Toprol-XL and medication

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.

I am a 40 year old woman. I was having to do a lot of mediation for my work and discovered I had situational high blood pressure. BP was 160/105, pulse 90. Started taking metroprolol and have had terrible dreams about huge spiders at night. That they're in my bed or dropped on my head. Creepy.

My major complaint however is that I feel fuzzy in my mind. I am a paralegal and I have difficulty grasping the word I'm looking for in situations - which is a terrible problem. I do believe that the medication calms me down - but I feel a tiny bit out of it - not really forgetful, just a lot of difficulty grabbing onto and expressing what I'm trying to say. "Fuzzy" is the best word I can use to describe it.

Well.....ain't this drug wonderful!! Glad I came here first. I am currently on Diovan 80mg. basically doing very well on it, but I started to loose some hair, and do have some sinus issues, so talked w/Doctor he gave me a prescript. for Toprol XL yesterday, got it filled (my proper prescription for 3mos. supply mail in is written for the Brand Name) the prescrip. I filled yesterday locally (he gave me 2mos to fill locally before sending in my mail in prescrip.) My God! When I read the patient info, scared the living crap out of me! See if I TAKE that medication - NOT! I will stick with the devil I know, Diovan and hope that the hair loss thing will resolve itself. I suffer from anxiety, so can push my BP up at will, and it's been up since I started stressing on the hair loss - I have made up my mind to just try and chill about it, but Diovan appears to be one of the least "evil" of the BP meds I'v taken so far. Lisinopril was a nightmare, Diltiazem wasn't too bad, but thought my teeth were going to fall out! I swear, the anxiety about these meds. does nothing to help ones BP but I definitely am not taking this poison, probably would make me stress worrying, I'd give myself a stroke. I am making a copy of the patient info. and sending it to my Dr. (whom I love by the way) and ask him "what the hell were you thinking Doctor?" Good luck everyone

I've been taking 25mg toprol-xl since December 07, Went to Dr one day for something not heart related and he told me I have a heart murmur, after several test I found out my tricuspid valve was regurgitating. My BP has been a little high but nothing out of control. I have gained over 20lbs since Dec, I ve been extremely tired, swelling in hands and feet. Aches and pains in joints and muscles. I just recently stopped taking zocor thinking that was the culprit and probably was, but now I think it could be the combination of the two. I am going to take myself off of the toprol (monitoring my BP of course) and was wondering how. Any suggestions would be appreciated.

I am a 56 year old that had an aortic valve replacement 51/2 years ago, I have been on toprol only 12 mg a day for around 4 years I have had minor side effects, cold feet, cold hands, optical migraine headaches (once in a while). I was on the real toprol for years and then the folks at walgreens offered a generic and I excepted, things were fine and I was rolling along until they chaned generic brands from SANDOZ to ETHEX, I seemed fine on the SANDOZ it even looked the same as the real thing, but when walgreens gave me ETHEX (which is a round pill about twice as large as the other) I began to feel sensations in the middle of my chest and sometimes while taking my pulse it felt like my Heart stopped or skipped a beat, this scared the shit out of me! I took about 22 days worth of EHTEX and the symptoms kept getting worse, I finally called the Cardio folks and they suggested that I wear a Holter monitor for 24 hours, which I did and felt that I had a few Heart stopping moments along with a odd heart burn sensation in the middle of my chest. Two nights ago I found some of the SANDOZ that I had saved for vacations and began taking 12 mg of that instead of the ETHEX today for the first time in nearly 3 weeks I had NO Heartburn problems and NO Heart stopping experience, mind you this was only day one! Looking forward to day 2 and now that I have read all of the side effects from all the good folks on this site, that are not listed when you purchase the drugs, my opinion is that all GENERIC drugs that are suppose to be IDENTICAL to the real thing is a huge lie! What the hell is the FDA doing? Are they trying to let the GENERIC FOOLS poison all of the good folks that actually need these drugs without doing or maybe reading the test results? Or maybe the drug company's have so much clout that they can grease a few palms and get there GENERIC shit to market. To think that these drugs are suppose to be IDENTICAL and then to receive a pill that looks NOTHING like the real thing and when you bust it in half it's a different frickin color (ETHEX)!!!! What was I thinking taking this GENERIC piece of garbage! The GENERIC buttheads along with the real manufacturers should be required by LAW to list ALL ingredients on the label so all of the good folks can read and compare to see what there swallowing and putting into there bodes! I hope to get off of thos drug soon but if I don't rest asure that I will seek out the real thing. I was so freaked out by the side effects that the Cardio Doctor scheduled an ECHO for this Friday, I think the valve is fine but we will find out! Good luck all!

