Toprol-XL and chest pain

Chest Pain (external), shallow breath, shortness of breath, anxiety, mild depression, lethargy.

I have just started taking Toprol XL 50 MG because of a scary Atrial Fibrillation episode last week.

When I was 30 my Doctor opter to put me on Norvasc to "control" my BP. My BP was 130/73. A couple of years later my new doctor changed me to Lotrel 5/10. My BP stayed in the same range despite me exercising less and gaining weight, and drinking more. Basically, I did all the wrong things. Despite that I never had any side effects from either Norvasc or Lotrel. Only other thing to note is I do have sleep apnea, untreated as of yet.

Well, last week as I stated, I had an episode and went to the ER. They pushed Lopressor and eventually Toprol to get my A-Fib back to level. I was completely freaked out of course. I went to my doctor the next day and he prescribed Toprol XL 50 MG at bedtime, and to stop the Lotrel.

I have been taking this drug now for 4 days. Here is my experience...

I take the pill with dinner at around 9 pm. I then go to bed soon after. While I lie in bed, I feel like I need to consciously breath or I will stop breathing. If I get up this feeling goes away. My breaths are very shallow. I have sleep apnea, so I can visualize myself falling asleep and not breathing. I do have some anxiety surrounding this, but I would not say it is out of ordinary. Right now it is 3:33 am and I cannot sleep due to this issue. Every time I start to fall asleep I jolt back awake because I feel like I am not breathing.

In the past three mornings, I wake up and feel anxious and downright depressed. I feel tired and wrung out. This appears to last until approximately 1 pm and then things start looking up. Then at 9 pm the whole cycle starts again.

My mother and father take this medication. My father takes 2 * 100MG and he does not complain of side effects. My mother takes 2 * 50 MG and she has similar side effects as what I have described.

I first posted back in January, after having been on Toprol XL for 7-weeks. It's now been about 8-months and some of the side affects are still there, although lessened. My BP, as of two weeks ago, was 114/68. My pulse averages about 68 BPM, lowest in the AM (as low as 48 at times) and as high as 78 in late afternoon. After hard exercise my pulse will hit 110-120, but rapidly drops to 75 or 80 within 5-minutes.

After taking my dose (25 mg), almost predictably I have weird chest pain and gas in the afternoon and some muscle cramps. The symptoms subside after a few hours. Other than that all other nasty symptoms have gone away. I still have extremely vivid dreams, but most are very interesting and the nightmares are all but non-existent. Here are some things that helped me. 1) Take the Toprol immediately after a meal and with a large quantity of water. 2) Take it at the same time every day. I tried several different times and for me with lunch works best. 3) Try to stick with the brand name. I switched to the generic version ($8.00 vs $39.00) and the side affects worsened. Anyone that says that a generic is equivalent to the "real thing" is full of crap. 4) Meals with a higher fat content seems to lessen the side affects. Not sure why, but I experimented with this and it works for me. I'm not promoting fatty food (I'm not overweight). 5) EXERCISE if you can. Even moderate exercise will help. I work out 30-minutes each day and this has helped tremendously.

I've booen on 100 mmg of toprol for over ten years. Have all the side effects including tinnitus and impotence. Last week for chest pain spent the night at the er , three blood tests, three ekgs, a stellar stress test and echo. All normal and still the sense of doom and the pain under the breastbone... This has been ruining my life. I'm furious after reading all this testimonies . Olease someone give me advise. ******

I am 57 years old, and never had HBP, I went to the cardiologist and told me I have 140/80 and prescribed Toprol XL 25mg. I bought the generic ones. Today is my second week and I did not know that my headaches (never had headaches before), electric chocks ringing ears , breathing problems, were a side effect of this pill until reading all these experiences of so many people. I am going to cut half the dosis and lower it, so I get out of this medicine. The doctor made an EKG and gave me Toprol because my left atrial was big due to untreated HBP. Is there any natural product, better than this killing medicine, please advice.

An update to my recent postings - on Saturday 11/24/07 - I began the step down of Toprol and the transition to Diovan 80 mg -- it is DIFFICULT. My B/P at times has skyrocketed, I have gotten headaches, and intense chest pain. The finally straw was when my pulse went over 200 and woke me up @ 5:30am - my husband rushed me to the E.R. and the Dr. confirmed that it was side effects from coming off the Toprol -- he said that I should have been given a long term acting anti-anxiety medicine to help me "not feel the side effects" as much. They tested my heart, etc. and all tests came back great - so he prescribed me some Valium to help get me over the worse of the re-bound symptoms and said that I should start to feel some relief in a few days - but to keep on it because getting off this medication (Toprol) - is the best thing for getting my asthma back under control.

