Toprol-XL and heart rate

I have been on Toprol XL for 8 years. I began taking it when I was 19 after a "attack" where my heart rate was close to 200 bpm for a couple of hours. I was put on Toprol 50 mg for my SVT. This appeared to help but in the beginning I definitely had a slight difficulty with breathing which was exacerbated by stress. It took me a couple of months to get use to the drug especially since my heart rate didn't necessary adapt to the drug right away. I have been trying for a while to get off the medication without the ablation surgery. My cardiologist(s) never thought I should have the procedure since I was so young. It has been a challenge to get off the medication because my heart rate is so high. I was told that my body is so use to the medication that I need to ween myself off. I went down to 25mg for the last year and just in the last week went off of it completely. While I can feel my heart rate (very rarely) every once and a while, it's not enough to get me to go back on the meds. The one side effect that I have had that my doctors have told me about is stomach trouble. Toprol can weaken the muscles in the esophagus (the flap) and cause pain/burning/nausea. My doctors are not 100% certain that this is what is causing my stomach issues but they feel that my prolonged use of the drug has lead to a weakening of my muscle.

Okay folks, I've been taking metoprolol for nearly two months and It sucks big time. Came to this site because of feeling dizzy and I find that's a big problem. I keep feeling dizzier, more tired and I'm a zippy old gal, not overweight, none of that, but dang I just feel like crap and tend to drink more coffee and stuff just to keep zipping. I will take a half dose tonight and call the doc in the morning. Also have gastric problems. Heck, I would rather die of heart attack or brain aneurysm (sp, I know) than live life dizzy.

I just started Toprol XL on Friday (four full days ago). I was put on it to decrease heart rate and palps, I have Inappropriate Sinus Tachycardia. I am 35 years old. I was prescribed to take 50mg twice a day, and I am on the generic. Almost immediately, stomach upset started with diarrhea. I still had some palps at 25 mg. twice a day, which the MD told me to start with for about two days. So, after doing the 25mg for two days twice daily, I went on to the 50mg twice daily. Last night I slept for twelve hours straight, and then felt like I had a sedative after I got up. After taking my next 50mg dose this morning, I got so sleepy again, and felt like sleeping and was in a fog after the twelve hours of sleep last night! I can't imagine mixing anything else with it that causes drowsiness, you would pass out. I feel like I can't think clearly,and feel more crabby and irritable. I called the MD this am. and was told to go back to 25mg twice a day, and that side effects would lessen over time. I have had this sinus tachycardia problem for years, and got diagnosed with it officially in 04. It is very annoying, with shortness of breath, pounding heart,and feeling like you are running a race which sitting still. I have also had an increase in feeling like it skips a beat. All this prompted the Toprol usage. It does help the heart rate and palps, but now I feel so tired I can hardly put one foot in front of the other. I try to walk for thirty min. at least five days a week, and today it was all I could do to make it. I have to watch my twenty month old daily, and I can't keep up with his energy now for sure. I plant to go back to the 25mg twice a day starting tomorrow, and maybe eventually get to the 25mg once daily. I never would recommend anyone stopped something like this cold turkey, you could find yourself in the ER, never play with any heart meds!! I pray that a slow decrease will be the answer to finding some symptom relief of my condition, yet still being able to function daily. Thank God also I am a stay at home mom for now, starting this and trying to work, I would be sleeping on the job!

Back in July I was experiencing rapid heart beats and shortness of breath. I'm a 43 white female with a high stress job. I went to the doctor expecting him to prescribe a sedative. He hooked me up to an EKG which showed I had a left bundle branch block. He then ordered blood work, chest x-rays, an ultra sound, and a nuclear stress test. All test came back fine, but my stress test showed a heart attack, which apparently is common with the left bundle block. I then wore a 24 hour Holter moniter which indicated tachycardia. That's when the doctor prescribed 50 mg Metoprolol. My BP and heart rate are now almost normal and the shortness of breath has gone away. I still experience a mild heaviness in my chest, but that is only when I allow my self to be stressed. I have gained over 5 pounds in less than 2 months and my dreams are more vivid than usual. One side effect that was listed on my drug info sheet that I haven't read about on this site described a cough, which I have had for over a month. I mentioned the cough to my doctor and he said it was prob post nasal drip so he prescribed 180 mg Fexofenadine and told me to cut the Metoprolol in half so I would be taking 25 mg. The Fexofenadine has helped with sneezing that I have always experienced, but the cough is still there. The cough is not always severe, but it has interrupted my sleep twice and my job once. The last bad coughing episode lasted 90 mins during the night. Has anyone else experienced the coughing side effect of Metoprolol?