I had taken Toprol XL for years and thought I was doing fairly well. The side effects began to get worse with the absolute worse being that I woke a few times in the middle of the night with the room spinning out of control and sweating. The usual side effects I've now read such as weight gain, dizziness, dreams, shortness of breath, digestion not quite right, etc. had always been there, but I didn't quite recognize them realize until I came across this web site. Thank goodness I did. I have now been completely off Toprol XL for over a month and truly feel so much better (and normal). Even though for years I've watched my diet carefully and exercised faithfully, I would gain weight extremely easily and when I did go on a "diet", I would have to practically eat nothing in order to lose a few pounds. I'm so hoping now my metabolism will return to normal, and I can lose these extra pounds I want to lose. I realize everyone can't get off the medication, but if at all possible, P L E A S E consider doing so. This stuff is scary!!

I am a 37 year old female that went to the ER 3 days ago for chest tightness & extremely high blood sugar. I have had high blood pressure in the past years but as of a year ago when I was diagnosed as being diabetic my blood pressure has been normal about 117/75 so I go to the ER and they give me 2 EKG's and a heart monitor for 24hrs and put me through a stress test,they also give me this little pill and say it will help me, well not feeling well and wanting to feel good again I take the pill no questions asked. I have never felt so tired in my life. I thought well chest pains will do that to you so I dismissed it. I know they were making sure I do not have a heart attack but, my blood pressure seems to be going lower and lower and I am more tired by the minute, they released me from the hospital and gave me a million RX's including toprol and lisinopril both of whch lower blod pressure ??? do they want me to pass out? so yesterday I took the toprol only and felt like I was sinking , my thinking seemed foggy and my legs felt rubbery. I am sooooo glad I found this site because I will not take this drug ever again I already suffer weight issues being diabetic I don't need anything else. I would prefer to be interested in sex and be able too function this drug seems like it is more negative than it is worth. I think I will stick with the lisinopril, and why would they give me two blood pressure meds when my blood pressure is already normal??? If anyone has a comment please let me know I am very scared about this whole thing

Started on Metoprolol about two months ago for a sudden onset of heart irregularity, mostly skipped beats. I'm already experiencing some of same problems described on this site. Because of that, I was looking for information and ended up on this site. My symptoms include daily headaches, inertia and lack of motivation, feel like sleeping all day long, wt gain, foggy headed, bloating and stomach discomfort. These symptoms have either started or intensified since I started on this medication. I plan to wean off this as soon as possible, with or without the doctor's cooperation. I've had a cardiac workup since I started the medication and no problems were detected.

I am a 39 year old white male that had aortic valve replacement surgery five years ago. About three months after the surgery (which went off without a hitch) I had a tremendous spike in my BP that went on for a few days (200/100 - enough so I could see my heartbeat in my eyes!). My Dr started me on Toprol XL 75 and while it brought my BP down some, it didn't bring it down a lot. He moved me to 200 mg a day and now my BP is around 105/55 with a resting pulse around 50.

While I experienced many of the side effects listed here (feeling groggy, confused, etc) they only lasted a few months. I must admit that I did pack on about 20 lbs over six months. However, unlike so many who choose to blame drugs (or lack thereof) for their problems, I took it upon myself to start exercising and guess what?!? The weight comes off! I now weigh less than when I graduated high school, I am in better shape than any time in my life and I believe that exercise helps me sleep better at night. All of this even though I still take 200mg a day. Given that some of you say that you're practically dead at taking 25, I should be 6 feet under or weigh 400 lbs.

I guess what I want to say is that perhaps instead of jumping on the bandwagon here that Toprol causes all of your problems, perhaps you want to take your own health into your hands and begin to eat a little better and exercise (and don't give me "but my ankles are swollen!" excuse - there is something called water aerobics). I don't deny that it can cause some side effects, but it can work wonders with your BP. You just have to DO SOMETHING to help keep the weight off (which then help with the sleep problems, mental clarity, etc).

I am a 45 year old black female. After the death of my father, I started experiencing blood pressure problems and headaches. I was diagnosed with obstructive sleep apnea 2 years ago. Not having bought a CPAP yet has contributed to a lot of the blood pressure and headache problems. But, my GP put me on Toprol in June '08. I am having difficulty sleeping.Every time I eat, I have severe gas and my chest is hurting off and on. There has got to be a better solution. I started exercising and using Isagenix (******). It is simply wonderful - I have lost weight and toxins. When I go to my doctor on tomorrow, I am going to ask him if I can get off of Toprol. I do not like the way this medication makes me feel.