I started taking Toprol XL on Wednesday 11-14. I had been admitted to the cardiac unit after having to be given 2 nitro pills and also a nitro patch to get my chest pain to go away and my blood pressure to come down.

That evening my cardiologist put me on 50mg of Toporol XL. I have had a headache pretty much since that night, that just won't go away. I had an anxiety attack last night that left he crying for no reason pretty much all night long, I have not slept well since the night they put me on it, I have been sick at my stomach since that night, I have been dizzy and not feeling like myself since that night, and I also continue to have a feeling of something being wrong, even though all the bllod work and the stress test came back good.

They told me that my problem was stress related and for the next 2 weeks am to try and remain stress free. But everytime I take the medicine I continue to feel worse with these same symptoms.

I have been having chest pains every afternoon since July 13th, which was right after the doc prescribed me Toprol-XL. I have had SOOO many tests and they can't figure out what the problem is. The chest pains happen in the afternoon while I'm walking, I don't mean walking for exercise I'm talking about walking to the bathroom or just to the other room and my chest feels like it is about to explode. I accidentally quite taking the Toprol for about 5 days. My husband had knocked my pill bottle off the cabinet and out of sight out of mind. Well, Saturday was the first day in over 2 months that I didn't have a chest pain. I didn't have any problems for the 5 days, then I realized that I had been forgetting to take the Toprol and started it back up and the chest pains have come back. Has anyone ever had this same problem?

I ran out of Toprol XL 50mg 4 days ago. I am having blurred vision and chest discomfort/pain, muscle spasms, disorientated and cant hardly get out of bed do I need to worry?

I have only been on Toporal for about a month, 50mg/day. My B/P is now stable, but I am having intermittant chest pain that travels down my arm and into my jaw. I am a 50 yr old female in good shape. I can say that I feel some anxiety daily and that is not normal for me. I have not noticed a weight gain, yet my doctor called today to tell me my potassium levels are too high. Has anyone else experienced this from this drug?

I have been taking Toprol-XL 50 mg for the past two weeks instead of Altenolol 50 mg. I have been having tight chest, pain in my throat area and lower teeth. I did not have these effects when I was taking Atenolol 50 mg. My cardiologist changed me to Toprol-XL because Atenelol might have triggered by depression again. I had a heart attack 12 years ago. I also take Linisiprol. I cannot walk more than 2 or 3 blocks in a regular pace when I get the side effects listed above. Is this a regular side effect?

I've been taking 25mg of Toprol twice a day since the middle of February this year. Since then, my joints ache so badly, I'm so tired I can't function, and the nightmares! I thought for sure the Grizzly bear in my dream this morning had me for sure! My blood pressure is a bit lower than usual, but I haven't had the chest pain or noticeable irregular heart rate since I've been taking Toprol.
I guess to get a little, you've got to give a little. sigh.

W Female Age:29
i began having high blood pressure just before my second pregnancy 3 1/2 years ago. I have been on Toprol for over 2 years straight to today. I had tried several different medicines that could not control my blood pressure after he was born. Toprol XL 50 mg x 2 daily was the only one that seemed to work, but i do have the side effects. I have had several instances of panic attacks with feeling of dying. By the time i could be seen at the hospital it had already subsided. The doctors have not been able to give any indication as to the reason for these attacks other than it was a panic attack and have prescribed Zanax. I have experienced the heavy left arm with chest pain, the dizziness and nausea along with ringing in the ears. I am now changing cardiologists and will try new medications to rid of the side effects. Again, the medicine has done its purpose, but the side effects are begging to take their toll.

I am realy glad you all have came forward about all these side effects because i am on toprol XL 50mg a day for high blood presure and irregular heart beat it seems that my heart starts to beat irregular when my pulse gets into the 110 beats a minute to about 121 beats a minute and the Toprol sure is a life saver when it comes down to slowing my heart rate it will slow my heart rate down to about 85 beats a minute,but as for the rest of this medicine i have bad side effects too, i get realy bad chest pain on my left side around my heart area and go all around my chest left and right side and i have real bad panic attacks at night they are so bad that i cannot sleep, sometimes i feel my heart take off beating very rapidly and then back to normal it always realy scares me when this happens.thanks for you all posting your experiences about this Toprol drug it has realy eased my mind now I was realy thinking there was something realy wrong with my heart or body, now i know it's Toprol doing this too me thanks again.

I have tightness and sharp pains in my chest that I have never experienced before taking Toprol XL 25 mg.

