Nebivolol and Depression: What Users Say

• Str...
• October 26, 2019

Nebivolol for High Blood Pressure "I was started on 5mg Bystolic 4 months ago. It took me to a very dark place. So tired I couldn't function, no concentration, legs and shoulders hurt, don't care about nothing or no one. It did slow down my racing heart. I have been borderline diabetic for 5 years but last test showed I have crossed the line, my doctor said the Bystolic probably pushed me over the line. It can mess with your sugar level. Wish he had told me that before I took it. He cut me back to 2.5mg. My energy came back some but I still have no motivation. My spark is gone. Still have pain in legs, shoulders, and neck. The simplest of tasks is overwhelming. My doctor is determined to keep me on it. He thinks all my symptoms are just in my head. I guess my A1c can be made up in my head. He wants me to try depression medicine but I decline. I was happy and motivated before I started this mess. I just want to feel good again, not blah all the time."

• Cor...
• August 4, 2016

Nebivolol for High Blood Pressure "I am ashamed to admit I have taken this drug for over a year because I have to be pretty stupid to allow a drug to take so much living away from me. I used to ride my horse, do my own construction work, and just enjoy life! Now, I know what depression is. I struggle to sleep ten hours a week! I have very little functioning memory. I am so angry. If you happen to be at a doctor appointment when one of the drug reps is hauling in the free food and free drug samples, you'll wonder by her attire just what she is selling. Yes, I told my doctor over and over about the problems and her answer is more drugs! Anti-depressant, sleeping pill, and the list goes on. I tried to get myself off of it but can't because of rebound."

• Mim...
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• April 18, 2019

Nebivolol for High Blood Pressure "I’ve been taking Bystolic since 8-18. My pulse rate dropped to 45 and blood pressure to 100/20. All my symptoms completely went away. No feeling my heart flutters, no chest heaviness. Now all that is great, but immediately I stopped caring for anyone or anything. All I want to do is sleep, although I take this drug at bedtime. As long as everyone leaves me alone, I feel great, but I lose my temper very quickly. I can’t exercise, I have no energy. If I try to do anything active, I can’t breathe. The loss of energy and motivation is ruining my life. Calling my doctor tomorrow."

• Bor...
• February 1, 2016

Nebivolol for High Blood Pressure "It was effective in lowering my blood pressure from 150/95 down to 128/83 on average. However, this drop came at a tremendous expense to my lifestyle. I've felt very low energy, occasional dizziness, headaches, and a general lack of interest in anything. My appetite dropped, and I stopped feeling life inside me. In a nutshell, harmful side effects make this drug ineffective in solving BP problems."

• JZa...
• July 17, 2021

Nebivolol for High Blood Pressure "I took Bystolic 3 days ago (5 mg) after being on metoprolol 25 mg for 4 yrs. Like night and day. No side effects for me. Huge difference on day 1. I'm in my early 60s, no medical conditions, neither diabetic nor overweight, exercising 14 yrs in very good health. Metoprolol about ruined me. Felt like someone was sitting on my chest, blurred vision, insomnia, extreme fatigue, light sensitivity, no motivation, borderline depression. I had a very bad reaction to it. Both Rx's took BP from 140/80 to 120/70. I now sleep 7-8 hrs a night (4-6 on metoprolol). My thinking is clear on Bystolic too; no brain fog. Bystolic is like taking a daily vitamin; I take it and forget it; afterwards, I feel okay all day and night. Metoprolol was like sitting in an oxygen deprivation tank, fatigued, tired, half knocked out, unable to sleep more than 2 hrs at a time; it was debilitating for me. Bystolic is worth every penny to me."

• Car...
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• August 14, 2018

Nebivolol for High Blood Pressure "After trying a number of antihypertensives, all of which made me sick, including lisinopril, Norvasc, valsartan, irbesartan, and others (hyponatremia, anemia, insomnia, fatigue, depression), the last one they gave me was Bystolic 10 mg. Felt bad, cold hands and feet, tingling feet, fatigue, insomnia, etc., so cut pills in half. On 5 mg, tingling went away, but a blood test found low sodium and anemia again, so I stopped completely. Now BP is higher than ever, and after 3 months, my feet still feel cold, even on a hot day. Referred to a specialist. Fingers crossed."

• Bob...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• May 14, 2023

For High Blood Pressure "I was put on nebivolol while in the hospital with COVID for four days back in December 2022, as well as the requisite blood thinners. Once I finished the 3 months of blood thinners, I saw my doctor, and she recommended I continue with the BP meds indefinitely because of my age. This was before I found this page and other people's experiences. For months, I had been having insane dreams, anxiety, a lack of desire, and an overall struggle with negative, catastrophic thoughts. Well, 2 weeks ago, I read the comments here, so I bought a BP monitor and began tracking mine several times a day. Then I forgot to take my pill one day and didn't notice till late the next night, 36 hours later. I checked my pressure, and it was the same as before and has stayed that way. What else I noticed was the lack of anxiety and stress. I was going to wean off of it for a week of half doses, so I took half a pill yesterday, what a disaster, the anxiety and negative thoughts came rushing back. My readings are 115/75, 55 bpm."

