Toprol for life??

[ILoVeNY25]

Hello Everyone,

I'm going to see my cardiologist in a few weeks for a check-up and will be asking my cardio about this but just wanted to ask a few of you. Ok, I've been on Toprol XL 25mg daily and there have been occasions where I have forgotten to take it and I've noticed a very increased and uncomfortable heart rate. This is the whole reason I'm on the Toprol just to keep my heart rate down. When they first put me on it, they suggested it would only be temporary but that doesn't seem to be the case. This weekend I ran out of my prescription, I know and a holiday weekend to boot. I know I should be more careful and not let myself run out. But however in the two days I was not on it, I felt worse than I did before I had surgery. Short of breath and rapid heart beat, etc. I'm now one year post op and feeling discouraged that without the Toprol, I'm in bad shape. I know it seems like Ok, Take the Toprol and don't let it happen again. But I'm curious to know how many people stay on this type of med, and remain on it. I was thinking of asking my dr to do a stress test or holter monitor to really monitor my heart while being active?? Am I exaggerating, Anyone else have this problem??

Feeling disappointed and discouraged!!

 

[Georgia]

Right now, "toprol" is a 4-letter word

Right now, "toprol" is a 4-letter word

Hi! I am having issues with Toprol right now - started out at 25 mgs after surgery, am now up to 50 mgs in the morning and 100 mgs at night and my heart rate is still above 100. I KNOW it's a common problem, but I think I'd be a bit perkier if they weren't increasing the beta blocker every week.

Now - to you - I took beta blockers for years over 20 years ago (for arrythmia and tachycardia due to mitral valve prolapse). First, you're lucky such a small dose is controlling it so well. And even tho it's been a year, it's entirely possible that you'll get off it later - it seems to get the heart calmed down eventually.

And when I was on it then I had exactly the same reaction as you did when I was late taking a dose - really icky feeling heart beats and such. I think it must be a normal reaction to skipping it. And boy, I NEVER skipped for 2 days - you must have felt awful.

Hope you feel OK; I do not believe you're in bad shape without the toprol - I believe it's the heart's reaction to not having the toprol in the system. So don't fret between now and the appointment - just don't skip!

 

[LUVMyBirman]

Hi Nicole,

Sorry you are having those feelings. Your not alone.
I take Inderal and it works great when I get it in my mouth, LOL. I take all of my meds and vitamins at once and very famous for dropping them on the floor. Pretty stupid, yes.

Last week I had similar symptoms as yourself and felt like crap. It was time for my physical and everything else checked out so I figured somehow I didn't take my Inderal.

They also say when you enter peri-menopause you may have heart related symptoms. My doctors feel my early entrance may have been triggered by the valve surgery. We tried to delete the beta blocker from my meds last year. Didn't work.

I have gained weight and my choloesteral is elevated do to a slower metabolizum. All this was linked to the beta blocker. I feel great most of the time though so I suspect dealing with the Inderal is not all that bad.
Hang in there.

 

[mike anthony]

Hi, I'm on 25mg of Toprol XL. Recently my doctor cut this back to 12.5mg and my blood pressure went up. I'm now back to 25mg and my blood pressure is better. I have been told that you shouldn't just stop taking the toprol, it can cause a reaction. It should only be stopped under doctors orders and they will slowly take you off toprol. Take care

 

[Kim]

Hi Ladies,

I was also prescribed Metoprolol (Toprol is the same drug, but is extended release) after surgery to regulate a fast heart rate. I too, was told it would be temporary, but at my last cardio visit 5 months ago, the doctor told me I would be it on it for life. I do not understand why! I never had a fast heart rate before surgery and the explanation I was given initially, was my heart was in "fight or flight". Basically, the heart was responding to being traumatized from surgery and everything would settle down eventually.

My doctor and my pharmacist (who happens to be my daughter) told me to never stop the Metoprolol cold turkey!!!! (This includes the Inderal, Gina) The reaction you are having with increased heart rate and shortness of breath occurs if you are not weaned off the drug gradually over several weeks. Cardiac arrest can also occur in rare instances.

Hope this helps!

 

[ALCapshaw2]

I was once on 100 mg of Toprol but felt 'sluggish'. Another Cardiologist suggested cutting back to 50 mg for 2 weeks and if there were no problems, to cut that to 25 mg for 2 weeks and finally, if there were no problems to stop completely.

FWIW, 10 days after I stopped, I had PVC's and / or PAC's so I went back to 25mg of Toprol XL (extended release) and have not had another event in 8? months. I feel a LOT better at 25 mg (and 50) than at 100mg

'AL'

 

[Johnny Stephens]

Add a "me too" for me

Add a "me too" for me

Hey Nicole

Yes, I know exactly the feeling you're talking about when you miss the Toprol. Kind of a jumpy, nervous, sweaty feeling, and you are aware of every heartbeat. I forgot my dose one day and felt so bad I drove the 20 miles back home to take it.

