Trying to come off beta blockers

[dina7]

Has anyone any experience of getting off of Propranalol? I've been taking it for migraines but GP didn't have a clue about how to come off it. Pharmacist has now told me I've reduced much too quickly - and I now have a constant migraine. The beta blockers interfere with the uptake of thyroid hormones so it's hard to know how much to reduce NDT by at same time as beta blockers. And I felt so cold and wretched on them all last winter I really wanted to be off them for this one.

[shaws Administrator]

If you take two tablets daily, I'd reduce by quarter tablet every week (I am not medically qualified) so that your body gets used, slowly, to a lower amount. If you take 1 tablet I'd reduce by 1/4 every week.

How much NDT do you take? I wouldn't think you'd need to reduce your dose of NDT.

A past post.

healthunlocked.com/thyroidu...

[Nanaedake]

Take it slow or you'll feel unwell. Check vitamin levels and do relaxation. Get a cd of relaxing music or try meditating. Once off BB's you can assess if you need slight dose adjustment of NDT. What BB's do is prevent some conversion of T4 to T3 I was told. So you might just feel better and not need to adjust dose.

[WobblyX]

What dosage are you on? My GP gave me smaller dose size and even with that I took it very gradual to decrease eventually done to quarter tablet a day

[Sharon212]

I take 40mg a day but can get tablets for 30mg 20Mg and 10mg they should be reduced slowley I was advised to reduce by 10mg for at least a fortnight then if ok reduce further if not donor a month then reduce another 10mg.

[shaws Administrator in reply to Sharon212]

Get a pill cutter and split tablets.

[SlowDragon Administrator]

I found max I could tolerate was 5mcg drop then wait 10 days minimum before dropping another 5mcg

The last 5mcg was hardest.....I missed one day per week, then 2 days per week etc until stopped entirely

Magnesium supplements helpful. Propranolol lowers magnesium (read The Magnesium Miracle)

Also vitamin D at good level

Plus daily vitamin C

Do you have Hashimoto's and gluten free?

[dina7]

Thank you all for your helpful replies - I should have come here in the first place instead of making all that effort to go to my GP! I was on 40mg twice a day and from what you all say here I certainly have reduced it far too quickly. I did have palpitations to begin with, and now just a constant migraine. It was only on my second visit to GP that she told me 10mg tablets are available - pharmacist told me there is no 20mg or 30mg.

Can anyone recommend a good pill cutter please - mine is useless, though I do have a lovely husband who is pretty nifty with a knife!

I have read the Magnesium Miracle (brilliant) and am taking a good colloidal magnesium, and my Vit D was at the top of the range when tested a few weeks ago (I did doubt it when Kinesiologist told me I didn't need it, but he was right!) and I take mega doses of vit C. As far as I know I don't have Hashis but I am gluten free. I suspect the problem is hormonal because the migraines only started with the menopause but GP refused point blank to test sex hormones as she says they know our levels will be low after the menopause. ( I do know my cortisol levels are way too high.)

So, more self-help required - I've just ordered a jar of progesterone cream and hope that will work better than the beta blockers.

In the meantime I'll go back to my 3 grains of NDT as I've put on 2 pounds in weight despite eating less because of the migraine pain, and despite my levels being so high on last blood test that my GP wrote to say I was 'over-replaced' (bless her).

It's interesting if you google 'beta blocker withdrawal' that all the medics say you can get off them in a very few weeks but all the patients say it takes months, if ever.

Thanks again to you all for your invaluable help, what would we do without this forum?