Beta blockers symptoms and conditions

Hello everyone. I am a 40 year old female and have been on Toprol XL 50 mg. for about 6 years now. In the beginning I was taking Toprol, then because my prescription plan wanted to switch I am on Metoprolol. I was prescribed this after a stress test because my heart rate did not go down as quickly as the cardiologist wanted it. If only I knew what I did now, I would never have started it. HELLO!! I weighed 200 lbs. at the time and was a couch potato. What did he expect? Of course my heart rate wasn't going to go down being so out of shape. I am so angry that I was prescribed this drug for such a stupid reason. I am also on meds to lower my blood sugar and high blood pressure. I know that all of my problems are due to my weight and so I've made a decision to seriously change my diet so I can get off of all of this crap. I currently weigh 217 lbs. But as you all know, being on Toprol, it's so hard to lose weight. I want off of this crap as soon as possible. Can any one of you guys who has gotten themselves off of this medication please send me some information as to how you got off of Toprol XL? My doctor is a real moron who works solely for pharmaceutical companies so I refuse to go to him. I will be changing doctors soon.

My doctor has upped me from 50 mg to 75 mg Toprol and i swear I am getting fatter by the day. Up until i was 55 i weighed 125 lbs now 5 years later i am 138 and cannot for the life of me shift it even 1 pound. Not only do i eat 6 to 9 fruits and vegetables a day, fish 4 times a week and chicken, no sugar in anything and do the 10,000 steps a day or treadmill. I probably eat and drink less and exercise more than i ever did and have never been so fat. Just out of interest I plugged in Toprol and found this site. I am going to go back to my doctor and ask her to change my medication.

I've posted here before right after I removed my mirena. Well it's been 27 days since I've had it out. At first I felt great. I had a period two days after I removed it. That period lasted a week long. Right after my period I CRASHED MAJORLY!!!! I had severe depression, severe anxiety and really bad leg and joint pain. All of that lasted about a little over a week. I got put on clonazapam and 20 mg. of celexa. So far I'm doing pretty good. I still get a little leg and joint pain, but not as bad and it doesn't last as long. I feel 90 % better and am expecting my second period on the 9th. I really hope I don't crash again. It was awful!! While on the mirena I had high blood pressure, fast heart rate, low grade fever, joint and leg pain, anxiety and depression, bloating like I was 4-5 months pregnant, nausea, heartburn, headaches, body aches (like I was sick), carpul tunnel syndrome (which I only get when i'm pregnant just like the heartburn) and more! Everything went down or completely away within a couple of weeks of having it removed. All except my heart rate. I am on a low dose of beta blockers to keep my heart rate from going over 100. Just like many of you I have been tested for many things like lupus, rheumatoid arthritis and so on. i have also been suspected of having hyperthyroidism, but with negative results from blood work. We are experiencing a major hormonal imbalance from this mirena. I just hope and pray our dr.'s will do their research and realize we are all right about our experiences and something can be done about this IUD. There is hope. Your bodies will regulate. It's only been about 4 weeks for me, but I am feeling better so far since my crash. Don't hesitate to tell your dr.'s about any depression and anxiety you may be experiencing as those are very serious side effects and can be treated even if it's just temporary to get you through the crash. I also take a one a day multi vitamin. So maybe that will help to.

Well, let's see now.................
I am a 48 year old female who has always been healthy.
4 months ago I went to the clinic for stomach pain that was gnawing at me. That's when my nightmare started. I was told to go straight to the local hospitals ER room because my Blood Pressure was 238/127
I was kept for 2 days in the cardiac unit. Tests were run and they all came out perfectly fine. I was then put on 50 mg toporol along with 20 mg Lisinopril. I was sent home and couldn't hardly function. Nauseous and dizzy, I was hanging onto walls just to go to the bathroom. Doctor switched me to Diovan instead of the lisinopril but insurance would not cover it. So once again I was switched to Avapro taken along with toporol.
By the second day on Avapro I was itching extremely and my skin was on fire. I called the Doctor once again and he said to Quit the Avapro and just take the Toporol alone. Well, within 4 days I ended back up in the emergency room with an elevated bp of 204/107. Once again, I was kept overnight and put on Labetelol (an alpha and Beta Blocker).
I did quite well on this med for a month and then the bp levels started to rise once again. I called the doctor this evening and was told to take 20 mg of the Lisinopril I had in the medicine cabinet along with the Labetelol.
It's been two hours and I'm starting to itch from the Lisinopril now....sigh.
Thank God I go to the clinic in the morning!!
I am really getting anxiety problems from dealing with these meds!!
Hopefully I can get everything straightened out. I am willing to hang in there until I can find something that works. It is obvious to me that I need HBP medication. I just wish They could find the right ones for me without having to go through all this . To all of you that have high BP, Hang in there. If one med doesn't work, keep trying!!
God Bless All Of You!!!!

