Lotrel and heart

After being on Lotrel for several years and doctors adding a pill for every side effect I got (14 prescription pills a day), I had to retire from construction at 47 yrs old due to muscle damage and weakness. After witting lotrel and getting on a different blood pressure pill I've been able to quit 10 other pills including arrhythmia pills for my heart! I'm 53 now and can't sit upright, stand, or walk comfortably for more than 1/2 an hour. I wish I had figured it out sooner. I used to b e able to lift 300 lbs and now can't lift more than 20 :

My side effects: slow but severe muscle loss, lethargy, severe coughing particularly at night to the point of separating ribs, muscle cramps, difficulty swallowing/choking, severe tachyarrhythmia. It is a dangerous drug, fortunately I figured it out before it killed me! I was on it for eight years and and my health deteriorated. I had to quit working 4/2003. I had gotten so bad that I qualified for Social Security 6/2006. After testing with neurologists and against my doctors recommendation, I quit the Lotrel 9/2005. I appear to have permanent muscle damage, but my energy level has increased with some increased strength, coughing/choking stopped, arrythmia is almost completely gone (was able to quit two dosages per day of Rythmol for arrhythmia, muscle relaxants, pain killers), and the swallowing/choking problem is completely gone. The side effects came along over a period of 8 years and have devastated my health. Doctors kept prescribing pills for every side effect not realizing they were caused by Lotrel. I was at a point where I spent at least 20 hours a day laying down or asleep. Now, although I have lost 90% of muscle strength, I am fairly active most of the day.

I have been taking Lotrel 5/10 for a while now. I don't really remember how long because I have symptoms of Alzheimer's. But I also take about 15 others meds. It did lower my blood pressure. A couple of months ago my chest started hurting so bad my wife took me to the emergency room. I spent 3 days in the hospital with numerous tests to find out my heart is fine. I am still exhausted all the time, I have noticed when I stand up for a while my legs and feet turn purple in large spots. If I stand up from being bent over I get dizzy, chest and throat tighten, and I feel like my shoulders and arms get very heavy. I can't really do any activity, even walking out to the mailbox is hard. It finally came to me that it is probably the Lotrel. My wife called my doctor today but he hasn't called back yet. Has anybody quit cold turkey? I don't want any more of this.
Has anybody had these sort of effects and been switched to something with less side effects? Let me know please.

I started taking Lotrel in January and was thrilled because my bp was down from 165/97 to 100/70. Atenolol caused extreme fatigue to the point where I thought I had leukemia or something. I couldn't bend over to pick up something off the floor without feeling like I would pass out, my heart pounded at night, I had a weak pulse. And my bp was 165/97.
My former doc said this was all "anxiety".
My current doc is pleased with the lowered bp.
HOWEVER, I can't lose weight, and I have the "crickets" sound in my ears most of the time. Needless to say, I have leg pain, swollen extremities, and insomnia.
This is a vicious cycle-- lose weight to lower bp, lower bp to have energy to exercise to help lose weight. Between that and the crickets, I'm feeling pretty "anxious".