Trigeminy symptoms and conditions

I just discovered this after 3 months of total misery, 7 different doctors, multiple tests, 1 hospitalization, 16 pound weight loss, almost lost my job, etc., etc., etc.. I want to know if this will have permanent effects on my body and heart and will I ever be the same again. I have been back on the brand TOPROL XL for 9 days now. Keep in mind I didn't know what was happening to me, I never thought twice about the switch to generic, it was cheaper and I also had a lot of stress going on in my life at the time.

My pharmacy switched my "Toprol XL 50 mg" to a Generic one called "Metoprolol Succinate ER 50 mg" (manufactured by Sandoz) in December 2007. I have been on some form of Beta Blockers for years due to PVC's, AVNRT, Bigeminy, Trigeminy and Couplets. NOT High Blood Pressure. In my case I get very symptomatic from the arrhythmias: very low blood pressure, chest pain, fatigue, blacking out. I've had EP studies and attempted ablations in the past, but they were unsuccessful. For the last 2 years I had been under control on this med. Within a week of starting the new generic, I was at my eye doctor because my left eye went from 20/20 to 20/60 and was so blurry that I felt like I had suntan lotion or something in it. The new symptoms just kept coming. Since Dec 07, I have been to a Neurologist, Neuro-Ophthalmologist, Endocrinologist, Gastrointerologist, Ear Nose and Throat Doctor, Cardiologist, and many more. The generic form caused my arrhythmias to come back with a vengeance, I got depression, I couldn't sleep, my chest hurt, my BP was like 85/45, I lost 16 pounds and couldn't eat. I was almost passing out, seeing stars, I had bigeminy/trigeminy day and night for days on end, I was crying for nothing, very moody, I was coughing and wheezing, I had tingling in my arms and hands, loud ringing in my ears, I couldn't concentrate let alone think. I had tons of blood work that the doctors said, "just didn't look right". Upper GI test discovered a hiatal hernia, MRI discovered brain lesions, I had a high red blood cell count (but not anemic), my ferritin was high, my blood sugar was high, I was tested for MS, Lupus, thyroid, everything under the sun and was borderline for these diseases! I thought I was going to die, I had never been depressed in my life and this was the worst. I was beginning to think I was a hypochondriac. But, it was all there on paper, all the tests showed something wrong, but they didn't know what.

I googled Toprol brand versus generic and found out that it wasn't just me, thousands of people have had these same reactions since they started making Generic Toprol. Please read up on it, everyone who writes their story can't be wrong (there is at least one from every state complaining of the same thing). I've been taking the old TOPROL XL BRAND for the last 9 days and my arrhythmias have completely stopped, I have an appetite again and the depression has lifted. I hope it didn't cause any permanent damage.

I know this is probably happening to people everywhere who don't have access to the internet or maybe don't get out much. If you ask the pharmacist, they will tell you that they are exactly the same and they are NOT. The generic may work perfectly for you, but it doesn't work for all. In trying to figure out why I was so symptomatic, the doctors in the hospital took me off the beta blocker completely....I could have had a stroke or heart attack. I started back up on the brand name when after I googled it and realized that you can't just "go off" Toprol. I just wish I would have discovered it about 3 months ago. They thought for sure I had either MS or Lupus and were trying to rule out all the mimics of these very serious diseases. I'm going back to my doctors and have them repeat all the blood tests, etc. to make sure everything is back to normal.

I'm trying to get the word out.