Hi- I was on Lopressor 50mgs. twice a day for my slightly elevated BP, MVP, SVT, palpitations, and anxiety attacks. Started having some intermittent chest pain (not bad, just annoying). Dr. switched me to Toprol XL 100 mg/day. Of course, insurance made me get Metoprolol ER 100 mg/day (the generic) but I haven't had a problem with it!! I love taking just 1 pill a day instead of having to juggle the two pills and remembering if and when I took them. I take the pill every morning with breakfast (which is usually an apple and a small bowl of cereal and a glass of water). I have gained some weight since being on the Lopressor, but I started the Dash Diet and have lost about 8 lbs. in about 4 months, not too good but I'm not following the diet as well as I should be! I also get tired and occasionally have problems with hearburn and gas, but anytime you take any kind of medication you will have side effects. Wish I didn't have to take any meds but am not willing to subject myself to the effects of high blood pressure, I would rather have the side effects from the meds. My BP is usually 110/75 now and my heart rate is around 70-75. I'm 47 years old and feeling like I might make it into my 90's now!!

i am a 43 yr old male.........i was put on 100mg a day of metoprolol and it did the job of lowering my blood pressure and heart rate. however after about a year of taking the meto my orgasms would take anywhere from 1.5 to 2.5 hours to achieve. at first it was nice to go longer tham usual, but it has became a problem for myself and my wife. i sometimes think i will have a heart attack trying to release, we go thru bottles of lube to keep her from hurting, and my mood became very bad, i was looking for things to complain about, threatening people at work and so on. i started weening myself off meto 2 weeks ago my dividing the pills in half, and went to see my doctor this week. he prescribed lisinopril 10mg and had me divide my metoprolol in half again for another week. already my moods are 100% better, but i still have trouble achieving climax with sex in timely fashion. i hope that problem goes away soon. i am curious, am i the only male here having problems climaxing?

Hello all,
I'm a 45-yr old Air Force Major (Male) recently diagnosed with asymptomatic chronic Atrial Fibrillation (As in I have it and was walking around not knowing it). When I went to see the cardiologist, my B.P. was only 120 / 74 (Which, until they changed the rules, used to be normal)and he puts me on Diovan 80mg once a day plus Coumadin 5mg. Well the Diovan almost made me faint and I had numbness in both arms, plus a funky rash, kind of like chicken pox showing up on my arms and thighs.
I went online and read horror stories of Diovan so I stopped taking it immediately (I had only taken four doses and never had any horrible symptoms until after I took the meds!). Then the Dr. put me on an Event Monitor and it showed I was indeed in A-fib all the time, plus at night, my heart was racing briefly to 200 a minute while I was sound asleep. So he puts me on Toprol XL 100mg once a day.
Immediately I had trouble sleeping (Which I never had before, ever!) with crazy dreams and tossing/turning. My B.P. dropped to 88/65 and my fibrillating heart rate was 64!!! I was so mad because I actually felt better before the meds. I found this site and saw what everyone was posting and immediately took myself off the Toprol XL.
The day after stopping the Toprol I had slight chest pains (Like angina or gas bubble) but they went away on their own. I slept fine the next night.
I'm having an Electro-Cardiversion done on the 21st July to see if I can stop the A-fib and get in normal rhythm. I know the Dr. is going to be mad at me for stopping the Diovan and Toprol, but I'm sorry, I'm convinced there is a better way to beat all this (Namely exercise and eating right). Being in the service means you have to be Mr. Physical and Mental "perfect" all the time. I cannot afford to be diagnosed with depression in my line of work! Thanks to all on this website and I wish you the best.
PS. for those who think I'm being ignorant of my medication, I have a nice fat insurance policy and Power of attorney for my wife and kid in the event I keel over!!! I may be medication intolerant but at least I took care of my family.

