Metropolol ween down.

[james]

Anyone have any side effects or maybe withdrawal symptoms coming off beta blockers? You know why I ask is I am trying to get off the stuff now and have had some heightened pulse rates at step downs.
at 25mg per day now and may just stay there for a month or so.

 

[Freddie]

Sorry I can't help you James, all I know is that I felt a hole lot better once I was off it with no side effects.

 

[acr]

Don't know about metropolol but I had a similar experience with Atenolol. Think higher pulse rates are par for the course when dropping down. Just let your body adjust to the lower dose before you drop again. I was on 25/mg for what seemed like forever after dropping 70 to 50 to 25. It's hard to make the final drop. I suppose you could start skipping days, like day with beta blocker, day without. Then drop altogether. I've been off BB's for 6 months now.

Ade

 

[Mentu]

James, the side effects were beginning to trouble me so a month ago my Cardio let me drop to 12.5 mg twice per day so it is possible to reduce your dosage even more. A week ago, he let me stop taking it altogether. Since then, my blood pressures have been somewhat higher also. The good news is that I am no longer experiencing the dramatic drop in blood pressure and pulse rate in the afternoon when my heartbeat could slow to 47 or so. Now that I am not feeling so much fatigue, I am getting more exercise which I hope will help to bring my numbers lower. Right now they are running around 135-145 / 70-75.

Larry

 

[Buffy41]

My cardioligist left me taking 25mg a day of metropolol since my surgery Jan/09. At my last appointment I asked about it and he said if I wanted I could try going to half that amount and see how I feel. So now I take 12.5mg every morning. I can't believe how much better I feel, even at that little amount difference. Hoping he'll let me go off of it all together
He said he is unsure if there is any long term benfit to me remaining on it...doctors...
Wondering if anyone else has stayed on it long term after valve replacement?

 

[halleyg]

Was on 25 mg after surgery, weened me to 12.5, then I was done (just a few days time if I remember correctly). I didn't have any side effects except I felt much better off of it! I would think you could ween down again sooner than a month, but of course I'm no dr. When did yours say to bump it down again?

 

[nngbwh]

I don't get it.:confused2: You guys are ween down and i'm still on 75mg per day. Need to talk to my cardio the next time.:mad2:

 

[ALCapshaw2]

My Cardio likes to cut dose in half for 2 weeks then check how patient is doing.
If OK, then cuts in half again for another 2 weeks.

For Non-Time Released Beta Blockers, the usual recommendation is to take them 2X / day.

 

[buncle]

About three months after surgery my Dr. told me to stop taking my beta-blocker (bystolic). I asked if I was to just stop or wean off? He said because I was just taking 5 mg a day to just stop.
My pulse went up to 65 from 55 being on the bb. Dr. said that is my normal heart rate not being controlled by the bb.He said bb's are kind of like a govenor on a motor keeping the engine from reving to high.
So I guess I got my hemi back! lol

 

[JeffM]

It's normal to have an increase in heart rate as you decrease your beta blocker dosage. It's not really a side effect because the beta blocker is what's been keeping your heart rate lower. The weening is intended to avoid withdrawal which could inlcude (if I'm remember correctly) dangerous arrhythmias or seizures. Once you've been off the beta blocker and your heart settles into its new (post op) normal rhythm, you can lower it further through physical conditioning.

 

[soccerdad]

Im on 25mg a day (slow release) and would like to get off of it. Im almost 6 months out from surgery and got off of it at 3 months but my rate was back up again after 1 day after I weaned it down to 12.5 for a week. I'll do the same thing a couple of weeks from my next cardio visit (3 months) and see if it'll take. We'll see.