I am a woman in her early 60's. I have slightly elevated BP abd it does tend to spike first thing in the morning, after waking and is much lower (normal) at night. I have tried several different BP meds and had side effects of all of them. The Doctor recently put me on Toprol XL 25mg. After about three weeks, I really did not feel well - extreme fatigue, severe leg and joint pain, depression. I just could not function. I know I am extremely sensitive to medication. I decided to come off the Toprol, after only three weeks and go back to Lisinopril 2.5MG. Now, after only two days of not taking Toprol, I truly feel very weird. Far less tired, but extreme dizziness and a kind of spaced out feeling. Is this just the withdrawal from Toprol...and after only three weeks of taking it? Plus, my BP seems to be very low - the lowest I have ever recorded it. 112/55 last night. Does coming off Toprol actually have a reverse effect and plummit your BP until it is out of your system. If so, why has my doctor told me to triple upon the Lisinopril now I am back on that. Dealing with even slightly elevated BP has become such a major issue for me.

Weight gain, swollen middle,ankles,and feet. Tired and eat every little and exercise by walking most days. Can't walk too fast because I experience shortness of breath. I take 150 mg a day.

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'm a 30 yr old healthy male. I went to the ER, and then the Dr., about 4 weeks ago after waking up with intense pain in the veins of my right arm and having pounding palps. I had just been told some extremely stressful news the night before, so I was pretty sure this was blood pressure & stress related. ... EKG showed Wolf-Parkinson-White syndrome, so that's what the Dr's assumed was the problem. I never knew what it was called, but I've had my heart race due to WPW many times since I was a young child .. this did not seem to be related. This was just pounding.

The cardiologist put me on 50mg of Toprol XL daily to control the WPW - even though that wasn't acting up. I left confused. Pharmacy issued generic Metoprolol Succinate mfg. by Sandoz.

I didn't want to be on meds, so I didn't take it for the first few days, hoping that I would return to normal. After all, I just woke up with this all of the sudden.. I had been fine the day before. Palps continued, though, so eventually I relented and started taking the meds.

The first two or three weeks were filled with ups and downs. Exhaustion, palpitations and anxiety would come and go.

This past weekend things got really bad. I began having anxiety attacks -- I think that's what it was, I'd never had one before -- and my vision was totally screwed up. I couldn't focus on anything and was sensitive to some lighting. Black text on a bright white screen (lcd monitor) was especially hard to read. I was completely in a dazed & confused state. Loud noises and crowds were bothering me... which was awful, considering it was my best friend's wedding. Also had headaches, lightheadedness & loss of appetite. These side effects came and went on Friday & Saturday and were pretty constant on Sunday & Monday.

I decided to quit Toprol cold-turkey on Sunday. I have been 2 days without. I have used L-Theamine to reduce stress and keep my blood pressure steady. It seems to be working. I also began taking CoQ10 today after reading some good things about it here.

My vision & mental focus is beginning to improve after 3 days of disabilitating problems. Anxiety has also improved. I even attempted to "get back to normal" at work today, but had to leave after only an hour of strenuous exercise in the heat. Vision problems returned, anxiety set in. It's like riding a really freaking scary roller coaster, except with a legitimate fear that this thing might kill you.

I will update this as time goes by, to let you all know how things worked out for me. I'm really hoping to be mostly back to normal in another day or two, since I haven't been on for very long. Hopefully this will be of help to someone in the future. Damn, I Wish I had never gotten on this stuff.

I decided a long time ago, Doctor's are not the best listeners!! I am a nurse, I know!! Read my post today June 18th. I have been praying for an answer to all my symptoms, especially the profuse sweating I have been having for the past year!!! I believe I have found my answer at this site. Thank God I found it. All because I was looking up info about Toprol because after the doctor increased my dosage yesterday , today my ankles and feet swelled up like balloons!!!!! Now I have pitting edema!!!
I have gone to a # of doctor's in the past year and a half and I think they believe it is all " in my head"!!! I have been so depressed. My husband has even threatened to leave me. NO interest in much of anything. I don't know what it is like to sleep anymore :-( My husband says " just close your eyes and sleep like a normal person". Maybe after he reads the posts at this site he will begin to understand that everything I have been going through is "REAL". I am calling my Dr. in the morning and she will WEAN me off this awful drug!!! My BP has been going up since I have been on Toprol instead of going down. I have wondered why the Dr. didn't just change the med. It really makes one wonder. DO the Dr's ever hear what we are saying???? I would be happy to share stories with anyone on this site. How many of you have experienced profuse sweating???? The doctor will WEAN me off this drug!!! :-)
God bless everyone!! I pray you all get off this drug!! It needs to be pulled by the FDA!!!
Joyce47oh ;-)

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.

