Toprol-XL and heart problems

I started taking the generic of Toprol (metaprolol) 3 months ago. I'm on 150mg per day for a rapid heartbeat, I'm 39 years old. It has helped my heart problems but I don't know if the side effects are worth it. I experience major fatigue that may last a week at a time and subside for a few days, aches in my back and neck (which I've learned may also be attributed to the Lipitor that I am also on), and my worse symptom is constant diarrhea. Some days I will run to the BR 15 times in one day. It seems to subside by dinner time, but that is probably because I stay away from food all afternoon. I'm fortunate that I am a stay at home mom I can't imagine having to go to work in this condition!

I have been taking Toprol-XL for a long time. I have recently been switched to the generic and it is not controlling my blood pressure as well and my heart is palpitating a lot. I think I had problems before with the brand name but this is far worse. Is there a possibility that this drug causes Fibromyalgia??? I've seen some posts about that and I was also diagnosed with it because of severe muscle pain. If anyone has noticed a trend please respond, I am desparate.

I am a 41 yo woman in good health. I started Toprol xl about 3 years ago for a heart palp that would happen maybe once a day, and occasional racing heart beat. I did great for a long time on 25mg once a day. Then about 6 months back I was switched to generic due to insurance issues - they only want to pay for generic.

It took me a while to figure out what was happening, but several problems started happening over the last few months that I am sure were from this generic drug. Suddenly I was having vivid dreams - fish swimming on the ceiling, cats with heads 5x too big! Worse yet, over about 3 months I gained 20 pounds with no difference in diet. And I was getting more and more tired. I started looking into what could be causing these crazy effects - I was only on Toprol and birth control pills.... well, it was not the birth control!

So, I decided to wean myself from the Toprol. I decided I prefer a heart palp and occasional racing heart to this!! I gave myself a couple of weeks of lesser doses, then 5 days ago I stopped it altogether. I am having some horrid "rebound" or withdrawal effects! Numb/tingling hands and feet, headache and - surprise! High blood pressure! I never, ever took this med for HBP, and I have never had HBP! I always had a nice, low blood pressure, even when 9 months pregnant! Now it's running around 135/93 - I work in a medical office, so I got one of the nurses to check it on Tuesday...she sort of freaked! She said she has seen much higher, but mine is not normal. So we have been checking daily, and it's staying up there. I am so mad to think Toprol could have damaged my body in some way so that my blood pressure may not stay messed up for life. I have read online that the rebound effects can last up to a month, even with a fairly low dose like I was taking. Does anyone know if a month is about right? If my blood pressure keeps this high, I suppose I will have to seek treatment at some point. Ugh!

On the plus side, I don't feel so tired. No vivid dreams since I stopped the Toprol, and much better sleep! I feel "clearer" mentally. I just wish the tingling hands and feet would stop - and the high blood pressure!

Sy husband started on Toprol 2 months ago. He is 72 & has had high BP for many years. When the cardiologist thought that he may be having heart problems he immediately changed him from Micardis, which was working fine, to Toprol 25mg. At first it seemed to help his high BP remain more stable, but now he is having other problems. His heart rate is usually in the 50's, he's very tired all the time now & has much more trouble remembering things than before. He's also begun having very vivid nightmares. Three days ago he started having diarrhea too. Also for the first time in 30 years we were unable to make love. He also loved working in the yard in the summer but now the heat is just too much for him. He directly attributes these effects to the toprol since that's the only new medication he has been prescribed in the last year. After reading other posts on this site he has decided to wean himself off of it & go back to his previous BP medication. Thanks to all of you who have posted because now he feels more secure in his idea that these problems are from the Toprol.

Let me just say, if you are thinking of starting Toprol then you need to consider this. It works great at lowering your heart rate, but it also with make you gain weight, have anxiety attacks, severe shortness of breath, insomnia, and a low libido. Your doctor's are not going to tell you this and will blame all the side effects on other things. At least that was my experience and what seems to be many other experiences according to this site. I was put on Toprol due to an elevated heart rate (186 beats per minute) that was caused by being severly anemic. Now other than being anemic, I was a completely healthy and fit 29 year-old female without any other heart problems. After being on 100 mg of Toprol for 4 days I would periodically feel a dull pain in my chest and would get extremely pale. On the 6th day, the pain was so bad I went to the emergency room, they told me that it was just an anxiety attack. Up until this point in my life, I had never experienced any sort of anxiety or depression and could not think of anything that would cause it (no stress in life, great marriage, etc.) After the visit to the ER, I decided to reduce my Toprol down to 50 mg a day to see if that helped my problem any. After reducing my meds, I felt 85% better. No chest pains. Well, I'm not one to take medication for long periods of time (I think in the long run they can sometimes cause more harm than help) and since I was only to take the Toprol until my anemia was under control, I decided recently to start to wean myself off (without doctor's consent.) I am currently down to 25 mg a day, which hasn't been easy. I've tried to move down to 12.5 a day, but have trouble sleeping and feel very anxious. I've been on Toprol for 2 months and I have gained 10 pounds (eat like I always have...fruits, veggies, whole wheat and lean meat) and have a low sex drive (never a problem before). I'm too young for this crap.

The weight gain is very real. Having heart problems and being heavy are not an option. I've had to buy larger clothes, feel tired, dizzy, and can't get a good nights sleep being on this drug.

I have crazy muscle pain or sharp stress like pains in my arms and hip joint - I take 12.5mg toprol xl - i have notice some weight gain - I know our Doctors are not the same, but prescriptions are the same - I feel like the doctors are brain washed by the durg companies, getting some sort of kick back. I listen to my heart Dr. yet he doesn't listen to me Toprol xl does cause changes to peoples health.
After reading about 20 listing and viewing over 18 web sites just about toprol xl - we are not crazy thinking this MED has bad side effects.
I'm in great shape, I work in construction & work long days and move heavy items daily. My heart problems are less than most, yet this silly pill has caused more dis-comfort than I was in before, I started taking It. I will slowly take myself off toprol xl.
I'm going to try to find a natural way to find small dose beta blocker, does anyone else know of any natural beta blockers?
Stay well and enjoy life to fullest

PLEASE READ!

Hi - My wife recently started taking toprol for her tachicardia. Shortly after starting it the doctors told her she was most pregnant. We are both only in our late twenties but she has had heart problems most of her life. my main question is has there been any reports of trouble during pregnancy when using Toprol? We have to decide what we are gonna do here. We are already worried about the pregnancy because of her health problems. Im worried that this is too much stress on her now. Any help you can give will be most appreciated. Thank you