About 4 months ago I took 7 days worth of Levaquin after my sinus surgery. It was a preventative measure, I never had an infection. A few days into the prescription I started having tendon pain in my knees & ankles. I couldn't sleep, I was having nightmares, I was emotional, anxious and drained. My doctor told me to stop taking the Levaquin immediately. 4 months later and I am still suffering from entire body tendonapathy, neuropathic pain, joint pain, skin sensitivity, severe migraines, temperature sensitivity, twitching (muscles convulsing), basically my entire body hurts. Some days are a little better than others but not by much.

I have been to rhuemetologists, neurologists, pm & r doctors, physical therapists, acupunture, orthopedic surgeons, & allergists (in Chico Ca, & @ UC Davis in Sacramento Ca). NONE OF THE DOCTORS KNEW WHAT TO DO. My general physician actually told me to "go home and wait it out" because there was "no hope of finding help" (I'm not kidding). I've had tons of blood tests with fairly normal results. Thankfully I have a wonderful neurologist who has taken some interest in my situation. All of the other doctors told me that my case was very rare & that they had heard of such side effects but had never seen any patients with them! After some research on the internet I seriously doubt that my condition is as "rare" as they claim.

I am only 28 years old, I can't walk, I can't work, and my life has been turned upside down. I was very healthy before, I don't have a family history of health problems, nothing like that...it was the Levaquin.

Here is what I am currently taking: Lyrica for neuropathic pain, twitching, not being able to sleep etc., and oral morphine for the severe pain, Milk Thistle to promote glutathione (important because it helps your liver detox), Magnesium Malate (also helps detox), a multivitamin, vitamin c, and fish oil pills. I also attend acupuncture 2x per week (honestly feel some relief from it). Also, I heard that glutathione infusions are helpful but I haven't tried them yet. At this point I will try anything.

IF YOU HAVE HEARD OF ANYTHING OR ANYONE WHO CAN HELP WITH THESE DEVASTATING SIDE EFFECTS PLEASE LET ME KNOW.

~J.

I have been on Wellbutrin XL 150 mg for about a month and a half. I really do not feel any difference. I was put on it for mild depression and loss of energy, but I still feel like I am floating through my days and can't wait to go home and crawl into bed. I should also mention I am on a very small dose of beta blockers for my atrial fibrillation (which is meant to decrease my heart rate). Should I increase to the 300 mg dose? I am concerned about doing this, as this is my first time on any anti-depressant and I would eventually like to wean myself off.
Also, have any women noticed their periods are late or non-existent? I am a week late in my period, and I am NEVER late. I will be going to get a pregnancy test done, but I am fairly certain I am not pregnant. I also noticed very heavy cramping yesterday that would signal the start of my period, but nothing happened.
I would appreciate any feedback!
Thank you.