My mother is on Toprol-XL, and she has complained of being so fatigued, she sleeps so much, and this is someone who has always had a tremendous amount of energy. The other thing, and I would love a reply to this - she said she's experienced something at night while sleeping that feels like a seizure. She describes this as follows, "like my brain is shaking or trembling inside my head and my hands are trembling too." Has anyone else experienced this? Please let me know.

I started to use toprol the generic type 3 weeks ago, I have the worst panic attacks, anxiety and depression ever, I never had depression in my life before, this medication took my pleasure of life away from me. I am getting off this horrible medication, started with 50, now I am on 25 (symptoms better), in two days I will be down to 12.5, then seven and is bye, bye. I read is not good to go cold turkey on this medication.

My BP had been slightly elevated for over a year and my doctor felt it was time for medication. He started me on 25mgs and continued to increase it till I reached 100mgs. I started having anxiety attacks, lightheadedness, dizziness and finally ended up so sick that I was in bed for three days. It was the toprol. I was only on toprol for 3months but found out that trying to come off the drug was the hardest thing I have done. I never had BP spikes before but at the end of the first 24 hrs. without Toprol my BP was hitting 200/104. I went to ER. Matter of fact, the spikes continued and I was in and out of ER until I was finally admitted for tests. The spikes were also accompanied by flushing, rapid pulse(122 beats per minute), lightheadedness and diarrhea.Many times I thought I was having a heart attack. I have seen two cardiologists, an internist and now an endocrinologist for these "BP spikes". All tests come back normal. No matter what the new medication is, nor how low my BP might stay for up to three days....the episodes still happen. My BP can go from a normal range too 200 systolic in a matter of less than 1/2 hr..........Has anyone else had spikes in their BP when coming off toprol. It has been 11 months since stopping this awful drug and I still I no answers....but I have a pile of medical bills.

Hi all! I have recently started to have a very strange feeling and thought I would post here to see if anyone else can elaborate on it.

I switched from private healthcare to the VA system in March 2008 and the MD at the VA immediately switched me from Toprol XL 100mg per day to Norvasc ( Amlodipine Besylate) 5mg, a generic version and from Zetia 10mg to Zocor. This is mainly due to the fact that the VA does not have the Toprol XL or the Zetia in their pharmacy.

I am a very active person, work out 3 times per week, play tournament level racquetball and generally stay very active. I was feeling fine on this medication for almost 3 years with the only side effect being a little light-headed feeling with hard physical activity. Approximately 2-3 weeks after changing meds I started to get this lumpy feeling in my chest and then it started to progress into an air hunger feeling which felt like my breath was being taken away for a split second. I called the MD at the VA and requested to go back on metoprolol tartrate, which is what the VA has in place of the metoprolol succinate (Toprol XL). The air gasp feeling has only gotten worse and with any excertion I become tired now and start to get the gaspy feeling. Very scary. When it started to get real bad one evening I called 911 and went to the emergency room. Tests came back "ridiculously normal" the ER MD stated. Went back to the VA and the same MD, who doesn't listen, says I am under stress and prescribed me Paxil. I am completely lost as to what to do. I am going in to have another EKG and a holter monitor put on as well as a stress test.

Does anyone have any advice for me? I am desperate to get this resolved as fast as I can. Feel terrible lately and the MD doesn't seem to be listening to me.

Help!

Hi my history started from last couple months when I realize my bp went up very high(160/100) so I started metoprolol succinate 25mg,for couple days i felt fine and my bp went down but I noticed some pain in my right side so i thought maybe is the liver problem and i started to get off.After a week i was suffered from withdrawal(first week i decreased dose to 12,5mg)then my bp was very high so i called doctor and he prescribed metoprolol 100 mg and lisinopril 25(i never used this one)and hydloxiazyde 12,5 and i felt better for couple weeks then I started to get heart palpitation and very low bp so I quit hydroxiazyde and now I'm on toprol xl (oryginal brand) and still have chest tightness (i switch metoprolol to toprol one day ago)and how you guys divide the tablets to get exact amount its hard

Hi,
I just found this site and was wondering how long it takes this horrible drug to leave your system. I have been taking it for a year and have suffered the WORST depression and anxiety attacks from it. I have been lucky enough to have never suffered from any of these symptoms in my entire life and my heart goes ou to those who live with it every day
So far I have lost my job, any chance of sleep, and I can barely get out of the house in the morning. Its having a direct affect on my marriage, I have lost all intest in my hobbies, unable to concentrate, I'm just a wreck. I just saw my Dr. last week and she made my dose smaller (25 MG) for the past week and I feel worse. Is there any ending to this?

