Toprol-XL and appointment

I do not feel horrible but Im starting to experience a sort of constipation. I'll go a day and a half struggling to produce a bowel movement. Then finally I get a satisfying result. It's a struggle though. I push and push and push. I've been on 50 mgs for three months. I have to refill today. I will mention this to pharmacist. My appointment is not till the end of September.

I am 46 years old and have been on Toprol XL 25mg for almost 3 years. I have been tired, but have not been sleeping well at night, I have had anxiety attacks and episodes where my heart was racing. The worst part is that I gained 22 pounds in 2 1/2 years and I was the type of person who never had a weight problem. It wasn't until the other day that I decided to go on line to see if Toprol could cause weight gain. I was shocked to see that so many people have had the same complaints as I. I have a Dr.'s appointment this week and I plan on telling him that I don't want to be on toprol any longer. My question is, what is an alternative to taking toprol?

55 year old female
I have been on Toprol 5 years. 50mg. it works for me but since it went generic,I wonder...I am on 10mg lexapro and December started the vivelle-dot for my hotflashes. It is now June and the last 4 weeks my hair is falling out big time.
It is so thin I have to wear a scarf as not to scare small children at work.!! :)
I have talked to a couple of hairdressers and they have told me many of they're clients with thinning hair were on Toprol.
Anyone heard of this? Please help me figure this out.

Well, after reading all of these posts, I am starting to realize that my strange new aching knees and right hip might be from the Toprol. I have been taking it for a long time though, about 2.5 years and I only take 12.5mg a day. But, I did lose 20 pounds and now am at a decent weight. I probably could lose another 10 and be perfect weight. Every time I tell my doctor that my blood pressure seems fine, she says, "Oh well, it's good for your heart and it doesn't have any side effects so you may as well stay on it!" HA! So, I made an appointment to see her next Wed. and I want to wean myself off of this!!! Thanks everyone for opening my eyes!

I am a 43 year old woman in excellent health. One year ago, I was diagnosed with HBP and put on 12.5 mg of Toprol. I had a serious reaction to a cold medication that I took one month later and my blood pressure skyrocketed. My doctor doubled my Toprol. Immediately I felt extreme chest tightness, pressure, panic attacks, anxiety, depression and severe headaches. Until this time in my life, I had never even taken aspirin. I cut my dosage back to 12.5 mg. and now wonder if the extreme anxiety and feeling of impending doom is coming from this drug. I never had any problems before going on this beta blocker. Now I do not even know if I need it at all. How long do the side effects last if I stop taking this terrible drug. I have an appointment with a cardiologist in one week for some answers.

I took Toprol for almost 2 years then in Aug generic came out Metoprolol and I switched over. I was taking 25mg. After a few weeks, I noticed numbness in my index finger and middle finger. Then it happened in other hand. Doc said I had tendinitis in one hand and slept wrong on the other...I was also depressed and having panic attacks. From the onset of taking Toprol my sleep was disturbed,but thought it was age related. Once I went on Metoprolol insomnia set in. Then my feet went cold and numb and my arms were so heavy and tingly and my joints hurt. My right shin hurt to touch as well. Vision was cloudy and had trouble adjusting to light changes. Finally it dawned on my that the changes occurred about the time I started the generic. I went back to doc and he pretty much told me I was crazy, prescribed Xanax and a session with a psychiatrist! He switched me back to Toprol and I felt no better then he switched me to
Atenolol with same result. By this time, my chest was on fire and I had extreme difficultly breathing. Called doc and he told me to stop cold turkey. I did and thought I was going to die one day. Throat closed up blood pressure soared. He stopped me on Nov 11 or 12th. I have been on nothing. Blood pressure is not leveled. When I first sit down it is like 140/93. If I wait a few minutes it goes down to 120/80 or a little lower. I was expecting to feel a lot better by this point in the game. I still have numbness in my pinky and ring finger and in my toes. If I take Advil it lessens to where it is not so bothersome. Anyone know how long this stuff takes to get out of your system? I am shopping for a new doc since mine know things I am a hypo. I am a 39 yr old female with no other health issues. Was originally put on for stress related palps.

I am a 45 year old female & am on the Toprol-XL 50 mg & take 1 twice a day...I have noticed I have blurred vision & problems with my eyes & also suffer with my legs hurting a lot & also have joint stiffness & cramps in my feet & legs & have trouble sleeping & some memory problems at times along with feeling tired all the time & some depression & shortness of breath & no matter how little I eat I seem to put on weight & look & feel bloated...don't know if it's the Toprol-XL or not but have only had these problems since I been on that & Crestor.

Started taking the generic Toprol XL (metoprolol succinate) 50 mg/day 11 days ago. I had been having vague gastric problems prior to taking it but two days after I started, I began having severe stomach pain that would double me over with diarrhea so severe it felt like my guts were turning inside out. I got a presciption from a doctor I work with for Lomotil which is a fairly heavy duty smooth muscle relaxor for the gut. As the week went on, I was taking these pills every 2-3 hours to keep the pain at bay. I was starting to pass some blood because this was so severe.

