I'd reconsider going off your beta blockers, and suggest you talk to your doctor about backing off the dose you are taking to your previous prescription. There had to be a reason for increasing your dosage, and often there is a period when a beta blocker is increased that you don't feel very well until you adjust to the medication level.
I'd suggest certainly mixing in a healthy diet, exercise as well as high blood pressure medication. It worked for me. I've gone from a diagnosis of Congestive Heart Failure to almost a normal heart function diagnosis, but it included a process of losing weight, a very careful diet but also a mix of beta and calcium blockers. Keep us informed.
I thinks that's a great idea. I want my doctor to take me off of medication so that I can lower my own blood pressure through diet and exercise. I will talk to my doctor about the 10 day method. Hopefully she will agree with it. THANKS.
I was on Toprol XL 45 mg for 3 years and then on the generic Metoprolol Succinate for another 2. The cardiologist told me to stop it, I had shortness of breath and terrible night sweats. I cut them in half and did that for 10 days, then I took those half pills every other day for 10 more days and then I stopped. No ill effects.
If your Doctor has doubled your dosage and to extended release, then I assume it was because your angina symptoms worsened?
Everyone has a limit with beta blockers and I had some bad experiences myself. My Angina worsened and I was just starting under a new hospital/cardiologist. He told me to double my Bisoprolol from 1.25mg to 2.5mg. A week later my symptoms were no different. Now, doubling a dosage should tell you that if there is no difference, it isn't working, but he said up the dosage to 5mg. The following day I was in hospital with a pulse of 30bpm and when I slept, it dropped to 23-25bpm setting off all the alarms. I felt terrible, chest pains and shortness of breath at rest and lots of headaches. I refused to let that cardiologist anywhere near me again, so they had to find me someone else. Since then, blockages in my arteries were stented and I was able to come off my beta blockers. I stopped them immediately, because nobody believed 1.25mg would cause a problem. WRONG. I had palpitations, and felt nauseous and found it very hard to breathe. My Doctor made me start them again. A second attempt was made where I took 1.25mg every two days for a month. Then every three days for another month. Then every 4 days for another month. I then stopped completely and was fine.
I would certainly not recommend you stop your beta blockers unless your Doctor says so. However I would ask questions, such as "it is obvious they are not helping my symptoms, so why aren't we looking at other options".