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Heart Palpitations Forum >> Symptoms and other concerns >> Metoprolol - Yes or No?
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Message started by JerBear320 on Apr 8^th, 2013, 4:31pm

Title: Metoprolol - Yes or No?
Post by JerBear320 on Apr 8^th, 2013, 4:31pm

First, I am so grateful to find this forum.. it has already decreased my anxiety exponentially...

I have been experiencing severe palpitations since December, and was convinced I was on death's doorstep.. EKG's, Stress Test and Echocardiogram show no defects, and for all intents and purposes I'm "fine."

However my cardiologist did prescribe Metoprolol when I went through all these tests a few weeks ago.. but it hasn't helped.. in fact, it may have complicated my life.. I'm beyond exhausted, unfocused, tend to feel nauseous and feel like my adrenaline is off the charts and experience occasional chest pain. Is that a bi-product of this medication?

So while my palpitations seem to be not as strong, they are still present. To make matters worse, when reading the medication literature it references all kinds of adverse complications, some of which I described above. Have I just complicated my life by taking this drug?

Admittedly, I'm stressed to the max with a life-changing event I'm currently going through, and I'm sure this doesn't help... I just want off this adrenaline rush I've been on to stop, and to quit being so exhausted ... not to mention for these palpations to go away..

I have a follow-up appointment with the cardiologist tomorrow, but am very interested in your thoughts about this drug.

Thanks.

Title: Re: Metoprolol - Yes or No?
Post by martinpetersen on Apr 8^th, 2013, 11:15pm

"Our Doctor", RLR has many times written about beta blockers and palps. See for example this quote:

"The use of beta-blockers in the context of arresting palpitation events is considered off-label. Although beta-blocker therapy can reduce cardiac force and augment regulation of heart rhythm, the drug demonstrates no efficacy, or effect, upon factors which cause vagus nerve-induced palpitation events to occur. Any brief respite experienced in such cases is universally due to common placebo effects. It is of importance, however, that the same force which produces placebo effect is also capable of actually reducing the incidence of the palpitation events within the same time-frame. The inability of the drug to impart positive influence is due to the mere fact that the palpitations in such instances are extra-cardiac in nature, meaning that they arise from outside the heart." (RLR, 2013)

So: They are not designed to cure palps, but by reducing cardiac force they might make an illusion of not feeling the palps so much.

I have also tried Metoprolol, it only "helped" (or whatever it did) a little bit in the beginning, and it was notorious a pain in the xxx when I wanted to stop. Stopping taking them all at once really created palps, so I had to step down slowly from them during 3 weeks.

Best of luck!

Title: Re: Metoprolol - Yes or No?
Post by JerBear320 on Apr 9^th, 2013, 8:58am

Hi Martin.. Thank you for your reply.. It's what I thought. I want off this drug, and will talk to my cardiologist about it today.

Thank you.

Title: Re: Metoprolol - Yes or No?
Post by beadbabe on Apr 10^th, 2013, 8:49am

Hi there
Have tried beta blockers for palpitations too. They did not help me at all. If you don't medically need them / and they are not helping, I would certainly have that conversation with my doctor.
Good luck :)

Title: Re: Metoprolol - Yes or No?
Post by George on Apr 11^th, 2013, 7:48pm

I once took beta blockers as well (bisoprolol), but they never had any beneficial effects on anything. They used to make it harder to exercise as well and I ended up simply forgetting to take them in the end and never noticed much change.

Title: Re: Metoprolol - Yes or No?
Post by MollyW on Apr 19^th, 2013, 10:32am

Ugh, I tried Metoprolol last summer. Doc gave me 50mg to start. My bp sank to 90/50, and my heart rate was 62! I tried half the dose, but still felt really lethargic. Still felt some PVCs, but it lessened the ones i felt that were "several in a row".

Went off it after three months.