Stopping Toprol cold turkey?

[momofmany]

Hi,
I did a stupid thing and now I need to know what to do. I have been on 100mg of Toprol-xl for about 3 months. It was prescribes for high blood pressure and a fast heart rate. The problem was the side effects--I was so tired that I couldn't function, with muscle aches. Occasionally, my pressure would drop to 95/58, and my heart rate would drop to about 60. I quit taking it about 5 days ago and the blood pressure has been fine (even sorta low at times) but the heart rate has been 100-120. Should I try to go back on it, or wait it out and see if the heart rate stablizes? Also, is there anything naturally that I could be doing?
Thanks

[CobaltBlue]

It does stabilize...took me about a week. However, what you really wanted to do is to decrease your dosage. When I came off of it, the schedule went from 50 mg (my initial dosage) to 25 mg for one week, then to 12.5 mg for one week.

The safer way would have been cutting the pill in half to 50 for one week, then 25 mg for the next week. I am not a physician, but I believe the 25 mg is the lowest therapeutic dose and the level at which you could safely discontinue it.

The problem is the rebound effect you are experiencing, where your heart rate is elevated for some time now that you don't have a constant dose of a beta blocker to attenuate it. Even when I discontinued it from 12.5 mg, I remember a slight bit of elevated heart rate; although, not up in the triple digit range.

Good luck,

Ulrich

[crazyhorse61]

im about to start it myself for the same reasons your on it,heart rate high bp mostly heart rate,I was wondering your side effects if any and your age,im 41 and my normal rate is 64bpm resting and I got perscibed 50mgs but im thinking of cutting it in half to begin with,I hope you can help me with info and I wish you luck........crazyhorse

[Tamsin]

Hi!

I've read/heard that it is very dangerous to stop taking any beta blocker "cold-turkey".

Please be careful and consult your doctor.

T.

[DAnn73]

I've been on Toprol since December of 2002. I hate it and just 2 weeks ago I asked the doc to take me off of it. I was taking 200 mg a day, now for the last two weeks I've been on 100 mg a day. Yes, Toprol is a drug that you need to be "weaned" off of. The side effects were horrible for me, but now that I'm taking 100 mg, they've subsided. My heart rate has jumped up and my blood pressure has increased as well, just from lowering my dose. I hope to be completely off of it in a few more weeks and try something new...but we'll see! Good luck with you and make sure you consult with your doc!