I too had HORRIBLE experiences on Toprol-XL. I was put on it after I walked into a doctor's office and my BP was 235/152. Yep..you read that right! Scary times. I started taking the med, and I too gained 35 pounds with no change in diet. I was tired, weak, groggy - I honestly felt like I was slowly dying. At that point, I decided that high blood pressure was far better than the experience I had on Toprol. It ruined my marriage. Can you say ZERO libido? I decided that I would try a different form of metroprolol - metroprolol tartrate versus succinate. I did this when I went out of town - I honestly thought my heart was going to pound out of my chest - coming off this medication was horrible, and if the other posts are true about this being worse to come off than opiates, I REALLY feel for addicts now. I have been off the Toprol now for about 9 months, and I feel so much better. I've lost what I call the Toprol weight, and I made some life changes. I did the following: (A) I purchased a rebounder (mini-trampoline) and have built up from 5 minutes per day to 15 minutes per day (goal = 40 minutes per day) - there are HUGE health benefits in rebounding and it's really easy on my joints (google the benefits - I promise you won't be disappointed). I turn on the TV or turn on my Ipod and bounce away. (B) I joined Freelife International, and began drinking Go Chi juice (www.pbowen.freelife.com) because it has three scientific studies proving its effectiveness. (C) I stopped drinking caffeinated soda and began drinking a homemade blend of green (matcha) & darjeeling teas (if you want the recipe, e-mail me and I'll send it pamela.bowen@gmail.com), and (D) I bought a device called RESPERATE (www.resperate.com). I HAVE MY LIFE BACK!!! Don't think you have to live the way you are forever!

50 yr old female ( gasps @ 5-0 still)

I've been on ToprolXL for some time now. I started with Tenormin and felt FINE! The doctor then decided it was not the 'right medicine' for me and changed me to a 'new and better medication' names TOPROL XL, He started me on 50mg a day. I had experienced rapid heart beat of at least 150 bpm up to 200! My heart had to be stopped in the ER to get it back to being a normal rhythm. At the time I was 39 yrs old :( SCARY! I had every test imagined. Heart tests, lung and leg scans. You name it, I had it done to me ( thankfully, to make sure it was nothing serious). Although I do consider a heart beating that high to be serious! I already have a anxiety disorder, I noticed that my panic attacks are worse now more than ever! I am very very lethargic. Just thinking about doing ANYTHING makes me tired. I even getting tired when I talk too much! My mouth is always excessively dry. I put on weight and even paid for a diet that consisted of 2 'shakes' and one meal per day. Followed it to the "T"! and nothing ?! I've recently read that ToprolXL can lead to all kinds of diseases. One of them being Lou Gehrig's (ASL) :( I am SO very upset that medication is prescribed supposedly to make a person feel better AND I don't think I've physically felt this depleted and depressed in years! I want medical answers and I need support and words of encouragement from everyone that has been on this drug , most especially those weaned off ot it and are on a better drug. Most of the people I notice taking TOPROL XL are taking it fro HBP or symptoms other then the one's I have. I am SO confused now :(

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 so glad that I found this site. I was put on Toprol in January and Just recentky i have panic attacks, chest tightness,tingling and numbing sensations in hands and feet, and i am deperessed. I also have some difficulty breathing. My Dr. told me that I am depressed and these side effects are from depression and not the medication so she gave me Zoloft, which I am not taking. I am not crazy i know that my symptoms are from the meds. i am going to wean myself off and pray i can be "normal" again. This is the worst time of my life and I pray that I can do this.

Has anyone been diagnosed with ALS (Lou Gehrig's Disease) after taking Toprol? My mother was just diagnosed and we feel it could be due to the medication. She is/was also taking Zocor.