I'm 48, wm, very healthy>
Thirty five days ago, I went to a doctor
for anxiety. I told him I felt as though I had
an over-active adrenal gland, and too much
adrenaline was surging through my body
causing me to be really nervous, especially
in public places.
I said I took Inderal 20 years ago for two days, and it made me feel weird.
He said the new generation Beta Blockers
are far better, and that most golfers take them so they won't shake during an important putt.
He said he'd put me on the lowest dosage (25mg/day) and said the side effects were minimal. (HA!)
After one week, all went pretty well, except I noticed my previously strong sex drive had diminished. I used to masturbate 3 times per day, and then it was maybe once per week.
I thought the trade off to be calm vs. constant erections due to the adrenaline levels would be fine.
Then the nightmares...
I was in Africa and being shot by Ninja warriors with their AK 47's and feeling the bullets tear into my liver, and abdomen- or falling off cliffs to my impending death, only to wake up at 1am and not being able to go back to sleep for hours.
Then, at the two week mark, I noticed also
I couldn't recall things as quickly as I used to.
At the three week mark, it was becoming clear that the Toprol was making me slow, tired, flacid, fuzzy in my thinking, and giving me constant nightly dreams that were
terrifying.
Finally, I drove to LA from SF, and a song came on the radio. I knew who it was, but just couldn't grasp in my mind who it really was! (Stevie Wonder)
I started to feel really bizarre, kinda like LSD, or mushrooms, and was worried I was going to go insane!
I knew it was the Toprol, but didn't know if I stopped taking it if I would recover.
I just wanted to be like I was before I started this taking this truly awful compound!
Three days ago I stopped (cold turkey) and
flushed my body out with water, and a lot of soup.
Only this morning- after three days without
taking those terrible pills do I feel normal again. I'm not 100% yet, but I know I will be soon.
The lesson here, is I should have read more about this drug before taking it.
I have never taken pharmaceutical drugs before- not even aspirin. This is one more reason to stay clear from quack doctors
who think taking heart drugs/BP drugs are an easy cure for anxiety.
I really feel sorry for all those people out there taking dangerous medications like Toprol.
This drug should have never been approved by the FDA, and the only reason anyone should take this drug, is to understand how it feels to lose your mind, have your sex drive removed, and have dreams every night where all you do is end up dead!
TOPROL should be schedule I, and be banned- or only used by our military on known terrorists...

For just over two years I suffered with chronic sinus infections and I could not understand what the cause of it could be. My doctors (two sinus specialists and also GP) did not even know about this side effect of Lisinopril. I was on antibiotics five times last year. The sinus specialists told me I must go for sinus surgery. I tried to remember when my sinus problems started and tried to link it to something else. Then I realized that I started taking Lisinopril in September 2006. Shortly after this I had my first severe sinus infection and I almost had pneumonia from it. Shortly after I recovered (after taking a strong course of antibiotics) it was not three weeks then I had it again. I had sinus problems the whole of 2007 and 2008. I decided to do some research on the internet to see if the infections are related to Lisinopril. I was shocked to discover that so many people reported the same side effects. I requested my GP to change my BP medication to a different group (Non-ACE Inhibitor). I cannot believe the difference. No more sinus infections! Also, I had flu once so far and I managed to recover from it without the use of antibiotics. This is a real breakthrough for me. I am just glad that I found this forum.
JM, South Africa

My husband was recently prescribed Bactrim from his family doctor for a case of the ful. We thought it strange, since flu is normally not treated with antibiotics, viral we thought. Anyway, we felt Doc knew best, so he took three doses. His original symptoms of the flue were simply nausea, vomiting and a bit of diarrhea. After taking the bactrim, he developed a very high fever, headache, pain in legs and feet, burning eyes, chills so severe his whole body shook with a vengeance. He was sent home from the ER and told this was "worsening flu symptoms" and to continue the medication. We didn't follow the advise, and thought it might be the bactrim. He still continued to get worse, and went back to ER next night, bad stomach pain and all other symptoms worse. We found out it was all due to the bactrim, which shouldn't have been given in the first place for a mild case of the flu. He also suffered decreased kidney function, which has taken some time to come back to normal (luckily). His heart rate is still increased after several days, and may remain so permanently, requiring him to take beta blockers for the rest of his life. The doctors won't admit this is from the bactrim, but i have found medical literature stating otherwise. His doctor said it was his fault for not reading or understanding the little insert that came with his medication from the pharmacy. A lot of this information wasn't even on it. There are so many other choices of antibiotics to use, which do not chance a horrible reaction, permanent medical problem, or a fatality, which seems to be the case more often than it should from the medication, bactrim.

1. Blood Pressure 180/120 resulting in an emergency room trip
2. Weight gain of 25 POUNDS! Most/all of which was water and came off within the first week of being off from Yasmin.
3. Bloating and extreme water retention. See # 2.
4. Severe leg muscle cramping and foot pain
5. A mental feeling of not caring and general fogginess
6. Complete loss of libido
7. Acid reflux (probably from the diuretic in Yasmin)
8. General weakness in my muscles (there were times that I could barely open a revolving door).