I'm also on it for a rapid pulse, which would be over 100 bpm resting if I didn't take it. The Toprol keeps it down around 75-80 or so. I get the feeling I'm on it or something similar for life if I don't want to (in the words of my cardio) "use up my allotment of heartbeats too early."

Toprol XL, 100 mg morning, 50mg evening.

Sometimes I feel like I'm thinking in slow motion.

 

[ALCapshaw2]

Nicole,

Do you have a stethoscope? If not, you may want to get one to listen to your heartbeats. That is a good way to tell if you have skipped beats or extra beats or irregular beats and is better than just feeling your pulse. While you are at it, pick up a blood pressure cuff as well. Self test blood pressure kits are available with a built in stethoscope (the monitor is in the cuff to eliminate the need for an extra hand).

A heart rate monitor (chest strap and wristwatch type monitor) is also a good thing to have, especially during exercise, but also just for monitoring if / when rapid heartbeats occur. These can be found fairly inexpensively now ($35 to 50) in the sporting goods section at Walmart etc.

'AL'

 

[Turkey Hunter]

Toprol

Toprol

I've been on Metoprolol or toprol since my Ross procedure in 2000. This summer I'll be three years and the doc has kept me on the toprol due to arrythmia problems I had post op and the obvious control BP and rate of rythm.

I guess my point is that early on every PVC or PAC I had, I would feel. Felt each one all the way into my throat. (Sounds odd ?? Feels even more odd.) As time has passed I don't even have PVC's much. I still feel them when I have them but not as often. My dose of Toprol has been reduced to the same dosage you are on and I expect that it will eventually be eliminated. As I continue to progress further in time without any problems.

One year is still early to begin to get to overly discouraged. I know how tough it is to stay completely positive concerning the feelings you had last weekend, but keep your spirits high and trust that it will improve. I still have times when I get extreamly discouraged about different aspects of my life.
But as a dear friend in Tn. told me "there is always something possitive that comes out of these types of situations". Maybe it is just the fact that we are alive and here or gained great new friends that will last for life or just that you actually do take time out of life now to enjoy it.

God Bless,

Ben

 

[DickV]

Hey Ben, long time.

I have been on 25mg of Toprol for 3 years and will be on it for life. I have had no ill effects from it at all.

 

[Perrster]

Toprol for me too

Toprol for me too

Hey Nicole,

I also do Toprol 12.5 daily. I buy 'em as 25mg and cut them in half. I guess I will have to get a pill cutter when I'm too old to break them with my fingers. No side effects that I'm aware of, so I guess if it ain't broke, I won't try to fix it.

Hello Dick and Ben, you ol' hound dogs!

Regards,

 

[Rain]

Hey Dick & Ben! 'bout time you guys come outta the woodwork!

Hey Dick & Ben! 'bout time you guys come outta the woodwork!

Hello Nicole,

I?ve been on 25 mgs daily of Toprol for three years. I have forgot to take it a few times and WOWZERS do I know what you are talking about!! My heart beats REALLY hard... feels like its going to jump out of my chest. And very irregular.

I?m always trying to talk my Dr. into letting me stop taking the meds... but he says I need the toprol to reduce the pressure in my heart and stress on the valve. I was taking 50mgs a day and that was a real drag too.... sometimes I would come from a sitting to a standing position and think I was gonna pass out! 25 mgs a day keeps my blood pressure at about 100/70 and my BPM at about 68. The cardio thinks that is just absolutely wonderful. He tells me, ?Rain, why would we want to mess with your meds when we have you functioning so well right where we?re at?? He?s convinced me there are no long term effects from taking them, soooo...... sounds like I'll be taking it for a while.

My Ryan takes Atenolol. Well, for a lot of reasons he hasn?t taken it real consistently. When he first started taking it, he was wrestling his senior year in high school and decided that it was making him sluggish and tired... so he would go days with out taking it. Then decide to take it again... he was writing a senior paper on Marfan?s at the time... so he knew he needed to be taking it..... long story... but anyway ... believe me...everything about that was BAD. Then he went to college and would forget to take it. He was just like you, he said, ?Mom, this stuff isn?t doing me any good! Its messing with my system, you should feel my heart when I forget to take it!? ...well, like every good Mom .... I called for back up. I called the cardio and had him call Ryan at CSU!! LOL He told me and then called Ry and told him that you can?t just stop taking it like that! That he had to take it very consistently! Ryan takes it for a dilated aorta. Anyway... Ry keeps it next to his tooth brush... that seems to work for him. Ryan?s dose is really high.

Sooooo....... the moral of the story is if you?re supposed to be taking it.... ya gotta make sure you do it, girlfriend!