OK FOLKS -HERE'S A GOOD ONE FOR YA- Just over a year ago I was on a heart transplant list. Today my heart function is normal and I am off ALL HEART MEDS. Even after finding out my heart function level was normal I was still living a nightmare for some unexplained reason. After MONTHS of tests and everyone telling me I was nuts a neurologist finally found out I was having seizure activity. Funny how my "seizure activity" feels EXACTLY how I felt when they increased my beta blocker dosage. I'm telling all of you.. This beta blocker helps some but they are burying their mistakes. I now know all of my ER trips, only to have them laugh and have them send me back home, were do to seizures caused by beta blockers while I had heart failure. I'm lucky to be alive.... and now that my heart function is good I have to fight this seizure BS. *REMEMBER THIS - Only YOU know what your body is telling you.. LISTEN TO IT! But do be careful.. You can't just stop taking a beta blocker.. Good luck all cuz we sure need it!

I am 36 and take 100 mg of generic Toprol a day. I was put on it due to many ( I mean 30 to 40) palps a day. I had been on Atenolol for about 5 years and the doctors told me it had simply quit working. I had an echo and a 24 hour holtor monitor and both came back negative, yet I felt like I was dying daily. My palps have diminished with the medicine, with a change in diet and running 5 or 6 days a week for about 3 miles. Caffeine and alcholol have almost been excluded. I do have cold hands and feet and have had much trouble losing weight. Stomach cramps and an upper right side cramps have been an issue. After reading your posts I think we need to get off this stuff

Weight gain,muscle pain/tiredness especially in the lower legs. Fatigue/lack of energy, moodiness. Also intestinal bloating/gas.

Getting adequate exercise is problematic given I can't get my heart rate into my target area, and the almost constant pain and dead feeling in my lower legs. It gets to the point that I have to stop walking and wait for the blood flow to reach my lower extremities. I am assuming this is a large contribting factor to my weight gain.

I was put on Toprol XL 6.5 yrs ago. My heart rate had soared to 130+ and b.p. was elevated. So my family doctor put me on Toprol XL 100 mgs. From day one I felt exhausted. He told me that would soon clear up and not to worry, we needed to be more concerned with my heart rate and b.p. I listened and was a good patient. After a year of total exhaustion and having to quit my job I asked to be taken off Toprol. He said it was the only medication that would control my heart rate and b.p. together. He agreed to reduce it to 75 mgs. After a few months I went back and said it was still too much! My b.p. was better as was my heart rate so he lowered it to 50 mgs. Things got a little better at least I could get out of bed by 10:00! Fed up I lowered it to 25 mgs. and tracked my b.p. Finally I told my doctor and he said as long as my b.p.was better 25 mgs.was ok. By this time though I was having other symptoms, body aches, joint pain, mind fog. He attributed it to arthritis and put me on Vioxx. 2 pills later I stopped due to chest pains. The symptoms I had experienced over the past 2 yrs continued so I sought a new physician. Once again he said Toprol XL was the only medication I could take for tachycardia and high b.p. My b.p. was again elevated so my meds were increased to 50 mgs. he wanted to go 100mgs., I said NO!
In 2004 I was diagnosed with Fibromyalgia, the pain had become so bad now it was debilitating. I had all the full blown symptoms of Fibro, extreme exhaustion, body aches, joint pain, mind fog, depression etc etc. So I sought treatment for Fibromyalgia for 3 yrs. Not so successfully I might add.
I should note that I had none of these symptoms before Toprol XL.

During a recent Gynecology visit my b.p. was extremely high. I told her my story about Toprol. She said point blank, They are NOT listening to you. I think all the side effects you have been having are due to the Toprol XL.She sent me to a Cardiologist. God bless her!!
After many tests he immediately took me off Toprol. He put me on another medication instead. I am having withdrawal side effects from Toprol, shakiness, shortness of breath, heart rate acceleration and mind fogginess. But, anything is better than another day on Toprol. He told me what I was experiencing was normal withdrawing from Toprol. He also assured me there were many other alternatives to Toprol and if the new medication doesn't work there are other options.
I think Toprol XL is the next drug that should be banned!! I pray everyday my life will return to what it was before Toprol XL and that I will not have any lasting side effects from this horrible drug.

