'm losing my mind.

Oh, if you're asking about when i was diagnosed with my aneurysm and bicuspid valve, I'm still going through the tests and tests and tests! I saw the surgeon and cardio for the first time in January, and since then they keep testing. I thought the surgeon had decided on a valve (cow) but the last time I saw him he couldn't decide between cow and human and he ordered an angeogram for Tuesday. (I don't think I spelled "angeogram" correctly.)