Anyone take Metoprolol/Toprol?

[Kate in Arabia]

So I had another one of my high blood pressure episodes the other day (we're still in the States). I had one just a couple of months ago in the UAE and the er doc said I was having a panic attack. I guess anything is possible, but after years of having these occaisional "attacks" and no one seeming to a) take it very seriously or b) suggest anything I can do other than lower my salt intake, I was kind of turned off of getting it looked into.

 

But dh insisted on taking me to the er when I was feeling my bp was high; it was 177/102. The doc seemed really good, they ran several tests, and as usual everything came back normal. In the end she said that I have high bp; and since we're only in the States for abt another week, there wasn't a whole lot she could do for me long term, but she did prescribe Toprol/Metoprolol, and gave me a 30-day prescription.

 

I'm curious whether anyone here is on this medication? She put me on 25 mg. I feel a lot better than I was feeling the past few days, but feel a bit "strange", like *very* mildly sedated? We're going home next week, but a week later we leave for Saudi so I won't be able to see a dr until the end of August. I will probably be able to get a refill in Saudi (fil is a pharmacist), but I'm going to have to do some research once I get home to find a good dr.

 

So I'm kind of on my own for a couple of months taking this medication - just wondering if anyone else has experience with it...

[nandmsmom]

I'm not on it, but I can tell you a bit about it. Toprol is a beta blocker. Basically it works by slowing down the electrical impulses in your heart. Instead of working quickly and inefficiently, your heart works more slowly and deliberately. It is generally the first thing that you will be put on in the case of high bp without other factors.

 

It is completely normal for you to feel a bit strange at first. It does slow you down until you get more used to it. Metoprolol is also sold as Lopressor or Atenolol. The Toprol is the extended release version of the drug. The biggest problem that people will have from this is having the heart rate slow down too much. The best way to check this is to check your pulse rate periodically and call your doctor if you rate is staying below 60 beats per minute and you are feeling more sluggish than normal. This can be a truly wonderful drug and is very protective of your heart muscle. I hope that helps.

[angela in ohio]

I just came off of several years on it. I have been dieting, exercising, drinking a lot of water, eating low sodium, and I eliminated a LOT of unnecessary stress in my life. My bp was getting too low on the Toprol, so I'm off.

 

I was put on it because I had some episodes of racing pulse and chest pains. My blood pressure overall was also high. It helped so much. I never felt strange on it, although it did stop the panic, heart racing junk, so I felt calmer overall.

[musicmommy]

I have some experience with Metoprolol as I've been on it off and on for a bit. I've never had it for blood pressure issues as I have low blood pressure to start with. I have a heart condition called Atrial Fibrillation and I take the Metoprolol in combination with another drug when I'm having an episode. At one point, I was put on a regular dosage of it when I had a particularly bad episode that required emergency room intervention. After about a month, I had to be taken back off because I felt like so very sluggish. I felt like every movement was slow and that the air was heavy. My doctor told me that it should clear up as my body adjusted, but that just never happened for me.

 

If it seems to be working for what you need, I'd stay on it and see if it does clear up while regularly checking pulse rate.

[mom2jjka]

I have been on it for arrhythmia for several years.

I have had side effects, but compared to putting up with the arrhythmia - I'll take the side effects of the meds any day. ;-)

 

The main side effect is that I feel 'sluggish.'

Not necessarily tired all day, but if I go to exercise or exert myself - I can tell that the meds don't allow my heart to speed-up and pump faster, so I get really winded/tired.

 

When I first started on it, I was a little dizzy when I'd stand up, but that went away quickly.

 

But uh...perhaps the most common (and most unfortunate) side effect is loss of libido. :glare:

 

Also - there are a couple of different varieties. One of them you have to take multiple times a day, or there is an extended release tablet.

I have found that the extended release is much better for me at controlling my heart rhythms.

Edited July 6, 2010 by mom2jjka

[Cricket]

Dh takes it. He hasn't had any side effects. I think it did make him a little drowsy at first. Hasn't had any effect on libido. :D He takes it because his heart doesn't relax enough to allow the proper amount of blood to fill the heart. He was getting daily migraines and this medication has stopped that.

[Kate in Arabia]

Thanks everyone; I feel better "knowing" other people are using it and give good reviews. I do feel a tad sluggish, but as others mentioned it's a lot better than the panicky feeling I was having for several days. I have a one-a-day tablet, so I assume the slow release variety. I'm curious to see whether it will be identical to what I get overseas or not. I have a while before I need to worry about it, but I'm wondering whether I should push to get a refill in Saudi or go off for howevermany weeks until we get back home.

 

He was getting daily migraines and this medication has stopped that.

I saw that as one of the uses of the medication and was glad to hear I could be killling two birds with one stone :) The er doc mentioned that the medication covered several conditions, it was one of the reasons she selected it over other options, because I was having some heartbeat irregularities (skipping a beat type thing, not fun) as well as the high bp.

