Toprol-XL and vivid dreams

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

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

I 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!

Vivid dreams - never anyone familiar is in them, it's like I'm in a movie. When I wake up, I remember every detail, not like when I used to dream and just remembered bits and pieces. Anyone else???

Oh thank you people. I just signed in here today, at the advice of my husband- to check out Toprol- and see if any one else has had similar side effect. OMG, Everyone is saying the same thing- dizziness- dullness- no motivation, no energy- heart palpitations- some one mentioned their older mother has had vivid dreams, and you thought it might be Alzheimers- NO! I have had vivid extremely busy, cunfusing dreams, like I'm running from place to place-talking to all sorts of people- and it makes me wonder if that's why I also feel so exhausted and achy from head to toe every day- and never have left my house once all summer- which is so unlike me. I ,too thought I was in a depression- but after reading everyone else's replies- I see we are all in the same boat. I am 72- worked in the nursing profession, until I ruptured two discs in my spine and got nerve damage in my right leg- so I do know quite a bit about medical care. This med was given to me by a past Doctor which I did not trust- and finally changed Doctors- I just decided today- I am D.C.ing this med. Which is what the Dr. says when he wants it discontinued!! I will see my new Cardiologist-internist, and will advise him I can not take this any longer. Has anyone else had excessive itchiness, and flaming redness of the skin after taking this at night? I have severel times- and was taking a shower at 3 in the morning, I was itching and scratching and red all over- and clawing myself bloody- so I showered and used this OLAY CREME RIBBONS, WHICH LEAVES A SORT OF CREAMY LOTION ON THE SKING- IT HELPED SOME WHAT! Didn't mean to capitalize- I have no stock in Olay- Hah! I hope to fe4el much better in the morning by not taking my Toprol tonight- and maybe I won't have such radically busy, busy dreams. Thanks for listening. Ms Nannerbananner

I'm a 56 year old woman. 5'4" 116. Very fit .Have hypothyroidism and take Synthroid.. Was diagnosed with high blood pressure (which I beleive is due to a too high dose of Synthroid) Was prescribed toprol, just 25 Mgs. Wow!! Was that a bad experience. With the first few days of taking it, began the Foggy brain, dizziness, no ability to concentrate.. no energy.. Head aches, joint pains. Complete lack of interest in doing much of any thing including sex!. Have became almost reclusive because I didn't feel confident interacting with people (I'm a VP of Sales.. not good for my job)! I was bumping into things.. Felt like I was on another planet.. Thought I was nuts... Great to have found this site Also.. Have gain 5 pounds that are not falling off since I stopped this med on my own after only 10 days.. YIKES! Who does this stuff work well for?

My mother is ninety-one and is on Toprol-XL and has been for almost two years now. She started having some vivid dreams about one of her boys running away (her children have been out of the house for 25 years now) and not coming home. We thought it was the beginning of Alzheimer's and are starting her on Aricept. Could any body help me with this. She has always been very healthy until her heart attack two years ago and has never liked to take medication. She keeps asking if it could be the medicine, but the doctors say," No, these medicines are good for you!"

I started Toprol Xl 50mg daily about 2 1/2 months ago. I experienced trouble sleeping and vivid dreams right off the bat. I saw my doctor last week and he suggested I take it at night instead of the morning, but that seems to make the insomnia worse. I find myself waking up a lot during the night, sometimes I feel wide awake. Also, last night, I woke up and both legs were itching intensely, as was my chest. I have no idea what that was. Has anyone else experienced similar? I don't know what to do.

MAJOR EDEMA~non cardiac! VIVID DREAMS~insomnia, joint pain, and odd heart beats, even while resting. This is scary!!!
Increased weight gain (from fluid retention) huge appetite!

I have been on topral xl for several years now and my doctor has been telling me the symtom are not from topral...vivid dreams, tiredness, pain, depression, weight gain 30 lbs, and now my musles lock up thought i had a form of ms but doc's test ruled that out, fuzzy thinking, cough...any one else have a problem with not being able to use musles

I was prescribed Toprol xl once a day for high bp. My bp is high in the dr's office (165/108) but when I check it at home it is usually under 130/85. Since I am taking this medication I am constantly clearing my throat and have a slight cough. I had a cold when I started taking toprol but that was about 3 weeks ago and all other symptoms of the cold are gone. Does anyone else have this feeling of a post nasal drip and slight cough. It is extremely annoying an I am thinking of stopping the medication to see if this feeling goes away. I also have vivid dreams and feel very tired. Does this feeling go away. I just don't have the energy I used to have.

I had two abblations a month apart to fix Wolff-Parkenson-White Syndrome that I was born with. I am a 31 yr MWF. The Toprol XL 50mg helped lower my fast racing heart rate (resting heart rate 100-140)after surgery, but I and my husband have noticed several side effects:
5-10 pound weight gain, even with drinking 80-90+ ounces of water a day with a good diet.
VERY moody.
tired all the time.
hard to wake up in the morning, even after taking a three hour nap in the middle of the day.
no drive to do anything, not even sex.
very vivid dreams.
But my heart rate is normal now, 65-80 bpm while at rest. I will be going off this medication in 2 weeks. CAN'T WAIT!!!