I was on Yasmin for a year. I have been off for one month. I am still on blood pressure meds, but they don't think the Yasmin is out of my system. Has anyone else gotten hypertension from Yasmin and if so, how long did you have to be on blood pressure meds?

Some of my symptoms are getting better after a month, and some are not. If anyone is reading this to decide whether or not to take Yasmin, please don't. You may not have any symptoms right away and you may think you feel great, but that is the scariest part. When symptoms come on gradually, you hardly notice them until you are in the hospital emergency room.

i had a cortisone epidural in my L3/L4 lumbar about 2.5 months ago.
30 seconds after procedure, i had severe dizziness and then fainted. Got up about 15 seconds later, i had no idea what had happened. My heart was racing and I felt out of it. I had the procedure in major hospital in Winston-Salem, NC, and they kept me for observation. I immediately felt different, i felt very anxious, nervous. Blood pressure was high. They admitted me to ER and they observed me for several hours. I had several bad 'panic attacks' where my heart unexplainedly increased to 130-150 bpm standing still. I felt extremely dizzy and light headed. They released me from the hospital and said i had a vasal vago reaction. I thought it was strange as i have had shots before with no problems. (doctor did hit a nerve with needle during procedure, very painful so i thought maybe that contributed to the fainting). For two weeks after the procedure i had trouble sleeping, irritability, nasaeu, stomach pains, bloating, chest pains, heart pounding, headaches, depression, dizziness and light headedness- thought i was dying at times. doctor's put me on a beta blocker to keep my heart rhythms under control. The meds made it even worse. Stayed on for about a month and a half then weened off. Nearly three months later, i still have extreme nervousness ,bloating. All the while doctor's all along said that it couldn't be the cortisone. I have not had any of these issues ever in my life, i knew it was the cortisone shot. This has been one of the most frustrating experiences of my life. Glad to see other people with similar experiences from this drug. I have seen neurologists, and cardiac surgeons, general md's about this and they all couldn't connect the shot to my symptoms. Cardiologist wanted to put me on a calcium channel blocker when i was off beta blockers, if it were there choice they would throw more drugs at it. I don't wish this effect of cortisone on anyone!!!!!!!!!!

i do believe this is the most horrific form of birth control ever created. i had this suggested as a birth control option after giving birth to my 3rd child. after having a bad experience in labor there was no way i wanted anymore. i would love to have a hysterectomy. hrt. i could probably cope with a lot better than being put through hell asnd back every month.
mine was suggested my my gynecologist and i do suffer strange reactions to anaesthesia so seemed to be a good idea to have this put in to see if it worked. how wrong was i. i was a very very angry person. i never ever suffered any nervous conditions before so this was new to me when i completely lost the plot. i was put on beta blockers and i thought i was having a heart attack on them. i suffered worse periods . cramps fatigue . headaches . my skin is still spotty. i always had a lovely complexion before this. my immune system isn't what it used to be. the list went on and on. i didn't like it at all. i asked for removal and they said i had to wait for another gynecology appointment. i knew all the side effects were off this thing in me. i had to wait for an appointment to get it removed./ said 9 months was the normal wait. i think they get paid to test run this contraception. and at what cost? our health

i will voice my opinion about this as its disgusting how much these fat cat pharmaceutical companies profit on what should be free to British citizens.its getting so bad in the nhs we are told to get seen quicker we have to pay. but 20 or 30 years ago people would have laughed at that.

has any real tests ever been carried out on what is in these devices and how it affects so many women in a really bad way.

my problem was when i finally got a sympathetic locum doctor at my gp surgery to agree to remove it. she asked me to give a sample for pregnancy. can you imagine how hysterical i was . yes i was pregnant. so much for the 99.9 % effectiveness. that meant i couldn't have it removed. one idiotic nurse congratulated me

i screamed are you insane woman . congratulations!! what is wrong with you? do i look happy?

the doctor was more sympathetic. everything was a daze at first. she explained chances are i will either miscarry or have the baby and dispel it in childbirth. on my own again. i had a miscarriage 2 days later. not impressed with this at all. i then had to wait 2 weeks for an emergency scan as chances were it came away complete.