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 was on toprol-xl for almost 8 years without many problems. i also take isosorbide mononitrate.A few months back I was switched to the generic version (metoprolol succinate er by sandoz) now i have many problems.First I have to say I am disabled with severe COPD. Although I do not feel depressed I have a lot of symptoms of depression. Remember I had no symptoms what so ever until switched by Walgreen's or HMO or Doctor to the generic version. Not sure what to do I have a doctor that does not truly listen,plus he did not want me on toprol xl to begin with. Even though it was good for me. Good luck people!

I just took my first pill of Toprol XL. Looks like I'm going to be in a world of hurt. I went running in prep for the police academy and after that my resting heart rate was 113 - 126. Did an ekg and it said my right atria was enlarged. Doctor gave me the Toprol but now I don't know if I really want since I'm already suicidal. If I don't respond in a week you'll all know I'm six feet under. Ha

HI, I was prescribed IC Metoprolol succ er 25 mg. same as Toprol xl. I feel tried, I am a fitness instructor and teach 13 classes a week. 8 aerobic and 5 weight training classes. I continue to gain weight. With this being a blocker, I have just come to find out this med wont let you heart rate go up when you exercise so you muscles can get oxygen and burn fat. The lack of oxygen makes you (us) more tried less motivated to workout or anything for that matter. It has effected me in this matter. I am calling my doctor to change my meds. this website was great. I new It had to be my meds, you don't workout this way and still gain weight!!!!!!!! I have always been very fit and muscular, something i took pride in. now I"m looking flabby. It"s really hard for me. Hard to motivate people when you don"t look like things I share with people all the time. hang in there the weight will come off just be consistent, when I continue to gain weight.

Wow. Thank god for this Bulletin! I was diagnosed with hypertension at age 28
and tried a variety of drugs with no control over the BP. So, about 2 1/2 - 3 years ago, I was prescribed 100MG of Toprol XL which seemed to control it well, but with debilitating long term illness. I had no idea until today that Toprol XL was causing similar grief to others. The horrible symptoms that I have been experiencing now for several years are Extreme Chronic Fatigue, Profuse Cold Clammy Sweating, Dizzy spells, weight gain, seeing specs of light and thousands of eye floaters, severe depression, muscle aches, headaches.

After reading about others with similar side effects, I am confident that it's from this medication. I have had all kinds of testing done including T3 & T4 Throid levels and a full array of blood work with NO LUCK! Regardless of the consequences, I am going to quit this damn medicine today because it appears to take 5 weeks or so to get it out of the body to notice a difference. I am so desperate for change. It is ruining my life because I can
't wake up, I'm always tired even though I get 10-14 hours of sleep. My wife and kids are bummed because I have no energy to do anything, EVER!

If you have any other suggestions or would like to comment about this.

Sincerely,

Sean

I started taking Toprol XL after being diagnosed with SVT back in May of 2003. I was only in my late 20's & was very trusting, at the time. I was recently sent to a cardiologist because I was having horrible chest pain & the Toprol XL 50 MG wasn't working at keeping the heart rate down. The GP put me on a double dose as well as Cardizem to help with the chest pain & rapid heart rate. I was already on Lanoxin 0.5MG, the highest dose allowed. The cardiologist took me off of the Cardizem right away because he said that is was too stressful for the heart to be on that much heart medicine. I went though several tests & was told by the cardiologist that I didn't have SVT & that this was actually Postural Tachycardia (POTS) & Neurocardiogenic Syncope. I was taken off of Lanoxin, but kept on Toprol XL 100 MG. He put me on lots of salt & water to increase my blood volume which would help my blood pressure when standing. That was in June of 2007. All went pretty good, I thought, until January 18, 2008 when I was working. My heart rate went up to 136 just standing or walking across a room. I called the doctor & talked to a nurse who suggested that I take another 1/2 of a Toprol. I did that & felt better for awhile, but it was short lived. I had been having chest pain, rapid heart rate, fatigue, muscle pain, joint pain, headaches, nausea, vomiting, short term memory problems, rapid weight gain, hair loss, cold extremities, & other things I can't think of right now for what seemed like forever. My gynecologist & my cardiologist first thought that I had thyroid problems, but all tests have come back negative. They then thought that maybe it was from the birth control pills that I had been on for the ovarian cysts. I was changed from one medicine to another & at first I thought that was what was wrong. I am now certain that all of the problems that I have been having were & are a result of the Toprol XL. I was even told that all the problems were "psychiatric in nature". I know that that isn't it at all! I have never had anxiety problems & the GP now thinks that's all that is wrong with me & wants me to go on Zoloft. I tried it, but became so ill that after one pill, I quit. I now plan on weaning myself off of the Toprol XL without the GP's knowledge or consent. The cardiologist was planning on weaning me off at some time in the future, but I am starting without him knowing it at the time. I'll just tell him when I see him next month. Thanks everyone for alerting me to the facts about this medicine. If I had known then what I do now, I'd have never consented to starting it in the first place. My only question is, are some of the "side effects" going to be a permanent thing for me or will they eventually go away? Any advice would be welcome! Thanks again!