I'm a 43 y/o male, on Toprol-Xl (25mg) and Diovan(80-mg) for high blood pressure. I've been on Diovan since it hit the market (no side effects at all) but recently developed a fast heart rate with no explaination. I saw a cardiologist and he put me on 25mg of Toprol-XL once each day.It's been 7 weeks and I'm fairly well adjusted with few minor side effects (slow pulse, cold extremities, weird chest feelings when the Toprol starts to wear off) and a major side effect (lack of sleep and weird dreams).

I read an article that Toprol-XL is time released and the medication has it's peak affect 8-hours after taking the dose. I was taking the medication with dinner, but would then wake up at 3:00 am, wide awake, couldn't fall back to sleep. I now take the medication with lunch and my sleep patterns have improved considerably. My incredibly, sometimes scary, dreams have tapered off too. My blood pressure is picture perfect (usually 115-125 over 70 to 80) and the bursts of rapid heartbeats have stopped altogether (I had an echo stress test, echocardiogram, blood work, 3 EKG's) and all were normal. My cardiologist said all my side effects are normal and that if i couldn't tolerate them he would switch my beta blocker.

Been on Toprol XL for 4 years. I am 64 with SVT and mitral valve prolapse. I was started at 50mg daily and got relief but when breakthrough SVT started the dose went up to 50mg in the AM and 25mg in the evening. I still have breakthroughs but can wait them out. I did notice that my SVT or palpitations seemed to be triggered with an imminent BM. I have been diagnosed with fibromyalgia but coincidentally....it started with severe muscle pain when I started taking Toprol XL. I wasn't told that this could be a side effect.HMMMM When my insurance was discontinued (retirement) I started taking the generic due to cost. I haven't noticed any difference between the two. I also noticed that after a SVT episode I have a increase in urination....Toprol or SVT? I also noticed that I am very aware of an increase in a feeling doom. I have had ekgs etc and my heart is in good shape otherwise.

36 yr old female. Was started on Toprol -XL in Sept 07 during my angiogram to relax my heart and lower my heart rate. Have also been on Lisinopril for several years prior for hypertension. Since starting the Toprol, I have had increasing depression, lethargy, shortness of breath, chest pains that have worsened, my feet are FREEZING all the time, I have gained 17.5 pounds, my fasting blood sugar is now up to 160-170 range, I have had many headaches (like the kind you get when your BP is sky high) and the other thing I have noticed is that my BP is bouncing ALL over the place. Last week it was down to 90/54 and I felt horrible. Then it will go up to 140/99(ISH). Find it really hard to finish my own sentences lately, and if I had nothing else to do, I could easily sleep 12-16 hours a day-everyday. I am down to 12.5 mg a day, and will be speaking to my cardiologist about this asap, had NO idea that Toprol could have been the culprit until I was told about this site. Thank you to everyone for sharing their stories, and good luck and blessings to all.

I am sitting here is shock as I read the posts here. I have been taking Toprol XL for about 5 years now. It was 50MG and went up to 100MG when I had some heart arrythmias. Except for some dizziness at first no other side effects were noticed. For some reason my cardiologist switched me to me metprolol. I am currently scheduled for colonoscopy, a look into my stomach as well as blood test and stool test and on a strict diet.. why?, because I have been having serious gastro problems for 2 months now. (Diarrea, gas, stomach pain, blood )I told m first gastro guy about my meds and he said Metoprolol would not cause it. Yet I have just read here and on a side affect site, that gastro problems happen to 5 out of 100 people!!! This problem started very soon after I switched meds. Yesterday I skipped m meds accident. I went 48 hours without meds. NO problems! I took m meds last night and this morning my stomach is in turmoil. Tomorrow I cut my meds in half. Then call my cardio guy and change back to Toprol. There is an obvious difference in the drugs.