how did i feel .angry. empty. physically and mentally drained. i think if i could have i would have ripped that thing right out of me

so i had the scan. luckily it had came away. i begged them to take it out. sent me back to the doctors a week later. and they removed it. i refused to do another pregnancy test said , please just get on with it.
two hours later i was feeling a lot calmer.

i so thoroughly enjoyed having that thing removed for good . never again would i have that in me. or any other coil.

however this is the beginning of a very upsetting case of long term side effects at there worst.

i decided to get sterilized after all this . understandable as being highly fertile sex was a big issue and i wouldn't meet anyone let alone sleep with a man. fear was the biggest thing. getting pregnant was a big no no.

i got sterilized. this is where the problems start for 3 months periods would be getting worse. horrific migraines. couldn't fathom it. my cramp was bad before but god this was like hell. about 6 months passed and steadily was getting worse each month. no amount of painkillers would help. and i could see in myself my skin getting worse. spots. my eyes feeling tired. red sometimes. itchy and dry. feeling sick and tired. then unable to get any sleep on a night. catch 22 . cant sleep then cant get up .i could sleep all day and night no doubt if it was possible . mood swings very bad depression. so much so i had a breakdown in December 07. i took 6 weeks off work and it helped somewhat .but still the periods and bad painsdwere getting worse. i am not a whimsy sort of person. cramp is tolerable this is so bad i cry and cry and wonder why i have to be suffering like this every 3 weeks. i nearly pass out with the pain. i do not like going to see my gp as i find them no use at times. feel like a conveyor belt and you lucky to get ten minutes as the norm is 5. i finally went up to the doctors July 08 and he gave me lots of pills and said i shouldn't mess with mother nature and get sterilized. i don't think he got that right. i still blame that coil. my depression is quite bad at times. my pain is a constant dull ache in my abdomen still. i feel like its on fire when i have my period. i have to work out when i am due on my period and take a week off work. its really bad. i end up in bed. due to the fact i cannot stand upright. it is so bad it feels like labor. but its excruciating. i feel ive aged a lot in the last yr too. i cry most days as i am so tired and feel myself dreading the next one. i try to remain positive and think it will last a week and then i will have two weeks where its not so bad. but my cycle is so messed up that i suffer headaches a week after the bleeding and i am still suffering occasional contractions. if anyone has any experience like this i would be grateful of some sort of assistance be it advise or medical. i don't mind any sort of critical opinion either. i have a very open mind to all sorts of issues so will take any advise on board. i may see an end to my battle of suffering. i am waiting for another hospital appointment to see my gynecologist and hopefully it will be very soon.

tracy.

Am in my second month of taking Metoprolol to control atrial fibrillation. Have been increasingly dealing with disturbingly vivid dream, headaches, slight nausea, abdominal discomfort and overall achiness. What is an alternative med to treat atrial fibrillation? I have glaucoma and a cardiac pacemaker for complete heart block. All suggestions welcomed. I'd like to dump the Metroprolol but appreciate that since starting to take it, I've had no problems with fibrillation (which my pacemaker isn't designed to control).

I am a 39 year old white male that had aortic valve replacement surgery five years ago. About three months after the surgery (which went off without a hitch) I had a tremendous spike in my BP that went on for a few days (200/100 - enough so I could see my heartbeat in my eyes!). My Dr started me on Toprol XL 75 and while it brought my BP down some, it didn't bring it down a lot. He moved me to 200 mg a day and now my BP is around 105/55 with a resting pulse around 50.

While I experienced many of the side effects listed here (feeling groggy, confused, etc) they only lasted a few months. I must admit that I did pack on about 20 lbs over six months. However, unlike so many who choose to blame drugs (or lack thereof) for their problems, I took it upon myself to start exercising and guess what?!? The weight comes off! I now weigh less than when I graduated high school, I am in better shape than any time in my life and I believe that exercise helps me sleep better at night. All of this even though I still take 200mg a day. Given that some of you say that you're practically dead at taking 25, I should be 6 feet under or weigh 400 lbs.

I guess what I want to say is that perhaps instead of jumping on the bandwagon here that Toprol causes all of your problems, perhaps you want to take your own health into your hands and begin to eat a little better and exercise (and don't give me "but my ankles are swollen!" excuse - there is something called water aerobics). I don't deny that it can cause some side effects, but it can work wonders with your BP. You just have to DO SOMETHING to help keep the weight off (which then help with the sleep problems, mental clarity, etc).