 

I haven't searched a lot in the city where I live for a dr, but I have gone a few times to the main private hospital there when this has come up before and don't feel terribly satisfied with the response. Maybe I should consider going to one in Dubai, but that seems like a long haul (abt an hour's drive one way). My options are kind of limited where I live.

[Perry]

I take metoprolol 25 mg twice a day. I've been very happy with it and don't have any side effects. It's very widely used and generally very safe.

 

 

I took a look at your previous posts about your BP problems. You really need a good primary care doctor that is knowledgeable about treating HTN. Keep looking until you find someone who knows about the current recommendations.

 

 

Good luck.

[MariannNOVA]

I've been on it for almost ten years. My blood pressure went up when I was pg with the twins and never came down. Toprol keeps it down. It doesn't make me drowsy, doesn't slow me down that I am able to tell, but it does keep my bp where it should be.

[Kate in Arabia]

My blood pressure went up when I was pg with the twins and never came down.

This is what happened with me. I developed hypertension when preg with dd (was induced at 39 weeks) and ever since then have these bouts where I feel my bp going up. One additional thing the er doc recommended was to start a bp diary. Of course, if the med does its job the diary should be largely uneventful :D

 

She also mentioned that I was fortunate I could tell my bp was high, that for many people they can't until it is too late. We had a couple of family friends who passed away recently; in both cases they weren't feeling well and decided to go lie down and never got up again. That has made me more proactive about it than I may have been before.

Edited July 6, 2010 by Kate in Arabia
Saving a kitten...

[MariannNOVA]

This is what happened with me. I developed hypertension when preg with dd (was induced at 39 weeks) and ever since then have these bouts where I feel my bp going up. One additional thing the er doc recommended was to start a bp diary. Of course, if the med does its job the diary should be largely uneventful :D

 

She also mentioned that I was fortunate I could tell my bp was high, that for many people they can't until it is too late. We had a couple of family friends who passed away recently; in both cases they weren't feeling well and decided to go lie down and never got up again. That has made me more proactive about it than I may have been before.

 

I am one of THOSE people who cannot take my own BP. Just the sight of the cuff makes my pressure go up. I have a cuff, a very nice cuff......I do not use it. My doctor laughs at me but says that she understands. I think that if I felt particularly awful, I might take my pressure, but typically I won't.

 

One doctor told me (right after the twins were born) to STOP taking my pressure - I was making myself nuts. I've decided to listen to him.

 

And, yes, I can tell when mine is high (which it hasn't been in ages) -- I have a complete sense of losing all control - a very emotional response, I know, but that is how I know it is going up. I've learned to trust that response. The first day or two of toprol, it did make me drowsy, but now after ten years, that is all in the past.

 

I also take hydrochlorathiazide for bp - it's effectively a water pill.

 

Let me know if you have any questions. My dad, my mom, my grand-parents all had hyper-tension. There was NO WAY it was going to skip me.

[Georgia On My Mind]

My husband and I both take it and more for Atrial Fib (him) and CAD (me). Initially it made me feel very tired and sleepy and I had a hard time doing my job at the time which required a good deal of thinking. It took about 6 months for my body to adjust to it and now I hardly notice anything.

 

I found out last summer in 90+ degree weather. when I sat outside our camper all day working a puzzle. I almost had heat stroke. When your heart slows down while taking the Metoprolol, it can't speed up to cool you off when you are in extreme heat conditions. I was drinking lots of water, sitting in the shade and even had a fan blowing on us but it wasn't enough to keep me cooled off with my heart slowed to a snail's pace. It is not commonly told to you by the doctor but should be if you live or ever visit the deep south in summer. Be careful. I pretty much avoid going out in the middle of the day when the temp is above 90 and stay inside in the ac. We try to do most of our camping in the spring and fall to avoid that happening again. Be careful in the hot middle east weather.

 

Carolyn

[Kate in Arabia]

I'm back home, but only for a few days before we head off to Saudi. So far so good with the meds; the first few days I felt kinda sluggish but now I feel normal.

 

The US dr gave me one month's prescription, which will run out while I am in Saudi. So I made an appointment with a local dr here; my regular dr (can I call him "regular" if I've only seen him twice?), at least the dr I've seen for this particular issue a couple of times, isn't here, so I have a fill-in. I'm going to pop in, point out that my medical records there show I've been in this hospital several times now for hypertension; I have copies of the records from my hospital visit in the States; and I'm going to have to ask him to write me a prescription for another month of meds.. I'm not interested in more tests at this point, I just need to get through the next month or so and then will have plenty of time to go through whatever they may want me to go through.

 

So... what's the likelihood that the dr, who has never seen me before, will happily sign over a script?