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.

I have been on Toprol XL for 4 years - was on 50MG - Dr. tried other meds for a while (bad side effects) - so put me back on 25MG of Toprol until we can figure out something else.

When I was off the Toprol I lost 16 pounds!!!! I have not gained any back being on a lower dosage.

I think it is causing me breathing problems and pain and cramping in my legs - any one else having this? How should you wean off?

Thanks!

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.

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!

I am a 39-year-old female who was put on Toprol 25 mg about four years ago due to heart palpitations. The Toprol didn't affect the heart palps at all, but I liked the fact that it kept my heart from racing after I ate, which had been a problem for me since high school. I took it sporadically for a couple years. At some point I started the generic, but I can't remember just when.

About two years ago I noticed that I was hearing noises in my right ear. Gradually the noises prompted me to see my PCP. She thought my BP was a little high (about 138/80) and she doubled my Metoprolol dose right away to 50 mg. She told me the noises were caused by my blood pressure, not the medication.

The noises got much worse right away and I was hearing them almost 24 hours a day. Sometimes it was a whoosh-whoosh noise (which I guess is classic for high BP) and sometimes just like a faucet had been turned on in my ear. At this point I definitely suspect it's the medication itself, not the BP. On days when I don't take the med, the noises are much better or not even present. My heart does tend to race though, and the palps are the same either way.

I'd like to wean myself off the med, and if my BP elevates try a different medication. I can't stand the noises anymore so my priority is to stop them. I am curious if this particular side effect has happened to anybody else here?

I was started on Toprol-XL after a triple bypass in 2000. I had experienced several episodes of rapid heartbeats. For the next 7 years I took it daily and had no side effects that I was aware of other than feeling a little weak if I missed a dose.
During this time, I was diagnosed as a diabetic and started on Lantus insulin. I had some gastric side effects from the Metformin but other than that I was doing ok. I was and am still overweight but I was also in good enough shape to walk 30 minutes everyday on my treadmill and to hold down a stressful job.
In September of 2007 I hosted a large family reunion at my house and had no physical problems. Right after that I came down with a bad sore throat and was put on Clindamycin. At the same time, my husband went to refill my meds and came back with the generic version of my Toprol-XL. Our insurance now requires us to use generics if available. Within two weeks I was having shortness of breath just walking up the steps into my house. I at first thought it was a hang over from the sore throat and went to my GP. He had me switch back to the original Toprol-XL and I felt an almost immediate relief. However, the symptoms did not go away entirely, in fact after seeming better, they came back again. I went back to my GP. He was concerned enough to want to send me to a cardiologist. Since we had just moved here a year ago I had not visited a cardiologist as yet so this doctor was new to me and my symptoms.
So far we have done a nuclear stress test, echocardiogram, EKG's, heart cath, lung scan, and numerous blood tests. Everything looks good according to the cardiologist. And yet, I cannot walk through my house without stopping to try and catch my breath, I have had to quit work since I can no longer climb the stairs to the second floor offices, I cannot sweep a floor without having to sit down.
Is it possible that a side effect from this generic drug could have damaged something permanently? Has anyone else had any kind of problem like this?

One month ago I went into CHF, I have cardiomyopathy and A-fib. They put in an ICD that paces. I was sent home on Toprol 50 2x/day .Lisinopril 5 1x/day, Digoxin 125 1x/day & Coumadin. I weigh 86 lbs. These heart meds zapped all the life I had remaining out of me. Even at half doses I was in a fog with severe anxiety. I felt so bad I was readmitted 2x/ in a month. I have tried to take them at night, I have tried spacing them and nothing works other than being drug free. (Coumadin is not a problem) The Dr said there are some folks who just can't tolerate them, and that my real protection comes from my ICD. I worry about not taking the meds, but I have no quality of life with them so what can I do?

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.

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.