OK FOLKS -HERE'S A GOOD ONE FOR YA- Just over a year ago I was on a heart transplant list. Today my heart function is normal and I am off ALL HEART MEDS. Even after finding out my heart function level was normal I was still living a nightmare for some unexplained reason. After MONTHS of tests and everyone telling me I was nuts a neurologist finally found out I was having seizure activity. Funny how my "seizure activity" feels EXACTLY how I felt when they increased my beta blocker dosage. I'm telling all of you.. This beta blocker helps some but they are burying their mistakes. I now know all of my ER trips, only to have them laugh and have them send me back home, were do to seizures caused by beta blockers while I had heart failure. I'm lucky to be alive.... and now that my heart function is good I have to fight this seizure BS. *REMEMBER THIS - Only YOU know what your body is telling you.. LISTEN TO IT! But do be careful.. You can't just stop taking a beta blocker.. Good luck all cuz we sure need it!

I have been on Lisinopril 20mg.for 4 years now. At first I just noticed fatigue and a lack of motivation to do things. A year later, I started having chest pain, fast pulse up to 130/min. and activity intolerance especially after meals. I went to my Dr. and he put me on a beta blocker to lower my pulse. At first it worked and I felt slightly better. Now I have all these symptoms again together plus I have gained 22 pounds from the activity intolerance and the beta blockers. I went to my Dr. this week and told him I am going off the Lisinopril with or with out his help. He reluctantly agreed and lowered my dose.It is very important to wean off this med and not stop taking it suddenly.I am weaning off the beta blockers too. He has given me HCTZ to assist to lower my B/P while I wean and to help lose weight which I am motivated to do. Wish me luck!

Hi my history started from last couple months when I realize my bp went up very high(160/100) so I started metoprolol succinate 25mg,for couple days i felt fine and my bp went down but I noticed some pain in my right side so i thought maybe is the liver problem and i started to get off.After a week i was suffered from withdrawal(first week i decreased dose to 12,5mg)then my bp was very high so i called doctor and he prescribed metoprolol 100 mg and lisinopril 25(i never used this one)and hydloxiazyde 12,5 and i felt better for couple weeks then I started to get heart palpitation and very low bp so I quit hydroxiazyde and now I'm on toprol xl (oryginal brand) and still have chest tightness (i switch metoprolol to toprol one day ago)and how you guys divide the tablets to get exact amount its hard

I was diagnosed as having Hypothyroidism in 1-07. My TSH was 83 and I was sleepy all the time, moody and anxious, hair falling out, gaining weight, heavy clotting peiods, etc. I was 51 and it was all blamed for a while in perimenopause. I have been on Synthroid .50 since then and some things are better like hair loss and sleepiness. My last check a few months ago was 1.3. What I hate most of all is waking up after a few hours of sleep and I feeing like I am on some kind of speed. My mind is wide awake and jumping from one thought to another, sometimes sweating heavily with my heart racing. I was diagnosed 10 years ago with Inappropriate Sinus Tachycardia and was on Beta blockers for a while. I have a new doctor now and never discussed this with her. The anxiety is awful sometimes too . I start to get fears of not being able to swallow or breathe but can keep it under control. An average night of sleep is five broken up hours of sleep and every now and then from exhaustion I will get close to seven hours. I am foggy headed a lot but I never hardly yawn or feel sleepy in the daytime.

i am 42, have been on simvastatin for 2.5 years, for the last 6 months, have been having really bad leg pains, outer thigh, feels like its burning, tummy troubles, but now i have looked at this site, i feel it must be the statins.am on some many other tablets, and i am always tired but thought this was the beta blockers......

I am so happy to have found this site.... I have been on Yasmin for a little over a year. I had read side effects prior to taking it but had to be put on it due to the fact that all my life I have had an irregular period cycle. I figured that everyone was different so I started taking it. I did fine up until a few months ago. I started experiencing nausea and terrible chest & abdominal pain. They found out I had a bacterial infection so related it to that. But after that was cleared up I still had the problems... went to the ER who ran tons of tests... catscan, EKG, x-rays, blood work.. the whole thing, and everything came back 'normal'. Then I started experiencing anxiety and panic attacks... seemed like they always were in the evening making it very hard for me to fall asleep. I felt nervous all the time. Then I found this site and so many here have experienced everything I have. I immediately stopped taking yasmin and went into see my obgyn. Right now I am not taking anything until I get back to feeling like me again... I hear it takes a while for the pill to completely leave your system, does anyone know how long? I am starting to feel a little better, but still experiencing the same problems... just not as strong. The heart palps and chest pain, which makes me feel like I can't breath, scare me the most...