I've made an appointment with a GI doctor to have this checked out (couldn't get an appointment for 2 more weeks) and said to my boyfriend I wish I knew what was going on. He pointed out that this started right after I started taking the BP med. I skipped my pill yesterday and today....guess what? I am pain free today for the first time in a week.

I NEVER would have associated this kind of horrible pain with a blood pressure medication. It did bring my pressure down very nicely...in fact it's a bit too low now. Back to the internist next week to try something else out.

Update on my experience. I was changed from toprol,because of side effects, to a channel blocker, however, I did not tolerate the channel blocker. I had extreme fatigue and memory loss. Spent two days in bed and actually forgot to turn off my car when I returned home one day. My doctor took me off the channel blocker and wanted me to resume the toprol. I had been off the toprol for a week and a half so I ask to stay off until I can schedule my next appointment with him. He agreed as long as my papitations don't increase. They have not increased so I am hoping I can stay off this drug. Thinking of trying lexapro just to help my anxiety through this time.

It's hard to describe all the side effects I think I am having from taking 50mg. of toprol 1x a day, at bedtime. Since taking it, I have heart palpitations,flushing, full body pain, sleep all the time. Feel without hope- so I guess that would be described as depression. I have 0 energy, or even motivation. I have become a hermit in my own house, have not gone out anywhere at all- the entire summer. At first I thought it was becuase certain terrible things were happening with my daughter- but now that has abated-BTW she's 47. So I don't think the way I am feeling has to do with that. I feel just ghorrible- worse every day. Don't want to do anything. All I do most of the time, is sleep, or pray that God will let me die- I have nothing to live for- or Please heal me. Finally I have an appointment with my Cardiologist-Internist this Thursday, and I will ask him to take me off the Toprol. Tonight I am not going to take it, nor anymore until I see him. Nancy

Hi all,
As so many other people have said...I'm really glad I've found this forum!
I too have gained weight..originally I was put on Paxil during menopause for depression and social anxiety, without being told by the doctor that I would gain weight (40 lbs!), then I was put on Toprol for an irregular heartbeat, not aware that this would make me gain weight too! Now I'm up another 40 lbs, (of course part of this is that I broke my ankle and was layed up for a few months) but still 80lbs, most of it due to drugs! I also have joint pain and nightmares and hair loss. I also have not been able to lose it dieting or exercising. There has to be an alternative. I'm going to make an appointment with my cardiologist and bring him some of these posts as well. I thank everyone for sharing their experiences...I will let you know what tanspires.
Hang in there everyone...

I have been on Toprol for 10 months now. I have never felt this awful in my life. (I have an appointment with a Cardiologist next month to get off of it.) My BP is currently 180/120 which is ridiculous. The anxiety is so awful that now I have to be medicated for that. I have also experienced incredible itching from the nerve endings in my skin and am medicated for that as well. I was wondering if anyone has experienced that side effect.

I can't sleep well, my heart feels like its races sometimes. I got real angry and grabbed my girlfriend by her throat and scratched her neck. I have never hurt her and I have been with her for 7 years. I have been on this medicine since 6-26-06 and today is july 13, 2006. I also drank 2 winecoolers that day. Waiting for a doctors appointment. I would love to get off of this. 25mg for high bloodpressure and my pressure is still high. My pulse was 98 149/96 pulse 98

Since starting 25 mg of Toprol XL back in February, along with the constant fatigue, and moodiness I've been experiencing for the last few weeks, both my knees constantly ache during the course of the day. I have an appointment to see my doctor.

I have been on Toprol XL for approximately 2 years. I started out on 25 mg. for palpations and rapid heart. Then the dosage was increased to 50 mg. and now the doctor wants me to take 100 mg. I have freezing hands and feet. My eyes are either so dry or watery so that I cannot hardly see. I have at times terrible shoulder, arm and leg pain. My brain feels likes it's full of goo. I can't think.

I am currently wearing a King of Hearts monitor. I have sent approximately 15 transmissions. During the transmissions I can hear my heart speeding up. The technician who takes my transmissions keeps telling me that my heart is beating normally. If that is the case, then I must ask my cardiologist at my next appointment, why am I taking Toprol and spending $35 a month for the medication if my heart is normal? By the way I am NOT increasing my dosage to 100 mg. I will stick with the 50 mg. for now and am considering tapering off even more.

I was prescribed 50 m of Toprol. After taking it for almost a year, I produced muscle pain in back of hands and the tops of my feet and toes. fingers feel arthritic. Lifting elbows have limited range of motion without pain.

Doctor finds nothing wrong. I know my body and that it is the Tropol. I want to get off of this stuff ASAP. I have been taking every other day until my next doc appointment.

Don't they study these drugs before prescribing them to people? Being in this kind of pain from head to toe - I wonder what it could be doing to the muscles of the heart.