My GP has agreed I can stop beta blockers and he has reduced the dose of Carvedilol from 12.5 to 6 for 2 weeks, and, now to 3.25 for 2 weeks and then stop completely. I’m so happy to be coming off them (no more freezing feet!) but I’m also very scared. I haven’t felt great for the last 2 weeks. I’ve had headaches and I feel slightly dizzy. Is this because of the reduction in beta blockers or is it my anxiety?
I had a successful cardioversion last June, have lost more than 4 stone and no longer drink alcohol so I feel it would be worth trying without beta blockers.
Does anyone have any experience of this? Thanks in advance.
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Wilky57
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We all have different conditions and my experience is affected by my condition obviously, so keep that in mind.
I have always contributed much of my fatigue and breathlessness to my beta blocker. I’m also on 12.5mg Carvedilol twice a day, but I’ve also been on others. In February my cardiologist agreed to halve my Carvedilol as my heart had been pretty calm for a while and I’m on so many other drugs we thought it was worth a try.
All hell broke loose! I’ve never felt worse before and my arrhythmias went into overdrive. I wrongly attributed it to a slight increase in my heart rate but it isn’t that. Although beta blockers slow the heart rate, they’re so much more than that and the cardio protective qualities are immense. 3 weeks after reducing it we had to take it back up and the affect was immediate.
I will never think again that I can wean myself down or off any drug I’m on. As they say, let sleeping dogs lie. The reason why my heart was doing so well was because of the drug - not despite it.
Thank you very much for your reply. I hope I’m doing the right thing. The EP I saw privately said I could stop the beta blockers once I’d lost weight. It’s all a bit of a risk. I hope you are well now
They have different functions. Calcium channel blockers relax the squeeze of the contraction of the heart and are usually prescribed for high blood pressure. Beta blockers slow the speed of the beat and the pressure to a lesser degree.
Many of their functions are overlapping. Both slow the heart rate, reduce workload, and helping improve symptoms like palpitations. They work differently, but are often used interchangeably, especially, if one does not tolerate one or the other.
I was only prescribed a beta blocker after about 22 years of AF after my heart rate shot up to over 190 while under general anaesthetic while my appendix was being removed.After 7 weeks of 2.5mg of Bisoprolol it was found to be, by a dermatologist, the cause of painful urticaria. The method of reducing them was to take none for 4 weeks, then to take 1.25 for 4 weeks then to stop completely. During the period of reduction I had a very sudden exacerbation of asthma and was taken to hospital by ambulance, staying there three days. My medical record shows "no bets blockers". I have permanent though asymptomatic AF, and now take only an anticoagulant because of AF, my choice being warfarin. The AF has no effect on daily living, although having unrelated foot drop has a fairly large effect on daily living.
Coming off Beta Blockers cold turkey may increase your anxiety so best to reduce them gradually. Beta blockers are adrenaline blockers - hence the link to the anxiety so my suggestion would be to put in place some anxiety management techniques in place prior to reducing. Like any drug, you may have withdrawal symptoms so do be prepared.
All I can say is I felt SO much better when I finished with all of the drugs, took time for my body to readjust but most of the chronic fatigue, agitation, lack of sleep simply disappeared. Yes, there was some withdrawal symptoms and yes I still had some symptoms from the tachycardia and AF but as they happened occasionally, I coped with them much better than the drugs. Gone was the constant lethargy, breathlessness and apathy.
Wishing you well and ask yourself whether you are better with or without?
Thank you so much for your reply. It’s a hard decision, isn’t it but, I feel life without beta blockers is worth the risk. I think for me it’s feeling slightly out of touch with life and the permanent, freezing cold feet. Did you stop taking Apixaban as well? I’d love to do that but, perhaps, that’s one for another time. I hope you are well. Thanks again. Alison
Hi , can I ask what beta blocker you were on? I am Bisoprolol and trying desperately hard to reduce gradually then stop. It seems the more I reduce the worse the side effects are. I’m down to a third of a tablet now, but constant headache and dizziness. Did you find it affected you like this.
Hi. I'm on Carvidolol but I feel exactly the same. I have a headache and feel dizzy and, just like you, feel worse, as I lower the dose. I'm on 3.25 now for 2 weeks and then I can stop altogether or stay like that for another 2 weeks. I hope you get sorted soon
Thank you so much. I found it quite worrying that the site effects of the beta blocker seem to be getting worse the less I take. I suppose it’s quite logical but can be very disheartening and sometimes a bit scary.
I hope all goes well for you and you soon get free of the debilitating side effects of beta blockers. I would never have started them if I had been warned of how they can effect the body and how difficult it is to get off them.
Good luck with your journey and thank you for your response.
Firstly, congratulations on your weight loss and lifestyle changes! It sounds like you’re very motivated to give yourself the best possible chance to live a life without meds.
I switched from a beta-blocker to a calcium channel blocker about two years ago. Back on a beta-blocker now but that’s another story! The cardiologist said as it was a very low dose of Bisoprolol I was taking it would be fine to stop one and take the other - it wasn’t! I went back on the beta-blocker and slowly tapered down over a couple of months, eventually ending on a half of a 1.25mg tablet would you believe.
The thing is we’re all so different and, whilst some can stop them with apparent ease, others have to do so more gradually, as it takes time for the body to adjust to the lack of beta blockade on both the heart and body generally. For me I would have to taper a little more slowly and eventually cut the 3.125mg tablets in half but that’s based on my experience of how these things work in me, your mileage will vary😀
Anxiety does play a big part for me, I must say. I’ve got medals in that particular sport🙄 That’s another reason why I have to take things slowly, to allow time for me to adjust mentally to whatever is changing, as my mind is brilliant at conjuring up all sorts of symptoms that feel very real to me! I’m not suggesting your symptoms aren’t real, of course, only that anxiety can trick us sometimes.
Thank you all for taking the time to reply to my question. It’s given me lots to think about. I’m going to cut down the beta blockers slowly and look forward to warm feet!
I had a terrible time coming off Bisoprolol . Felt really ill , anxiety, arrythmias . It took months to settle down, but settle down I did and I am delighted to be clear of beta blockers . I had only been on a low dose for a short time, peoples sensitivities are different
Thanks for letting me know your experience. I’ve been on them for 16 months but I’m doing it slowly so, hopefully, I’ll be ok. I’m a bit headachy but that’s a small price to pay. I can’t wait to be off them. I hope you are well
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