The medication was prescribed to slow my heart rate down. I was experiencing 140 beats per minute, but now I
have a regular bleed pressure and my heart rate is at an average. I feel extremely weird in the mornings. I am light headed and feel fatigue. The chest pain is somewhat constant
until I take my next dose of Toprol.

I experienced sinus tachycardia with a rate of 236-was started on Toprol XL 25 mg once daily beginning April 2002-these are the side effects I have been having:

Regular episodes of an itchy rash on my neck.
Occasional episodes of chest pain.
Occasional periods of Shortness of breath.
Weight gain of 20 pounds ( have not changed my diet )
Fatique.
Insomnia.
Calf cramps.
**** losing my hair *****
I am going to switch to another drug-
remember if you are taking Toprol-you should be titrated off gradually as stopping this drug abruptly may cause fatal arythmias ****** Read drug insert ******

have been taking toprol 25mg for only 5 days for rapid heart rate and feel worse on it then i did dealing with the rapid heart rate and occasional flutter. trip to the er told me i was fine. cardiologist and family practitioner want me to increase the dose to 50mg and tell me the following are not side effects though i am experiencing them: jolting surges of chest pain on the left side (never had before taking toprol), nausea and loss of appetite. i also have depression/anxiety, dizziness, insomnia. i hate the feeling of the medicine as it kicks in. they say if i take more i will feel better. they also prescribed and told me to take xanax for anxiety. last night i tried taking half dose to see how i feel. i don't feel better...feel worse. i am afraid i will be on this for life. i just want to be a normal person and feel normal. i can't work, can't function, and my husband can't deal with it anymore.

I have been taking Toporal XL 50 mg & altace 5 mg for about 3 years. Had 4 way by-pass 1-year ago and went through cardio rehab sucessfully. Been back to work for about 8 months and recently began feeling stressed out, shortness of breath, short term memory loss, tired and depressed. Recently admitted to hospital for chest pain, vertigo & nausea. All tests came back negative & allowed to go back to work. Toporal reduced to 25 Mg per day and altace increased to 10 mg per day. Given new prescription for anax (?) for anxiety. Hope this will help me get back on track.

I take 50 mg of Toporal daily. Since May 1st, I have been admitted to the ER 3 times for Heart attack like chest pain. After reading others problems, I truly sympathize. Metalic taste, severe chest pain, mood swings, always tired. My doctor has taken me off of Lipitor as the answer for the above symptoms. Guess who I'm calling the first thing in the morning!

38 year old female, starting toprol xl 50 daily six months ago. After the first few days went down to 25 daily due to chest pain, migraine, mood swings.

Currently hoping to go off med - was prescibed it for palps, mvp, migraines, and anxiety.

I have gained weight and inlisted the help of a personal trainer 6 weeks ago - has helped but the weight won't come off.

I feel tired, nightmares occasionally, slightly depressed, moody, and lack of short term memory is effecting my job performance. I hope to get off this drug soon too.

actually my side effects for 50 mg toprol-xl are weight gain about 10 lbs,shortness of breath, mild chest pain,and slower than normal heart beat, my doctor put me on toprol because I was taking this "natural"supplement called Yohimbe that caused my thyroid to go crazy I was rushed to the ER with a 241bpm heartbeat. I will never! take a so called natural supplement again .

Started taking toprol xl a week ago and I wish I never had!! Was switched to it due to pvc's and rapid heart rate and had been on other beta blocker for years. Now I am constantly dizzy, terrible aches and pains and even horrible chest pain I want off this drug!!

I am a 32 year old male who has been taking Toprol (50mg) for nearly six months. My doctor prescribe it to me for hypertension and to be honest I felt better without it. Before taking this med I felt strong and like a young man, now I feel like a frail old man. Never before in my life have I felt so sickly. I know my body, better than any doctor, and I'm sure it's the Toprol. Like many other posts I experience shortness of breath, chest pain, anxiety, deep muscle pain, and dizziness. I find it disturbing that a majority of the comments here are negative. The side effects of this drug are worse than any symptom I had before taking the drug.

I took Toprol for 2 months and experienced depression, and severe anxiety. My doctor prescibed Xanax to relieve the anxiety, and it really helped. The problem was, I have never before taking this BP medication, ever, experienced either depression or anxiety. I, also, experienced chest pain very like a heart attack, but with no elivated BP, or dizziness. I weened myself off the Toprol, 4 months ago, and have experienced none of the above symptoms since! I have, since ceasing taking Toprol, taken a echo cardiogram with treadmill and my tests were not only normal, but I felt perfectly finely during the tests.