wow what a eye opening experience this board has been, in march of 06 i went to the hopst. with a heart rate of over 200 bpm which lasted 4 hours befor i went to hosp. they took me in did some blood work ect. then i got these shots that brouht my heart back to a normal rythem. the next night when i went to be i swore that it was starting all over again i freaked out went back to the e r this time they had me stay for 3 days during this time they started with the toporol. when i went to my dr the next day i got a script for toporol xl 25 mg 1 x a day next visit he raised it to 50 every time i went back i said my heart was not beating right fast and thumpy well a year later i am up to 200 mg after a month i could not take it any more the depression thAT i have been experiencing this last month just about put me over the edge, i hated every one and every thing so depressed foggy feeling all the time no getup and go every thing was a chore. i fount this web sight last night i read almost every post theay all souned like me at some point or another well the last time i took my meds was monday night
when i got up this am i tell you i felt good i had the best day i have had in so long i spent the whole day at work today and it was almost a joy being there i had a clear head i did not want to kill my employees. on my way home tonight i actually yawned and it dawned on me that is really the forst time in may month that i did that i am goint to the dr in the am to see if he will find some thing else for me to take my bp has been 140/85 pulse 74 not to bad so hope fully i will not have to take this any more well thaks for listening hope every one gets some thing that works with out all the bad side effects

Just resumed my 25mg of toporol XL after a miserable 5 day trial on lisinopril. My main symptoms are PVC's, chest tightness (chronic), lightheadedness. These seem to be somewhat helped by the medication, and I wonder about upping it to 50mg (MD fine with that), but I really don't want to be on it. Originally put on for high BP (150/90), and persistent PVCs. I need to lose about 40 pounds to get the BP back to normal, but if this toporol puts the weight on that is truelly a catch 22. Anyone find any supplements that could be helpful? Please feel free to email me. Thanks Liam

I wanted to give an update. I'm the 31 year old cancer survivor who posted yesterday about my concerns with Toprol XL and some side-effects I was feeling. After a trip to the doctor, everything was made clear to me.

After having some bloodwork done and a chest x-ray, we determined that I, in fact, have congenital heart failure. This is when the heart is unable to pump blood fast enough to the body's organs. The result is weight gain due to fluid retention, shortness of breath, and especially trouble breathing when lying down. So, I imagine, the body's natural remedy to this is to speed up the rate in which the heart pumps, to compensate and get the needed blood to the body. That would explain my elevated heart rate.

Toprol XL did exactly what it was supposed to do: lower my heart rate. But, in my case (and, as it seems to me, might also be the case for many of the people posting here), that was not the right solution for me. Slowing the heart rate caused the natural side-effects of congenital heart failure to emerge. So, what I thought were side-effects of Toprol XL were in fact simply the my body's "normal" state, being someone with this heart condition.

As of today, I have stopped taking the Toprol XL and have been placed on a few new medications in its place. I have been correctly diagnosed now, and I look forward to feeling better soon.

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.

Hello to you all. I have been on Toprol XL for 8-10 months. I have "palpitations" which is why I was placed on this med. Also a diagnosis of Mitral Valve Prolapse. My doctor told me that the MVP can trigger the palpitations and that Toprol is the drug of choice. It helped for a few days. I felt like a new person at first. Then the palpitations gradually started to come back. I have gained 10 lbs. I am 50 years old and assumed that my wt gain was menopause. Now I think that is NOT the answer. I am an RN and I intend to wean myself off of the Toprol after reading the messages here! Why do I need to keep taking a medicine that is causing me to get fat and is NOT controlling my symptoms? Good luck to you all.

Knock on wood --I do not have any side effects! I take Toprol XL 50 mg per day. I had been to the ER three times with a heart rate of 150-160's but the highest it has gone since toprol is 104 but only for a few minutes!! I guess they might increase the dose a little?

Gosh that heart rate of 150-160's was so scarey I am glad they make toprol !!