I have a boyfriend who was diagnosed with high blood pressure yesterday March 25th. Prior to this about 3 years ago had a stroke, and a second small one. The doctor prescribed Lisinopril, after the first dose taken, he seems totally different. Seems to have a lack of attention on anything, a non caring attitude, very tired and starting to get the cough that is described in these side effects. I'm concerned about him. I'm worried about his high blood pressure that could result in another possible stroke but now I'm concerned he seems totally out of it while on this drug. Are there any other blood pressure meds that seem to get less side effects. The drug may resolve one thing but may cause many other things to go wrong. I don't know which is better for him. Taking this particular drug because it is cheaper to prevent the problem of high blood pressure, and possibly have something else go wrong with all the side effects. Or, stop the drug and find another with less side effects. What is the best solution. All drugs have side effects. When one thing is trying to be cured, the side effects could cause something else to go wrong. How does anyone know what is right.

Depression, rise in blood sugars, nausea, stomache, complete loss of appetite, gray foamy stools and being cold all the time. New doctor wasn't happy with my taking Inderol since I have diabetes, but it has worked well for 20 years and I have fairly good control on the blood sugars. The side effects hit me out of the blue, having been on beta blockers as long as I have Between being cold (It was 70 degrees out today) and the depression I don't even want to get out of bed. I didn't expect this. Still have a few of the Inderol, will call the doc tomorrow and switch back.

I started taking Toprol XL after being diagnosed with SVT back in May of 2003. I was only in my late 20's & was very trusting, at the time. I was recently sent to a cardiologist because I was having horrible chest pain & the Toprol XL 50 MG wasn't working at keeping the heart rate down. The GP put me on a double dose as well as Cardizem to help with the chest pain & rapid heart rate. I was already on Lanoxin 0.5MG, the highest dose allowed. The cardiologist took me off of the Cardizem right away because he said that is was too stressful for the heart to be on that much heart medicine. I went though several tests & was told by the cardiologist that I didn't have SVT & that this was actually Postural Tachycardia (POTS) & Neurocardiogenic Syncope. I was taken off of Lanoxin, but kept on Toprol XL 100 MG. He put me on lots of salt & water to increase my blood volume which would help my blood pressure when standing. That was in June of 2007. All went pretty good, I thought, until January 18, 2008 when I was working. My heart rate went up to 136 just standing or walking across a room. I called the doctor & talked to a nurse who suggested that I take another 1/2 of a Toprol. I did that & felt better for awhile, but it was short lived. I had been having chest pain, rapid heart rate, fatigue, muscle pain, joint pain, headaches, nausea, vomiting, short term memory problems, rapid weight gain, hair loss, cold extremities, & other things I can't think of right now for what seemed like forever. My gynecologist & my cardiologist first thought that I had thyroid problems, but all tests have come back negative. They then thought that maybe it was from the birth control pills that I had been on for the ovarian cysts. I was changed from one medicine to another & at first I thought that was what was wrong. I am now certain that all of the problems that I have been having were & are a result of the Toprol XL. I was even told that all the problems were "psychiatric in nature". I know that that isn't it at all! I have never had anxiety problems & the GP now thinks that's all that is wrong with me & wants me to go on Zoloft. I tried it, but became so ill that after one pill, I quit. I now plan on weaning myself off of the Toprol XL without the GP's knowledge or consent. The cardiologist was planning on weaning me off at some time in the future, but I am starting without him knowing it at the time. I'll just tell him when I see him next month. Thanks everyone for alerting me to the facts about this medicine. If I had known then what I do now, I'd have never consented to starting it in the first place. My only question is, are some of the "side effects" going to be a permanent thing for me or will they eventually go away? Any advice would be welcome! Thanks again!

First of all I would like to thank you foe sharing your stories... you have saved my life.

