Toprol-XL and calves

Hi, I'm a 51 y/o female nurse that started taking Toprol-XL for high blood pressure. I don't like taking meds because of side effects (other blood pressure meds have caused my hair to fall out, fatigue, depression, etc.) so I started out only taking half of the 50 mg tab. I recently upped it up to the whole tab to get my blood pressure a little lower and immediately started having severe headaches and joint pains. I'm going back down to a half tab and wean myself off this crap. I'm taking Magnesium, potassium, and L-Arginine, which all help relax the blood vessels. I was taking a higher dose of magnesium, which causes some diarrhea, when I decided to lower it and increase the dose of Toprol-XL to see how that worked. I'd rather have the diarrhea from the magnesium! At least then I wasn't crying from depression, having bad headaches and hurting all over! I'm losing weight on Weight Watchers, so hopefully I'll get this blood pressure under control. My blood pressure was pretty well under control with the lower dose of Toprol-XL, higher dose of magnesium, and the L-Arginine and potassium. I'm going back to what was working before. I'm also going to talk to my Health and Wellness doctor about a safer replacement for the Toprol-XL.

Hmmm...interesting that I found your posts. I too am on 100mg Topral for heart palps (PVCs) and high blood pressure. I'm hesitant to ask to come off of it because it has been keeping both under control. However, I have been having symptoms for a while now that I actually have been wondering is hypothyroidism but sure sounds a lot like what I see posted here. I sometimes get unexplained rashes (mostly on my calves); my skin is much drier than it used to be; my hair is dry and thinning; I'm VERY tired most of the time and have ENORMOUS trouble getting out of bed in the mornings. Another very big problem is that I'm gaining weight faster than I ever have. I think it's a good medicine -- but -- if these symptoms are related, I might consider something different.

TOPROL XL 25mg (43yr old white male)

I went to the dentist where they took my blood pressure (180/95). they suggested seeing my medical doctor. my doctor started me on 50mg to get the pressure down. the first three or four days I felt like I had run 1000 miles everyday, I was so fatigued. I called the doctor and told him and asked if I could cut them in half (they have a cut line on them). I have now been taking 25mg for about year maybe a year and half (time flys). I am still fatigued but not as badly, I am over-weight by 30-40lbs and I also smoke. additonally, my knees "ACHE", my calves ache and most recently my right hip and my wrists and forearms are aching (like carple tunnel of something). Finally, my indigestion is back (after starting toprol that kind of subsided for several months). I have just been passing it off as getting older and having to chase two small children around.

after reading some of your posts, I wonder if it's not the toprol causing the fatigue, joint pain and the return of my acid-reflux.

I am sitting here typing and my knees are screaming, right now!

has anyone else experienced all these symptoms?

I am 50 years old and was put on Topral 2 weeks ago for HBP and PVC's. I had
been on a diuretic and Potassium supplement because of slight high blood
pressure for 9 months, and that's when the PVC;s got bad. 4 days after
starting the 50MG of Toprol and stopping the diuretic, my calves started to
swell up and get puffy with edema. I weighed myself and saw that I had gained 8
pounds in 4 days! I went to the Dr. the next day, assuming he would take me off
the Toprol, but he said to stay on it, because it was contolling the PVC's and
that the Edema was caused by my stopping the water pill! So, I went back on the
water pill and weaned myself off slowly for the past 9 days. Now, today, the
edema is back. I am scared that I am going to get Heart Failure because of the
water weight gain, or DVT, I want off the pill! But I can't stand the constant
PVC's and I was near suicidal with that! I don't know what to do? Does anyone
else have this leg swelling? Does it go away? Is it dangerous? My husband
died last year and I need to stay well for my teenage daughter, but this is
ridiculous! I'd rather have had the slight HBP and not taken any of this at
all. if there is anyone out there who cares, please answer me, I'm so scared!
And now that I have read al these posts with the other awful side effects, I'm
twice as scared. I know many peolpe on Beta-blockers, and they have no side
effects. What is wrong with me?

Kathy

I am 50 years old and was put on Topral 2 weeks ago for HBP and PVC's. I had been on a diuretic and Potassium supplement because of slight high blood pressure for 9 months, and that's when the PVC;s got bad. 4 days after starting the 50MG of Toprol and stopping the diuretic, my calves started to swell up and get puffy with edema. I weighed myself and saw that I had gained 8 pounds in 4 days! I went to the Dr. the next day, assuming he would take me off the Toprol, but he said to stay on it, because it was contolling the PVC's and that the Edema was caused by my stopping the water pill! So, I went back on the water pill and weaned myself off slowly for the past 9 days. Now, today, the edema is back. I am scared that I am going to get Heart Failure because of the water weight gain, or DVT, I want off the pill! But I can't stand the constant PVC's and I was near suicidal with that! I don't know what to do? Does anyone else have this leg swelling? Does it go away? Is it dangerous? My husband died last year and I need to stay well for my teenage daughter, but this is ridiculous! I'd rather have had the slight HBP and not taken any of this at all. if there is anyone out there who cares, please answer me, I'm so scared! And now that I have read al these posts with the other awful side effects, I'm twice as scared. I know many peolpe on Beta-blockers, and they have no side effects. What is wrong with me?

Kathy

Weight gain and hitting the gym and treadmill 5 days a week. I'm on 150 mg Toprol @day for 4 years now, joint pain and pain in my calves. Dr. told me to cut my cal intake to 1300 calories a day and even at that not one pound lost and doing 10 miles at the very min a week on the treadmill and upper and lower body weight training. I'm at my wits end with this problem. Help Please!