I have a tendency for high blood pressure, and due to several major stress factors, I knew my pressure was high & I was having anxiety attacks & not sleeping & migraines. It was my pressure. It was like 137/100. My heart rate was fast. I'm 41. I started ToprolXL 25 mg & really felt better for a couple months. No more headaches. I did, however, always think I'm hypoglycemic or perhaps diabetic. I feel like I need to eat sugar with this med. My scary problem is that I decided to lose weight & started working out at a much higher intensity than my normal walking. I feel REALLY weird. It's like this med is fighting your heart rate when you work out & I feel like I need major sugar. I feel like my heart is swishy in its beats. I'm calling dr tomorrow to get in. The warnings do say that when you are diabetic or hypoglycemic, this med could mask it, but I feel like my blood sugar feels lower taking this med. I also feel like I still have racing heart, but I was under terrible stress & running around when these symptoms started like 2 or 3 days ago.

I have been taking Toprol for about a year for elevated heart rate. It slowed down my heart allright, and my metabolism slowed down with it! I've gained 20 lbs in a year! I joined Weight Watchers 9 weeks ago expecting to lose about 10 lbs by now. I keep a food journal, eat per the program and exercise 5 times a week. I have lost NOTHING. It is very depressing when you do everything that you're supposed to to lose weight and nothing happens. I am going to discuss other alternatives with my physician.

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.

This medication has saved my life. I am in my mid 20's and have been taking Toprol for 2 years. Ever since 9-11 I have had a hard time keeping my anxiety under control. I tired a number of anxiety medications but Toprol was the only thing that could keep my heart rate under control.

When I forget to take the meds I experience an elevated heart rate. It goes away shortly after I take the next dose. After being on this medication for so long I've started to notice minor problems with weight gain, low energy, and depression. I think now that I have my blood pressure under control it's time to start ramping down the dose.

Talk to your doctor before you get off this medication. I quit cold turkey once before and my blood pressure skyrocketed.

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.

It's strange that I'm seeing racing heart rate as a side effect... I am on toporol xl 12.5 to control my rapid heart beat and it has been effective. I do get leg cramps and fatigue though, and if I get a little stressed out I feel like passing out. I was experiencing anxiety and waking in the night before I began toporol and it has seemed to cure this for the most part.

I am a 43 year old female with mitral valve prolopse.
My cardiologist prescribed toprol 25mg.
After 3 months I begin to experience lightheadness
and bouts with panic attacks and extreme slowed heart rate.
I've had all caradic tests(nuclear test, stress test, no valve damaged, or blockage)
My heart rate slowed up so much, I began to sweat. Went to emergency room 4 times in 1 week. Chest x-rays perfect,
I will try 12.5 mg of tablet and see how this works..
If no changes I am requesting to take something else..

Hi, I have been on 100mg of TP now for a year. I am 48 yoa, male and in ok shape otherwise. I was put on this drug for a fast heart rate. 145 - 160 at rest. I also have had all of the other side effects as every one else. I am just wandering if any male on this drug has used any ED drugs. I have been putting off the trip to the doc to ask. I would love to here from any one that has tried any of the ED drugs.

Terry.

I have been on Tp xl 50 mg for 6 years. I have had several issues through the years that I never thought the Tp was affecting. My throat has been sore for a year, I am tired alllll the time, moody and even worse at that time of the month, my left shouder has hurt for years and I never associated it with my meds, until now. I have NO SEX drive at all, poor hubby. My BP is good however when working out, Cardio my heart rate stays at 95. I have gained a 100 lbs in the 6 years I have been on TP and I am very moody. I never can finish sentence because I am always trying to come up with words to fill my sentences. Still I never thought this was cause of Tp. The only thing I blamed my TP on was weight gain, mood swings. Know I can associate alot more with my meds. Thanks for the reading material.
Cathy

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've been on Toprol for 4 and a half months now. I started at 25mg but the BP and heart rate would skyrocket with the slightest physical/mental stress. I started 50 mg two weeks ago. BP is coming down slowly, heart rate is still up (better than before) I wasn't sure if these were related to Toprol. I get disoriented (especially at night) only happening after I started 50 mg. I'm constantly tired, unusually depressed or angry some days and can't lose weight. I actually am increasing in size. I am so glad to find this board..I know I am not imagining these side effects.

57 years old healthy white male. Exercise 6 or 7 times per week, excellent diet, lots of neutricuticals. I gt occasional (once per month) bouts of lone atrial fib, requiring 2 to 3 doses of rythmol to regain sinus rythmn. I use metoprolol when I sense an impending atrial arythmn, usually once or twice a week. My only side effect is an inability to exercise strenuously while on the drug - just can't obtain a high enough heart rate.

