Metoprolol - Yay or Nay

[rocketman42]

Any good or bad experiences to share regarding its use for HBP ?

[lettingoffsteam]

I don't take that one regularly but it sure dealt with my white coat syndrome when I recently had a ct angiogram.Are you on any other bp drugs?

[rocketman42 in reply to lettingoffsteam]

Taking Benicar (Olmesartan) and Chlorthalidone ( water pill ) but my pressure is still high. from the prednisone I take. Doctor wants to add a low dose of Metoprolol but I'm reluctant to try it due to possible side effects that I always seem to get.

[lettingoffsteam in reply to rocketman42]

Ah right, I'm on ramipril and amlodipine myself plus a low dose of propanolol for my arrhythmias.I get side effects too but since I only took metoprolol for the CT I can't say.It didn't effect me at the time.Hope someone comes along soon.

[cuore]

I have high blood pressure, but when I was diagnosed with AF, my GP prescribed 25mg metoprolol, I could hardly get out of bed and I became suicidal.

[lettingoffsteam in reply to cuore]

Wow really....glad I only took it for the angiogram.Did they change your meds and how are you now?

[cuore in reply to lettingoffsteam]

Metoprolol 25 mg goes back to 2016. For me, it was prescribed for atrial fibrillation and not for high blood pressure. At that time I was taking a hydrochlorozide (water pill ) and an ACE inhibitor (rampril) for high blood pressure. The AF has challenged my high blood pressure, I feel, making it go higher when AF meds were added.

In 2016, I halved the dose of Metropolol to 12.5 mg without asking my GP, and when I went to see him, I told him I wasn't going to take it anymore. He was not competent with AF drugs, but later told me that you just can't stop a beta blocker. This GP told me to immediately stop the hydrochlorozide upon AF diagnosis. So, he prescribed Verapamil for AF which had blood pressure lowering properties.

Because the story gets too long, let me fast forward to 2020, and after my third ablation. I wanted blood pressure drugs that would not affect my AF as some blood pressure drugs can cause arrhythmias. I am taking Propafenone 300mg x 2 for AF.

I did my own research because my GP, who has now retired, just was not up to date. My cardiologist was a horror story and my EP was not dealing with high blood pressure. I had to take matter into my own hands.

I discovered via reading trials that it is better to be on two drugs at a lower dose than one drug at a higher dose. (Its the side effects that are a concern here). For AF, a diuretic is not recommended (my research but I am not an MD) due to the electrolyte imbalance that is heightened that could trigger AF. An ARB is better than an ACE . So I chose Olmesartan.

I needed to have a drug added because my blood pressure didn't go low enough just with an ARB and I didn't want a higher dose. Trials concluded that it was better to add a calcium channel blocker but not the the nondihydropyridine that address rate.-- the dihydropyridine that addresses high blood pressure. ( amlodipine was prescribed. )

The short answer is that I am on 20mg Olmesartan and 5 mg Amlodipine for the blood pressure. Its working well enough for now until the Propafenone is reviewed.

[lettingoffsteam in reply to cuore]

Wow, what a long journey you've been on.To be honest I really hate the meds especially when they seem to cause as many things as they deal with.I hope they get you sorted out soon.😀