It's been almost 3 full days since I stopped taking Metoprolol. I'm not yet convinced it was the correct decision, but neither am I convinced it's of continued benefit to me at this point either.
My cardiologist told me I would be taking Metoprolol the rest of my life, something I wasn't delighted to hear, but he wasn't so adamant about it when I complained of fatigue which I attributed to the Metoprolol.
So since there hasn't been any improvement in the amount of fatigue I've been experiencing, nor have I been dissuaded from the belief it is a limiting factor in my ability to increase my endurance, I decided it was time to quit. Plus, I'm taking such a low dose, 12.5 mg twice a day, any effects I may be experiencing, good or bad, could simply be a placebo effect.
Still, while it's probably too early to come to any conclusions, I have noticed some changes.
First and foremost being, it seems much easier to get my HR up when exercising, but without exceeding my max, or experiencing any negative side effects, such as tiring more easily, or increased chest pain, and without my resting HR being effected.
Not sure about the effect on blood pressure. It seems my blood pressure varies so much, it's hard to know what effect if any there is. When I think it should be low, like when I'm completely relaxed, it's high (systolic pressure between 130 and 140), and when I think it should be high, like just after walking upstairs or exercise, it's low. My diastolic pressure rarely exceeds 80, but on occasion will get to 82 or 84.
Another negative is I've become more aware of the occasional missed heart beat. A sensations I've had even while on Metoprolol, but they seem more pronounced now, and occur more frequently.
I've also experienced the sensation of a skipped heart beat long before there was any indications of coronary artery disease. Back then, I attributed it to excess caffeine, and after cutting back on the caffeine (I used to be a big coffee drinker), it would go away. So I've decided to cut back on my green tea consumption, from 5-7 cups a day to 4-5 cups, and limited the brewing time to 5 minutes max, hoping to get similar results.
I'm confident I'm taking the right approach, despite what my cardiologist says, but only time will tell for sure. I just hope nothing sudden or unexpected occurs making me regret that decision.
My cardiologist told me I would be taking Metoprolol the rest of my life, something I wasn't delighted to hear, but he wasn't so adamant about it when I complained of fatigue which I attributed to the Metoprolol.
So since there hasn't been any improvement in the amount of fatigue I've been experiencing, nor have I been dissuaded from the belief it is a limiting factor in my ability to increase my endurance, I decided it was time to quit. Plus, I'm taking such a low dose, 12.5 mg twice a day, any effects I may be experiencing, good or bad, could simply be a placebo effect.
Still, while it's probably too early to come to any conclusions, I have noticed some changes.
First and foremost being, it seems much easier to get my HR up when exercising, but without exceeding my max, or experiencing any negative side effects, such as tiring more easily, or increased chest pain, and without my resting HR being effected.
Not sure about the effect on blood pressure. It seems my blood pressure varies so much, it's hard to know what effect if any there is. When I think it should be low, like when I'm completely relaxed, it's high (systolic pressure between 130 and 140), and when I think it should be high, like just after walking upstairs or exercise, it's low. My diastolic pressure rarely exceeds 80, but on occasion will get to 82 or 84.
Another negative is I've become more aware of the occasional missed heart beat. A sensations I've had even while on Metoprolol, but they seem more pronounced now, and occur more frequently.
I've also experienced the sensation of a skipped heart beat long before there was any indications of coronary artery disease. Back then, I attributed it to excess caffeine, and after cutting back on the caffeine (I used to be a big coffee drinker), it would go away. So I've decided to cut back on my green tea consumption, from 5-7 cups a day to 4-5 cups, and limited the brewing time to 5 minutes max, hoping to get similar results.
I'm confident I'm taking the right approach, despite what my cardiologist says, but only time will tell for sure. I just hope nothing sudden or unexpected occurs making me regret that decision.
Comments
So, what does your heart do when we call for metallurgical questions?
It's been over 3 months now, and I believe I've recovered from the surgery, and don't need the Metoprolol anymore.
Make sense?