I am attempting to electrically reprogram my sympathetic nervous system. I am using rythmol and metoprolol proactively before an attack, soon as I feel one coming on. I have extended the intervals between episodes to about 5 weeks with this method. I would appreciate input from anyone with similar symptoms.

Bruce

I had an afib attack a few years back & was diagnosed w/WPW. Had catheter ablation...afib returned 1 year later. I am now on flecanide for rhythm & toprol 25 for heart rate/bp for the last 9 months. Over the last 3 months, I've been getting attacks of a swollen throat that are getting more severe every week (cardiologist, pulmonologist, e.n.t., gastroenterologist, er docs all have no clue!). I feel that it is probably angioneurotic edema that has been brought on by the beta blocker (has been linked to ace inhibitors as well). I'll post back in a few weeks after being off of Toprol (cardiologist approved). BTW...I am only 36.

I had mild heart attack 6 weeks ago. I had a 90% blockage in one artery and minimal or none in the others. I Left the Hospital with a mdicated stent and on Topral XL and Lisinopril, and Lipitor. Since then, no energy, depression, insomnia, generally bad feeling. I stopped topral and lisinopril 4 days ago. My BP and heart rate are still very low 40 to 60 beats per minutes, BP 110 to 120 over 60 to 80. How long do these drugs stay in your system? 52 year old male with no other health issues and previously active life.

I'm taking toprol-XL 100 mg. 1 time a day for high bp and fast heart rate. I would wake up some nights out of the blue with my heart beating so fast it feels like it was going to jump out of my chest.I'm also taking Benicar HCT for about three and a half months now. I have been very tired all the time, I also feel like something is in my chest sometimes. When breathing out I hear a rattling sound in my chest but can't cough to clear it up and I have gotten hoarse. sometimes I can be seating or lying down on the sofa and start to feel really bad all of a sudden for no reason and my pressure goes up really high. My pressure have not been stable since, it has even been low as 95/72. When it shoots up for no reason it is 163/113.I also have jumping in my fingers and muscles, Has anyone experience that.

the weight gain has to be from the slowing of your heart rate, you cant burn anything, hence weight gain

also to add to my prior email i too was put on toprol to stop heart palps and a fast heart rate. every test i have had done says my heart is fine. I am a 34 yr old mother of two beautiful girls who feels like i cant wake up in the morning to get them ready, or cant wait to go to bed at nite so hopefully i'll feel better the next day. please let me know if this is all to familiar, and what did you do to help it.

I had been taking 50MG of Toprol for approx 1 yr with no apparent side effects. A few months ago, I went through a Cox-Maze open heart procedure when my dosage was doubled to 100MG to help reduce my elevated heart rate of 120-140 BPM. My heart rate continued to remain high and I had a very pronounced shortness of breath, went to the ER where I was found to have fluid around my heart/lungs. After being treated with diuretics and a couple additional medications, the heart rate continued to remain high so my dose of Toprol was doubled to 200 MG....since that time, I have noticed increased muscle weakness, fatigue, and have almost passed out several times. It is a very scary and insecure feeling not being able to go anywhere or do anything in fear of passing out.

I took Toprol XL for a short time in order to regulate extremely high systolic bp. It did little to reduce that, but brought down the diastolic rate as well as my heart rate so low I was in danger of passing out. The doctor immediately took it away and replaced it with one that takes care of the systolic withough demolishing the diastolic.

I have been on Toprol for about 3 months. Since then I have gained about 10 pounds, am tired all the time, have mood swings, and have lost all motivation, and have other annoying side effects. My blood pressure is down as well as my heart rate, but is it worth living like a zombie?

Got put on toprol xl 25 mg 2 weeks ago for rapid heart beat and tightness in chest. Slowed my heart rate down and can breathe much better now but have cramping in my legs, pain in my sides (lower back side), and feel like I'm in a cloud. Anyone else have this?