I got Mirena "the monster" in October 2006. For a while I thought it was the best thing ever. In the next few months I gained a few lb, my skin stared to scare after bouts of acne, I did not have the usual energy. I blamed the new job, stress and aging. It seemed like an accelerated aging but I have just accepted it, low metabolism, everyday stress, you name it.

In May 2007 we went for a graduation of a friend. When entering the auditorium I started the feel panicky... it was a weird sensation but I decided not to pay attention to it. I love crowds, I love people. I forgot about it soon afterwards.

During my annual the doctor told me that my thyroid is becoming hypo and I have the elevated number of antibodies.

Then in July 2007 I was returning from Europe I had a full blown panic attack (I know now what it was). I had to be taken to the emergency room where I was treated for tachycardia and ordered to see the cardiologist. The months between July and December I have spend trying to figure out what is wrong with me. I started to have the anxiety attack on the regular basis, insomnia, I lost half of my hair, I was just barely serving, living from day to day, unable to accomplish anything, I was just trying to attend to the basic needs of my family.

I went to the cardiologist, endocrinologist, ob, EarThroots doctor (In September I developed the strange sensation of a foreign object in my throat), my family doctor (several times). I was put on Beta blockers, Xanax , Lexapro. Nothing was helping. I was depressed and absent, could not remember a thing, my mind was under some gaze. I could not understand: I am happily married wife, mother with no worries, great financial situation, job and perspectives. No drama and trauma in the last few years.

But even though it did not make any sense, I started to look for a psychologist/psychiatrist. I hired the private trainer and started the rigorous program of exercising. I learn how to meditate and attended twice a week yoga classes. I read everything in the library on the subject of anxiety, I learned relaxing techniques, bought tapes, music, dvd's. Changed diet. Eliminated alcohol and caffeine. Got massages. Everything provided only a temporary relief.

I started to make notes... the most severe anxiety started every 28 days (for a week) and sometimes in the 14 days. This when I suspected that Mirena may have something with it. Then I found this site and several other sites. In December, after a month of researching I came to the conclusion that it is impossible that thousands women on different continents are hallucinating... and on December 22, 2007 I went to take The Thing out. the best Christmas gift ever!

12 days later I had the famous Mirena crash (thank you again for sharing!), with a mini depression, suicidal thoughts, full blown anxiety and a lot of crying. The period brought a huge relief. The side effects are still present but they are diminishing day by day.

As someone here recommended, just when I was about to start this month "the anxiety period"... I went to acupuncturist. I told him that I need help with anxiety. When on the table he told me that I am having hormonal imbalance, I have a lot of heat (?) inside and that the region that correspond to the liver is pretty swollen. He told me that he is going to help me in 5 session and that I will be able to take off myself and that my body in a few months will return to normal. I have had two sessions, I did not have acute anxiety this months, I almost feel like my old self.

I am off meds, I take occasionally the beta blockers for heart palpitation (one time in January), I started to supplement with vitamin B complex. I drink Sleepy Time Extra -- with Valerian (celestial seasoning) at bed time. If I need to make sure that I will sleep I take the prescription antihistamine (hydroxizinum).

I am sure there is a light in the long tunnel... courtesy of products of Mirena... well ... you could say that I owe them a lot of spiritual growth and learning... at the price of personal hell...

Please know if I can be of any help-- I will gladly answer any questions.

Have hope! Take the damn thing out!!!

I am a female, 55 years old, and have taken Toprol XL 100mg. for the past 5 years for an irregular heartbeat. The symptoms of the premature beats caused an annoying sensation in my chest that I could not tolerate. My cardiologist prescribed several beta blockers before I finally found that Toprol worked the best for me. I have suffered with leg cramps for years....even before taking the Toprol. A nurse who worked for my internist suggested that I try a calcium supplement called "Calcet". This triple calcium supplement is a life saver. I only have to take half of the recommended dosage to have excellent results.....no more being awakened at night by severe leg cramps! The product is sold "over the counter" and can be purchased in any pharmacy or grocery store. As for the side effects of the Toprol; I am sure that I suffer from some adverse reaction as a result of taking the medicine. In any case, as with all medications, the outcome is a trade-off.....one must determine if the harm outweighs the good that the medicine offers.