• H S...
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• April 11, 2023

Nebivolol for High Blood Pressure "Not worth the side effects. Works great for lowering heart rate, BP, and anxiety. Causes horrible weight gain that is impossible to lose while taking the medicine. Also causes shortness of breath, wheezing, and chest pains, to the point I now use an inhaler. Severe depression. I never had before. Numbness in hands, water retention, especially in ankles, raised cholesterol, extreme fatigue and lack of motivation, and night sweats. Hoping to come off it soon."

• H S...
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• April 11, 2023

Nebivolol for High Blood Pressure "Not worth the side effects. Works great for lowering heart rate, BP, and anxiety. Causes horrible weight gain that is impossible to lose while taking the medicine. Also causes shortness of breath, wheezing, and chest pains, to the point I now use an inhaler. Severe depression. I never had before. Numbness in hands, water retention, especially in ankles, raised cholesterol, extreme fatigue and lack of motivation, and night sweats. Hoping to come off it soon."

• Bri...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• December 28, 2019

Nebivolol for High Blood Pressure "25 years old, sensitive to most medicines, and this was another one on the blacklist. Headaches occasionally, insomnia, loss of sexual desire, heart palpitations, depression, dizzy when standing up or squatting down, tired when sitting down, and short-term memory was terrible."

• PTC...
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• November 12, 2018

Nebivolol for High Blood Pressure "This drug had some weird effects for me. I'm 21 and was on 5 mg for one year. I felt tired a good amount of the time, but I tried to remain active and exercise. When I did exercise, my endurance was great. I went from running 15 minutes a few times a week before this drug to running 45-50 minutes 4-5 times a week, and I never really wore out. I think it was because it increased nitric oxide bioavailability. I just never wore out during exercise, but always felt like I could take a nap. Just weird. Also had the vivid dreams and made me apathetic. Just not something I wanted to be on long term."

• Mar...
• November 8, 2019

Nebivolol for High Blood Pressure "I have been on Bystolic 2.5 mg for about 5 years. I read a previous comment about becoming depressed after starting on this drug. I too suffer from depression and have also gotten to the point where no one and nothing interests me. For about 3 weeks now, my blood pressure has been all over the place, and I increased my dose to 2 pills a day. I still wake up with high blood pressure. I am going to a cardiologist to change my medication and hopefully finally get out of this slump I have been in for way too many years. Btw, I also suffer from bad migraines, which, according to my doctor, were supposed to be minimized with Bystolic. They have actually gotten worse over the years."

• men...
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• July 2, 2015

For High Blood Pressure "Bystolic saved my life. I had atrial fib, which was out of control. Metoprolol, another beta blocker, and one calcium blocker didn't get me below 100 with my atrial fib. Plus, they had horrible side effects: depression on metoprolol. Bystolic has me at 70 pulse with no mental health side effects at all. NO anxiety or depression. I sleep better (although I nap still). A miracle drug. The insurance company tried for years not to pay, saying it was for high blood pressure only, and I didn't have that. I could go back to work, for God's sakes. I'm just glad I can afford it."

• 55...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• May 10, 2018

"Put on this for PVCs (premature ventricular contractions) and PACs (premature atrial contractions) after trying Toprol and Acebutolol and Atenolol. Loved Atenolol, but started lowering my pulse to the 40s and my palps increased. So I was put on this. I hate it. Since day one, I have had hot flashes - yet I've been done with menopause for 2 years. I have increased anxiety, ringing in my ears, insomnia, I'm almost depressed. I just sit with no motivation to do anything. I was put on this and told to go exercise again (had stopped for a couple of months due to an injury). I have no desire to do a damned thing, even shop! I emailed my doc immediately, and he said to give it another 10 days. I am so, so angry. I'm really not sure I can last another 10 days. I've been on it for 7, already. Never had this kind of reaction to any of the other BBs I have tried. Now I understand I need to carefully wean off of this. Ridiculous! Oh, I am a nurse, by the way."

• Ver...
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• May 24, 2017

For High Blood Pressure "I live in the UK. I am sure the drug was helpful with recovery after a heart operation. Several side effects that were debilitating developed. Shortness of breath, a thick mucus when I coughed, but the worst was depression. This was severe and not a condition I am familiar with. The effect was to make negative thoughts very difficult to deal with. The depression lasted many months and was progressively getting worse. On stopping the medication (agreed with my doctor), the depression lifted quite quickly, with a continued improvement over several weeks."

• Fem...
• June 17, 2017

For High Blood Pressure "Don't ever take this beta blocker. I have tried Toprol and had side effects. I am on 10 mg of Bystolic and having a hard time getting off of it. Causes nightmares, weight gain, depression, and panic attacks - and getting off it - there is literally no help out there. I am doing massage and acupuncture - stuff this drug. Don't ever take it."

• nan...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• July 26, 2012

Nebivolol for High Blood Pressure "Too expensive, caused depression and restlessness, caused nightmares every night."

• Guy...
• January 20, 2023

For High Blood Pressure "Works as it's supposed to, but horrible side effects. Makes you very depressed, anxious, big-time nightmares, leg and muscle cramps. Never again."