September 15, I first started taking Toprol XL 50 mg for an irreg...

You story sounds a lot like mine. I've been taking this medication just over two years for an irregular heartbeat, and honestly the side effects are worse than my original problem.

Seems some of the side effects come in stages, and for the most part doctors are not really aware of it. After the second year of taking this medicine, I too went through a problem with my bowels that lasted for weeks, and at this point it seems to come and go. Mine have not been as bad as yours, but it still makes me feel pretty sick. I've also gained weight and can't lose a pound to save my life. I'm tired all the time, have sharp chest pains at randon, short term memory loss seems to be getting worse over time, and my sleep seems to be disturbed almost every night.

I would really like to hear back from you to see how you're doing and what decision you make in regards to taking it. I also hope your doctor is fully aware of the reported 'rebound effect' and is very careful if you do discontinue it. If you don't know about it, I would hope you have time to look it up, because improper discontinuation could be dangerous for you. Whatever you decide, I wish you well...take care, Judi