Question: I suffer from anxiety that leads to panic attacks that cause my heart to race. My doctor prescribed metoprolol. I stop taking it a month ago, now every time I wake up in the morning, I experience increased heart rate, headache, tightness in my head, chest pain, and sometimes numbness on my hands. What's happening to me?
Dr. Hibberd's answer:
You are very anxious to say the least, but you have good reasons to be. Metoprolol helps by blocking rapid heart rates, but a sister drug to metoprolol, called Inderal calms anxiety, as well as gently blocking higher-than-normal heart rates.
Ask your doctor to start you on a low dose of Inderal (short acting) three or four times a day, to start and adjust your dosage as your symptoms ease. Once the effect desired is reached, you can convert to a sustained-release version.
You should also check with your doctor to be sure there are no other reasons for your elevated rates, such as anemia, hyperthyroidism, an electrolyte disorder, diabetes, or bipolar disorder.
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