Have been on Toprol 25 mg for almost a year, and prior to that was at 50mg for about two years, prescribed for fast heart rate/benign palpitations and also for boderline high BP. Worked fine for BP and palpitations, but six months ago, BP went high again, so now on Diovan low dose and still Toprol 25 mg. Anyway, Diovan has fixed the BP. The most major side effect with TOPROL I believe is the cause for my shortness of breath. I have now began weaning myself off of the Toprol (with ok from Cardiologist) and hope to see an improvement with the SOB....it's been terrible. I get short of breath just talking on the phone, and I do not smoke. I'm hopeful that the symptoms will improve one my body is clear of the Toprol. Anybody else experience SOB from Toprol?

having been taking toprol for nearly two years. This drug was presecribed to help with blood pressure and cardiomyopothy hypotrophy. Started out with 100mg per day and was advised to increase to 200mg per day/ morining and evening. My morning dose is taken with 180mg Verapamil. Primary physician just added nifedapine. I stopped the toprol regime for about 6 days and ended up in the hospital for about 4 days. My heart started racing and got up to 180bpm. My cardiologist stated that I should have never stopped the toprol. I would like to come off this medication. Does anyone have any suggestions. I don't not want to go through that rapid heart beat situation again. has anyone experienced such a heart rate based on stopping the use of toprol. I am now back on 100mg of it in the a.m. with 180 of verapamil and an aspirin. My evening dose is 100mg of toprol, 10mg of crestor and Niaspin 500mg as a nightime dose. This seems like it is so much medicine. I hate the feelings that come with this. Would love to have some feedback so that I can resume a much better life. Sex drive is low as well and I am only 49 year old black american male.

help

I just was put on toprol a few days ago and have only taking it twice in which I am suppose to be taking it once a day. After the first one I was having hallucinations but didn't think of it until reading some of these side effects. I don't think I should keep taking it. sounds pretty scary. I have had some pretty off the wall dreams both times I've taking it so far plus shortness of breath. Please tell me if you would stop taking it. Please some one tell me something cause as of now I'm not going to take it again unless someone on here tells me I should. I have pvc and was just diagnosed with it. My heart rate was 240 when the ambulence came and checked me out. It happened a week ago. Today is jun. 22nd. It was very scarey for me cause I have never had problems like this before. I don't know much about it and I'm trying to find out more. Please help in making the right decision on whether to stop taking it or not. I personally think I should stop I'm 38 yrs. old. Thank you Teresa

Hi,

Had BP spike due to panic attacks and primary high BP 170/110. Was put on "water pill" and 25 mg, did nothing, 50 mg, lowered it some but not enough. Then 100 mg. BP is 127/79, but have had modest weight gain, short-term memory loss, decreased interest in sex, and the mental fogginess. See the Dr. in Feb., can he substitute anything for this? Heart rate is down to 65-70 was 100-110. Also eating less, and walking but still the weight gain. Thanks. 46 year old male.
Randy

Took 100mg for several years. Began to workout program to drop weight. BP dropped, I began taking 50mg. Lost more weight, BP dropped, I gradually weaned myself off. Day two - off the med, heart rate went from normal 70 to 110 resting. I also developed a bad rash and pimples on my back during the last part of the process. I am back taking 25mg, trying to wean myself off again.

My husband has been on Toprol for almost one year--they have been enlarging and decreasing his dossage almost every week! It's frustrating. At one point while taking 50mg his heart rate slipped down to 48 which is dangerous for him. And, Toprol seemed to be linked to his potassium loss. So they decreased the dossage to 25mg, but his heart rate still went to low. He was also very moody, which is very unlike him and he got very depressed and lacked interest in normal family activietes. He is only 33 years old. He stopped taking Toprol as of Sunday and I have already seen a difference in personality--he seems happy now all the time. His rate is about 66 in the morning and around 70-80 at rest during the afternoon. I will keep you posted.

I take 100mg of toprol XL per day. Have had rashes, tiredness, wild dreams, hot flashes, hands and toes cold all the time. But the good thing is my bp and heart rate are low while taking toprol.

I have been on Toprol for 5 weeks and I have gained 6 pounds. I take 25mg. I am now able to sleep at night without being woken up by a pounding heart rate. Is the weight gain part of taking this medication?