60 yr old/young female: I started generic toprol (metoprolol 50mg xr) yesterday (11/22/07). Took about 3:00 PM. The next morning around 6:00 AM, I had a hot flash that equated to one you would have if you had taken niacin. Body was burning and I was sweating. Looked in the mirror to see if I was flushed, because of the severity of the hot flash I thought my body would be totally red. It wasn't. I called my pharmacist to report this event. He researched and found no evidence of such. He did say that it did not rule out the possibility that it was caused by the Toprol. Asked me to keep him posted as his customers were the ones that helped him be able to report side effects to other. Well I found this site and low and behold I have read of the hot flashes and all of the other problems. I will not be taking this medication. I am not a pro medication person anyway and related that to my dr, but at some point you feel you have to have trust in someone. I don't trust medications. I know at some point in my life I will probably have to take something, but not Toprol. Sounds as though it will cause more problems than it will cure. Thanks so much for your input. It will prevent me from having to wean myself off this mess. Oh yeah, I was also feeling the depressed, anxiety mentioned. Not at a high level , but just knew I wasn't myself. That was after just one dose. I can't imagine how it would have progress. I feel very blessed.

I am a nurse of 20 years and was placed on Toprol XL for super ventricular tachycardia (SVT) over a year ago. I was place on 25 mg dose after a stress test, ekg, echocaridogram and 24 hour halter monitor. I was not feeling any better and I was having periods of weakness, profuse sweating and being clammy. The cardiologist had me wear a 30 day event monitor and it showed frequent PVCs and runs of SVT. So he increased the dose to 50 mg. I continued to have the weakness, tachycardia, PVCs, extreme weakness, poor concentration and extreme periods of sweating with becoming clammy and some chest pain. Oh and I started having severe left leg pain that I had not had since my back surgery, so I went back to my pain specialist for treatment. I became so depressed, thoughts of life not worth living, poor endurance, not able to sleep in bed due to severe leg pain and increasing bouts of tachycardia, irregular heart rate, weakness, and sweating this is while at rest or working the symptoms remained. I forgot to mention that my blood sugar was increasing during this time to the point of in danger of being a diabetic.

I decided to stop the Toprol XL after reading some of the side effects that are less common. I was able to sleep in bed for the first time in 6 months, no leg pain. I called my cardiologist and he told me my symptoms were not consistent with Toprol XL side effects or reaction and to double the dose of Toprol XL. I refused and changed cardiologist, one who listened to me.

The result is I stayed off Toprol XL, after 5 weeks it is getting out of my system. No more sweating spells, cold clammy spells, extreme weakness, I feel part of life again and ready to go back into the world not hide from it, my blood sugar is getting back to normal. I am getting my strength and endurance back but have to rest some still, oh and I am losing the 25 pounds that I gained while on Toprol.

I still have irregular heart rate and that is okay but I am on a new medication that really seems to work. Oh, and the spinal implant that I was to have has been cancelled because the leg pain is almost gone and I sleep in a bed not a chair.

I too am having many of the side effects listed on this site including chest pains, fatigue, shortness of breath, foggy head, dizziness, to name a few. I am wondering if anyone has had heartburn or an increase in heartburn while being on this drug. They have recently switched me from Toprol to the generic form, Metaprolol. More of these symptoms seem to have come on since switching to the generic. Any thoughts?

Was put on Toprol XL while in the hospital. Taking 50 mg along with 50 mg of Vasotec. Discontinued the Vasotec because of cough. Put on Cozaar. Dr also prescribed hydrochlorothiazide which I decided not to take. For a month I was lethargic, no appetite or thirst, worsened sleep problems, and MAJOR depression. Started to research and decided it was the Toprol. On Wednesday I cut the dosage in half, by Saturday I started feeling more like my old self. By the following Wednesday I was back to normal as far as I could tell. Cut the dosage in half again and a week later, stopped Toprol all together. Best decision I ever made!!!!!

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.

I have been off of toprol for over a month now. I had some withdrawal effects, pains in my chest, ringing in my ears, headaches, few other minor ones but I am glad to be off the medicine. I am not having the pains in my chest now, they were like angina and I had never had them before I started the meds. I no longer have that foggy head feeling and my memory seems much better. I also am not as fatigued now. I also had gotten very depressed but not sure if it was from toprol or from another med. But now I seem to be out of that funk. Good luck everyone!!!

I am a 66 year old female with high blood pressure, 150 or 140ish over 90 or a bit higher. Was on 25,, then 50 then 100 and now 200 a day and also taking lisinopril. Can't sleep, and I always was a great sleeper. Not a big fan of taking drugs. Now she put me on Lipitor for 229 cholesterol. Feel I'm being overmedicated but Dr says it's just fine. Have a daughter who is a hospital RN and she says none of her patients take 200 doses. Does anyone else think 200 is unheard of?