I, too, was originally prescribed Toprol XL 50 mg last 1/5/06. I took it for about two weeks then stopped and switched to Benicar. Toprol was too potent for me. Although I like the relaxed feeling and being able to fall asleep right away, I dreaded falling too sound asleep. This drug caused me to have nightmares and vivid dreams. Every night, all my fears and phobias seem to play itself out in my dreams. I'd wake up thinking it all actually happened! Very creepy! I also felt that heavy and hollow feeling that someone else here described. I really felt sad and depressed, lack of energy, sleepiness, night sweats, lack of appetite--which would have been a plus :), but with all the other side effects, I just didn't think it was good for me to continue taking it. We are currently on the experimental stage on which meds work with the least horrible symptoms. I am also on HCT and Lisinopril. I stopped taking the latter due to incessant, hacking coughs.

I'm glad this website is here, as now I know my symptoms from all these meds are not at all uncommon. Most doctors will never tell patients what side effects these drugs can cause, so as not to scare or plant ideas in their heads. Their job is to prescribe what they think will control HBP...then they just wait how the patient will react. It's up to us the patients to listen to our bodies and complain if we must when the drug has adverse effects. They will switch you to a better alternative. If that is too costly and wasteful....make sure to ask your doctor to give you samples first before you fill that Rx, because even if you tell the pharmacist not to fill the 30-day prescription, the price per pill is more expensive. At least that's what my Costco pharmacist told me. I really think these doctors get a payback/kickback, what have you, for prescribing these drugs. So, ask a lot of questions before agreeing to take anything. Doctors are humans--not God. Their opinions a
re subjective and YES, they make mistakes too.

I, too, was originally prescribed Toprol XL 50 mg last 1/5/06. I took it for about two weeks then stopped and switched to Benicar. Toprol was too potent for me. Although I like the relaxed feeling and being able to fall asleep right away, I dreaded falling too sound asleep. This drug caused me to have nightmares and vivid dreams. Every night, all my fears and phobias seem to play itself out in my dreams. I'd wake up thinking it all actually happened! Very creepy! I also felt that heavy and hollow feeling that someone else here described. I really felt sad and depressed, lack of energy, sleepiness, night sweats, lack of appetite--which would have been a plus :), but with all the other side effects, I just didn't think it was good for me to continue taking it. We are currently on the experimental stage on which meds work with the least horrible symptoms. I am also on HCT and Lisinopril. I stopped taking the latter due to incessant coughing (more like barking).

I'm glad this website is here, as now I know my symptoms from all these meds are not at all uncommon. Most doctors will never tell patients what side effects these drugs can cause, so as not to scare or plant ideas in their heads. Their job is to prescribe what they think will control HBP...then they just wait how the patient will react. It's up to us the patients to listen to our bodies and complain if we must when the drug has adverse effects. They will switch to a better alternative. If that is too costly and wasteful....make sure to ask your doctor to give you samples first before you fill that Rx, because even if you tell the pharmacist not to fill the 30-day prescription, the price per pill is more expensive. At least that's what my Costco pharmacist told me. I really think these doctors get a payback/kickback, what have you, for prescribing these drugs. So, ask a lot of questions before agreeing to take anything. Doctors are humans--not God. Their opinions are subjective and YES, they make mistakes too.

I have been taking torprol-xl for 3 months, I have had very vivid dreams and a great amount of hair loss,night sweats cotton mouth and problems sleeping even though the toprol causes me to be sleepy I have not had a good 8 hours of sleep since I have started taking toprol

I was on Toprol 40mg for a little less than 2 years. During that time, I've experienced panic attacks which led to driving phobia, cold chills, decreased sex drive, vivid dreams, constant fatigue, unsteadiness, disorientation, and weight gain regardless of decreased food intake and exercise. My bp seem to have benefited from it, but at a cost of these other side effects. My MD recently switched me from Toprol 40mg to Avapro 150mg. The switch seem to be a good move. For those of you who are experiencing major side effects, you might want to consider alternative beta blockers other than Toprol.

I have had vivid dreams almost every night. Some are disturbing. I also have a constant urge to eat. I have had some dizzy spells too. I think I am going to stop taking it.

Iam 38 year old male and have been taking Toprol XL 50mg since Nov. 03. I have had disturbed sleep patterns, vivid dreams ,episodes of dry itchy skin patches, the most bothersome side effect is that my joints ache,knees,wrists finger joints. I also take 30mg of Prevacid daily but I have had these symtoms prior to taking Prevacid. I usually have a bloated feeling in my stomach about an hour after taking my Toprol.Any one have this problem? (Bloating).My bp is fantastic though!!