5th June 2007
On May 22, I went to the ER in A Fib. I was admitted over night and my heart finally snapped back into a normal sinus rhythm at 8:30 that night.
A little history:
I am 35 years old and I had been taking 50mg's of Metoprolol(sp) once a day for about a year for AFib and Palpitations. I did not like the Beta Blockers at ALL and was trying to wean. I had cut my 50mg pill in half and was on that dose for about 3 days when I went into the AFib. My doctor said that is probably what did it this time. Well in the ER they tried to get my heart rate under control with the Lopressor but it didn't touch my irregular hartbeat. They then switched to Ditiazem(sp) and that instantly lowered my heart rate but didn't touch the irregularity. The doctor I saw after being admitted came in to talk to me about my condition and what they were going to prescribe (I'm on Cartia 120mg's 2x's a day). I asked about my Beta Blocker because a) it was what landed me there in the first place and b) I had heard that you should not stop them "cold turkey". Well he told me I was on such a low dose that just stopping them at that point wouldn't matter. So I did. About 3 days after I quit the Beta Blockers, I started having a flutter in the morning. I told my Doc and he upped my Calcium Channel Blocker, it then progressed to harder flutters and now it's more like a "rubbing" palpitation feeling with the anxiety. Now almost 2 weeks later I'm still having Palpitations with exertion and my Anxiety is in FULL FORCE! I'm wondering if it's because I quit my Beta Blocker cold turkey and now am feeling the after effects? How long do these last? Will they end? Do I need to go back on the Beta Blocker? I'm really not liking this feeling and it's definitely not helping with my anxiety!!!! Thank you for any help! I'm going to put a call into my doc too.
A little history:
I am 35 years old and I had been taking 50mg's of Metoprolol(sp) once a day for about a year for AFib and Palpitations. I did not like the Beta Blockers at ALL and was trying to wean. I had cut my 50mg pill in half and was on that dose for about 3 days when I went into the AFib. My doctor said that is probably what did it this time. Well in the ER they tried to get my heart rate under control with the Lopressor but it didn't touch my irregular hartbeat. They then switched to Ditiazem(sp) and that instantly lowered my heart rate but didn't touch the irregularity. The doctor I saw after being admitted came in to talk to me about my condition and what they were going to prescribe (I'm on Cartia 120mg's 2x's a day). I asked about my Beta Blocker because a) it was what landed me there in the first place and b) I had heard that you should not stop them "cold turkey". Well he told me I was on such a low dose that just stopping them at that point wouldn't matter. So I did. About 3 days after I quit the Beta Blockers, I started having a flutter in the morning. I told my Doc and he upped my Calcium Channel Blocker, it then progressed to harder flutters and now it's more like a "rubbing" palpitation feeling with the anxiety. Now almost 2 weeks later I'm still having Palpitations with exertion and my Anxiety is in FULL FORCE! I'm wondering if it's because I quit my Beta Blocker cold turkey and now am feeling the after effects? How long do these last? Will they end? Do I need to go back on the Beta Blocker? I'm really not liking this feeling and it's definitely not helping with my anxiety!!!! Thank you for any help! I'm going to put a call into my doc too.