Christine Murphy

I get a fast heart rate after eating, also. I find that I won't ear prior to going to work, or prior to having to go somewhere because I don't like to deal with the feeling. Once I'm moving and active, it doesn't bother me. It's when I just stand still, I find my pulse at least 120/minute. When I squat, it's half as fast.

I am looking for anyone who suddenly stopped taking a beta blocker like Inderal (for whatever reason), and encountered bad side effects. ..........Christine

I am new to this site, and I find the stories interesting and also concerning, with all the stress people are going through. I can's say that I have a particular diagnosis, but I have an Inderal (propanolol) story that seems to be unique to just me........but if anyone has experienced anything similar, please let me know so I won't feel alone in this. On Feb. 18th, I started feeling as if I was coming down with a cold or something. Mind you, I received my flu shot this past November, and had high hopes that it would safeguard me from the flu. Well, by the 20th, I was taking aspirin (my 'drug' of choice) alternating with Motrin to keep my temperature around 99. Since I worked the night shift (7 pm to 7:30 am), and knew I might get worse, my son drove me to work. Sure enough, at 10:30 that evening, my temperature was over 101, which disables me all by itself. To get to the point, I took a taxi home at 6 in the morning, and felt all the flu symptoms, except I never had any GI problems. By Friday that week (I didn't go back to work), I got a ride to my doctor's office to get a note for returning to work. He ordered the Z-Pak antibiotic, told me to resume taking my Zoloft which I had stopped taking over one year ago, and he told me to stop taking the Propanolol that I'd been taking for over 6 years. Like a good patient, I listened to him without asking questions. By Sunday the 27th, I was laid up on my couch....unable to sleep, no appetite, tremorous, easily startled by any noise, felt like I was wearing the wrong eyeglasses' prescription, my body felt heavy, I couldn't relax my head/neck, and my body felt like I was vibrating. Of course, I was unable to go to work, and wouldn't even THINK of driving a car. I was forcing myself to at least drink fluids. I was lucky if I could get down a bowl of oatmeal in a 24 hour period. I just plain could not function. On Tuesday, March 1st, I called my son home from work to take me to Emergency. Based on the way I must have appeared, they assumed I was there for a case of 'depression'. I actually told them that I believed I was withdrawing from the propanolol, but no one seemed to take me seriously. They kept me overnight in Telemetry, ( I got NO sleep), did lots of EKG's, gave me some IV fluids, and by the next day I felt much better, and went home that evening. But things weren't better. Again, I could not sleep, and I again felt like I was withdrawing from not taking the Propanolol. So, Friday morning I was again driven to Emergency. They admitted me to the Mental Health Unit, and I did not care........I just wanted to feel like myself again, even if it meant being diagnosed with 'depression'. I stayed on that unit for 4 nights, the first two nights I could not sleep at all, so they gave me Zyprexa at night to help me sleep. But the interesting thing is, two days into the four-day stay, the Psych. doctor put me back on the propanolol (the generic for Inderal), and I eventually started feeling like my happy, joking self again. I went home Tuesday, March 8th. Guess what new medication they prescribed for me 'to help me sleep"....Zyprexa, which I understand is an anti-psycotic drug. My big question is this: Has anyone out there felt any withdrawal symptoms from suddenly stopping the Inderal? I know what 'withdrawal' feels like, because I stopped drinking alcohol in 1998, and it felt the same way. (I'm a recovering alcoholic, and proud of my success). I will be following up with a Psychiatric doctor, to monitor my medications in a few weeks, and I don't plan on continuing the Zyprexa after I see him, because I don't take drugs that I don't need. I am sleeping soundly at night now, and I am continuing my Inderal 10 mg twice or three times a day, and Zoloft 50 mg daily. They prescribed 5 mg of Zyprexa, but I've only been taking half a tab (2.5 mg). Any similar experiences out there? Or any advice/comments? I'd really appreciate it. Thanks for listening to my long story. P.S. I was originally prescribed the Zoloft and Inderal when I quit drinking in 1998. The Zoloft was for 'alcoholic-induced depression', and the Inderal was for anxiety and also for tachycardia, which may be similar to symptoms I've seen posted on this site. My mood has always been upbeat, and I have a good sense of humor. So, this experience really stumps me.