# Struggles and Support > Medication >  >  Metoprolol

## Sagan

I take Metropolol 25mg twice a day. While it does nothing really for the anxiety. It makes it harder to breathe sometimes. Or if I go up a flight of stairs I feel like passing out. When I feel my pulse, it's like it's barely there. I'm going to ask the Doc to try a different type of Beta Blocker and see if I have better success with it.

----------


## Sagan

Well I saw my doc yesterday and explained how Metropolol made me feel. So we are going to try Propranolol and see if side effects are more tolerable.

----------


## Antidote

> Well I saw my doc yesterday and explained how Metropolol made me feel. So we are going to try Propranolol and see if side effects are more tolerable.



Do you have a history of asthma? Beta blockers can trigger attacks.
I take propranolol and can tolerate large doses well. Hope it works out for you.

----------


## Sagan

I don't have asthma, but it sure feels like it when I take the met. I haven't noticed any negative effects with Propranolol Yet. Maybe it has to do with the fact one is selective and the other is not. I don't know, but definitely better on Propranolol

----------


## UltraShy

> I take Metropolol 25mg twice a day. While it does nothing really for the anxiety. It makes it harder to breathe sometimes. Or if I go up a flight of stairs I feel like passing out. When I feel my pulse, it's like it's barely there. I'm going to ask the Doc to try a different type of Beta Blocker and see if I have better success with it.



I'm thinking the dose was too high.  Beta Blockers reduce pulse and the more you take the lower it goes.  I assume you're taking this for anxiety only and already have normal blood pressure & pulse rate to start with?

When I was on metoprolol back in 2003 I think I took 200 mg/day, so 4 times as much.  Though I was taking it for high BP.

----------


## Sagan

Yes it was just for anxiety. Same effect with the Propranolol so no betas for me.

----------


## UltraShy

Well, from experience I can tell you that you're not missing anything by not being able to take metoprolol.  While it does a fine job of controlling high blood pressure and a high resting pulse rate, it never did anything for my SA.  Of course, being taken for BP, helping my SA was never the point.  Though it would have been a nifty extra if it had helped with that.

My SA symptoms are largely mental with little in the way of physical stuff.  In fact, I had one goofy online SA test rate my SA as trivial because it asked one question after another all about physical stuff.  The test seemed to think that unless I turn red as a beet and have my heart jump out of my chest I can't possibly be disabled by SA.

Based upon how I feel, I can't even tell what my pulse rate is.  I feel the same if it's 60 or 120.

----------


## metamorphosis

> I take Metropolol 25mg twice a day. While it does nothing really for the anxiety. It makes it harder to breathe sometimes. Or if I go up a flight of stairs I feel like passing out. When I feel my pulse, it's like it's barely there. I'm going to ask the Doc to try a different type of Beta Blocker and see if I have better success with it.



In my experience, if your going to go with a beta-blocker for the physical symptoms of SA, then propranolol is much more effective for me. I have tried both using metoprolol at 50-100mg. Some will argue and studies have come up with different results, about the beta-blockers effectiveness. I have noticed a subtle but significant difference, as far as the lulling or less undesirable CS excitement, when taking propranolol.
"Marco-Polo Marco-Polo", Hey where's the swimming pool? :;): 

Of course they (beta-blockers) are not in the benzo class of GABAa binding drugs but neither are any others. You could make a weak argument for gabatril and the voltage calcium channel blockers, but neither attach to the GABAa subunits like benzos. Other options around that area include glutamate antagonists. And everyone's favorite drug of abuse, amps aggressive and competitive antagonistic properties of DA and NE. Though the time released forms are less neurotoxic!
Drugs like propranolol can be an excellent choice for those who do speaking, presentations, debate etc but do not have full blown SA.
Let me also point out that the classes listed above- benzodiazepines, amphetamine and their derivatives, and to a lesser extent VCR's can be very physiologically addictive with tolerance issues!

http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/1....tb04995.x/pdf

----------


## Noca

Metoprolol is acts much stronger on the heart than other beta blockers like atenolol or propanolol, which are better suited for anxiety.  It sounds like a poor choice from your doctor.  A mere 1/4 of a 25mg pill of metropolol fucked me up big time, I couldn't tolerate it despite having tolerated many other extremely CNS depressing drugs.  Maybe give Hydroxyzine a try if your doc is anti benzo or Lyrica.

----------

