Toprol for valve replacement patients?

[robertr]

If you are on Toprol for non-electrical heart function purposes, can you please chime in on this thread? I had my Aortic valve replaced with a porcine valve in June 2006, and have struggled with medications ever since. My main issue is to keep my High Blood Pressure down, so there are many drugs that can help. After being on Toprol and Altace for greater than a year, I realized that these drugs were causing me significant anxiety and cognitive function issues (eg, forgetful, Angry, Anxious, Brain Fog). What have your cardiologist told you about the purpose for Toprol relative to Aortic valve longivity?

Thanks!

-Robert

 

[Ross]

Anything that reduces your blood pressure will help the valve last longer, but not significantly enough to worry about. At least I don't think so. Valves are pretty sturdy and will wear out but generally not from hard use.

 

[JeffM]

I was on metoprolol (same thing) along with a number of other meds following my AVR and partial maze in Sept. '08. The intention was to slow my HR to ease the load on the heart. I was on Amiodarone for rhythm control. I got off the Amio. after not quite 3 months and asked to get off the Metop. after 4 months because I wanted to see how low my HR would be able to go on its own. I weaned off of it and my HR went up (both resting and exercise) and has gradually come down but to no where near what it was pre-op. My BP did not go up fortunately.

I'm supposed to stay on a BP med for the remainder of the first year post-op to help ease the heart's burden while it hopefully remodels the first year. My resting BP ranges between 105 - 115 Systolic with the medication. I was hoping my mental acuity would go up after stopping the Metop. but, evidently that wasn't the problem .

I know there are other drugs that do a better job of targeting BP than beta blockers, and I'm assumming Altace (ACE Inhibitor?) is one of those. Are you still on that? There's a fairly new drug (I think) called Cozar, which is an Agiotensin Receptor Blocker, similar to an ACE and designed for the same purpose. I've been on that for about 45 days to replace the Enalapril Maleate (ACE) that we thought might have been giving me some side effects. Perhaps that's another one you could explore with your cardio.

 

[Eva]

.........(eg, forgetful, Angry, Anxious, Brain Fog). What have your cardiologist told you about the purpose for Toprol relative to Aortic valve longivity?

Robert,

I am not a doctor and have not been on similar medication for a long time to tell whether your forgetfulness or anxiety are from the medicine. Members who are on may provide better advice.

My advise to you is not to waste this second lease you have on life by being anxious. Anxiety may cause anger, foregetfulnesss and brain fogness! Have you discussed these symptoms with your doctor in case you have the blues or some light depression which is normal to hit us after surgery even though you are almost three years post sergery!

I am an advocate of anti-depressants...I have seen people fighting meds for many years hoping to improve on their own, and then they are brand new people when they take meds. In many cases it might be just for a short while.

GOOD LUCK

 

[robertr]

Toprol side effects

Toprol side effects

JeffM - Thanks! I'll ask my cardio about cozar...

Eva, I do appreciate the comments, but I am positive that Toprol causes significant side effects. It became apparent when my Cardio surgeon doubled my dosage from 25 to 50mg's over a year ago. Shortly afterwards, I became VERY terse with my 17 year old son - way beyond my normal reaction to such trivial issues. That's when I immediately self reduced my dosage back to 25mg's and began my campaign with my cardio to get off of Toprol. He finally agreed and weened me off of it and then replaced Altace with Norvasc (10mg) for my HBP. It has been working well. I still do not fully understand why they prescribed Toprol for me. What's the value of it vs. other HBP meds? Most of what I have read states that it is primarily used for heart rhythm purposes - I do not have any rhythm issues...?

So I would like to understand if anyone believes Toprol will prolong the life of my valve or if the only objective is to keep the HBP down - which I think I am doing pretty well with Norvasc with fewer significant side effects?

-Robert

 

[aussigal]

I have been on it since just before my OHS, about 3 1/2 years now. I have also been told I will be on it for life. The benefits of a beta blocker are that it lowers our BP but also reduces the strength of contractions of the heart and the forcefullness of the whooshing of blood through our system. These I have been told are all desireable side effects for those of us who have had heart valve and anuerysm surgery. I take 50mg twice a day with no major/life altering problems at all. At 44 I have some totally 'senior' moments but I dont let them bother me, eg: the name of a common item will escape me for a minute or two....I was previously on 100mg twice a day and noticed a lot more fogginess and I was more tired and dopey. The tiredness and living in a daze are fairly common reactions to too much beta blocker from what I remember.

 

[seth]

My GP told me that some people do not tolerate Toprol due to it causing mental / emotional issues. In fact he told me that he himself is one of those folks. He was on it briefly after his bypass surgery but couldn't tolerate it and had to switch to some other medication. As to why you have been prescribed Toprol... that needs to be answered by the doctor who has you taking it. I can tell you that since my Bentall procedure I've been on Toprol (metoprolol) for the reasons Aussigal states: mainly to reduce the force of the pounding of my heart (strength of the contractions). Just recently I lowered the dose from 100mg to 50mg daily and I've noticed my heart-pounding issue has become worse, so I suspect it is useful for this purpose.

 

[lb151]

I was recently switched from metoprolol back to coreg. It makes a huge difference. In the latest trials,it beat out metoprolol 3 to 1 in helping heart function(especially left ventricle). My mind seems a little better also. Its a great alternative.