weaning off of a Beta Blocker

[April31986]

I am 30 years old and I am trying to wean of my current medication metorpolol, I was originally prescribed this medication early 2015 for irregular heart beats I developed from panic attacks. The doctor prescribed them to me for "peace of mind" I would get panic attacks that made my heart race and therefore I thought something was wrong with me like I was going to have a heart attack since I have never experienced them before and it became a viscous cycle (I became hypochondriac ) , although there was nothing really wrong with my heart nor do I have heart disease of any kind he prescribed it to me. the first dosage he gave me was 25mg twice a day to bring my heart rate down. after the first month I got side effects like vertigo, dizziness, rapid heart beats( which was supposed to help ) shortness of breath and numbness in my arm. At 3 months I went back to the cardiologist and told him and he cut my dose down to half a pill twice a day. so I take half in the morning and half at night. I have been exercising which helped me with the stress and I feel my panic attacks are almost non existent. my heart rate is around high 60's to low 70's when resting. Anyways... almost a year later  I started feeling really dizzy and vertigo lately. at work we have a Health coach and I randomly walked into his office and checked my blood pressure and he told me it was low it was at 107/73. he's theory is that since I started working out more and my heart rate is coming down plus my heart pill it may be slowing my heart rate way too much causing my blood pressure to drop a little to much. I was supposed to only be on this pill for a year. I don't want to take it anymore. I don't like meds to begin with. what should I do? I have an appointment with the cardiologist but I'm afraid he's going to want to keep me on it and I don't want to anymore. how do I wean myself off of it. I started only taking a half once a day at the middle of the day and sometimes I take a half of the half of the pill at night. I started getting panicky since I started to think I might not be doing it right and may cause me some harm even though nothing is wrong with my heart and I don't have hypertension. HELP! I AM DIZZY AS I AM WRITING THIS NOW :( I DONT WANT TO FEEL LIKE THIS ANYMORE!

[AlexFire]

well..if you do workout ..then you should see your cardiologist and tell  him/her to change your meds or adjust the dosage ..beta blockers can be mood blockers too :D but nothing specific to be worry about..and they may reduce your performance and also put pressure on your body (but not the heart )..just talk to your cardiologist and you should be fine ...and i recommend to see a pyshc too..for your mild anxiety ..it can be very helpful..

[itdood]

I developed panic attacks right around the same age.  Dizzy issues that I swear is vertigo.  I"m 48 now.  It still comes and goes.  I tried some beta blockers early on but only PRN, which means "as needed".  I was always anti-med too and I still do that although I have been on meds to help I would feel better then wean myself off them.  Exercise, I think has been key, and I would rather exercise then take a med if I can help it.

I think you should be able to wean yourself off it pretty easy but I would discuss with doc first.  I would just tell them that you don't want to be on it anymore.  You were taking it for anxiety and now you are dealing with it differently and in a more healthy way.

You'll be fine, the issue with this come and go.  SOme weeks and month you feel better then you have a flare up and you'll learn to manage it like I did.  I do agree with you on trying to get off the beta blocker.    The reasoning for me is that my health keeps changing and if I was on a med I wouldn't know if it was the med or something else.

The dizzy crap I still get here and there.  I don't know what that is.  Just had it again back in January.  I don't know if it's some sort of panic thing or anxiety or something to do with BP.  I just pick myself up and keep going.  It's not fun.  Hang in there, you'll be OK.    just stay positive and keep working on it.

[April31986]

he took me down to half a pill before bed for three months then I will be back to see how that's going and he will start weaning me off completely. even before I went to see him I have had a throbbing almost like a Charlie horse in my left arm between my shoulder and elbow. do you think that's normal? do you think its part of the side affects of weaning off. I asked the cardiologist and he said it had nothing to do with my heart but I just sometimes don't trust their word. and its freaking me out!!!!