Toprol-XL and mistake

Similar problems. A-fib @ 37. Unknown etiology with no conclusive cause. Possible due to taking prescription allergy meds with sudafed for 15+ years.
Anyway, tried to go off of Toprol XL 25mg once a day several times. The first time I felt horrible, weak and lethargic, chest discomfort. Lasted for a few weeks. Went back on and in one day symptoms disappeared.
I tried this week to wean off by taking a half a pill a day. Made it one day! I was feeling great so I decided what the heck and tried. What a mistake.
I have tried several different ways of coming off (weaning) with no success.
My cardiologist would like me to try to go off... We need to come up with a better solution.

Things that I have found that "work" for me taking this drug is:
1. I take it after lunch. It is the only time of day taking it that I don't feel bad.
2. The generics made me feel bad. Tried several different manufacturers.
3. If I miss the normal time I take it as soon as possible. Usually by dinner time.

Good luck trying to come off or maintain with Toprol XL. Please post if anyone has success.

Toprol XL seems like a necessary evil at this point for me.

Well.....ain't this drug wonderful!! Glad I came here first. I am currently on Diovan 80mg. basically doing very well on it, but I started to loose some hair, and do have some sinus issues, so talked w/Doctor he gave me a prescript. for Toprol XL yesterday, got it filled (my proper prescription for 3mos. supply mail in is written for the Brand Name) the prescrip. I filled yesterday locally (he gave me 2mos to fill locally before sending in my mail in prescrip.) My God! When I read the patient info, scared the living crap out of me! See if I TAKE that medication - NOT! I will stick with the devil I know, Diovan and hope that the hair loss thing will resolve itself. I suffer from anxiety, so can push my BP up at will, and it's been up since I started stressing on the hair loss - I have made up my mind to just try and chill about it, but Diovan appears to be one of the least "evil" of the BP meds I'v taken so far. Lisinopril was a nightmare, Diltiazem wasn't too bad, but thought my teeth were going to fall out! I swear, the anxiety about these meds. does nothing to help ones BP but I definitely am not taking this poison, probably would make me stress worrying, I'd give myself a stroke. I am making a copy of the patient info. and sending it to my Dr. (whom I love by the way) and ask him "what the hell were you thinking Doctor?" Good luck everyone

I am a 56 year old that had an aortic valve replacement 51/2 years ago, I have been on toprol only 12 mg a day for around 4 years I have had minor side effects, cold feet, cold hands, optical migraine headaches (once in a while). I was on the real toprol for years and then the folks at walgreens offered a generic and I excepted, things were fine and I was rolling along until they chaned generic brands from SANDOZ to ETHEX, I seemed fine on the SANDOZ it even looked the same as the real thing, but when walgreens gave me ETHEX (which is a round pill about twice as large as the other) I began to feel sensations in the middle of my chest and sometimes while taking my pulse it felt like my Heart stopped or skipped a beat, this scared the shit out of me! I took about 22 days worth of EHTEX and the symptoms kept getting worse, I finally called the Cardio folks and they suggested that I wear a Holter monitor for 24 hours, which I did and felt that I had a few Heart stopping moments along with a odd heart burn sensation in the middle of my chest. Two nights ago I found some of the SANDOZ that I had saved for vacations and began taking 12 mg of that instead of the ETHEX today for the first time in nearly 3 weeks I had NO Heartburn problems and NO Heart stopping experience, mind you this was only day one! Looking forward to day 2 and now that I have read all of the side effects from all the good folks on this site, that are not listed when you purchase the drugs, my opinion is that all GENERIC drugs that are suppose to be IDENTICAL to the real thing is a huge lie! What the hell is the FDA doing? Are they trying to let the GENERIC FOOLS poison all of the good folks that actually need these drugs without doing or maybe reading the test results? Or maybe the drug company's have so much clout that they can grease a few palms and get there GENERIC shit to market. To think that these drugs are suppose to be IDENTICAL and then to receive a pill that looks NOTHING like the real thing and when you bust it in half it's a different frickin color (ETHEX)!!!! What was I thinking taking this GENERIC piece of garbage! The GENERIC buttheads along with the real manufacturers should be required by LAW to list ALL ingredients on the label so all of the good folks can read and compare to see what there swallowing and putting into there bodes! I hope to get off of thos drug soon but if I don't rest asure that I will seek out the real thing. I was so freaked out by the side effects that the Cardio Doctor scheduled an ECHO for this Friday, I think the valve is fine but we will find out! Good luck all!

Hello,

Male 50, retired Federal Law Enforcement Agent on 50MG of Toprol XL for hypertension. Bad side effects, dizzy, light-headed, frequent blood pressure drops, pressure in head, lethargic and some tingling in extremities. Symptoms especially worsen after my 45 in walk/jog. The other day I made the mistake of taking this on an empty stomach in the morning prior to the exercise routine. gave me a heck of a wallop afterwards. Stress test, EKG, Holter recorder and blood work all OK. Dr. told me to drop dosage to .25. I'm thinking about dropping the whole damn bottle in the trash. Blood pressure is under under control now so between the retirement and better diet/exercise I think I can stay OK without Toprol. I think Doctors need to pay better attention to the adverse side effects from this stuff as I am reading in here.

Happy Holidays to all!!

One month ago I went into CHF, I have cardiomyopathy and A-fib. They put in an ICD that paces. I was sent home on Toprol 50 2x/day .Lisinopril 5 1x/day, Digoxin 125 1x/day & Coumadin. I weigh 86 lbs. These heart meds zapped all the life I had remaining out of me. Even at half doses I was in a fog with severe anxiety. I felt so bad I was readmitted 2x/ in a month. I have tried to take them at night, I have tried spacing them and nothing works other than being drug free. (Coumadin is not a problem) The Dr said there are some folks who just can't tolerate them, and that my real protection comes from my ICD. I worry about not taking the meds, but I have no quality of life with them so what can I do?