Low HR on Toprol

[dmacd74]

I am on Toprol for chronic pvcs.  It causes my HR to go as low as 46 while resting.  When I first started taking it 2 weeks ago it lowered my BP to under 105/60.  Now my BP is normal but my HR is still so low.  I am only taking 6.5 mg twice per day - thankfully it is working on the pvcs.  I don't feel light headed or dizzy in any way - I am just worried about the low resting.  The highest it ever seems to get is 55 -57 during the day.  Does anyone have any suggestions?  Does kolonopin lower HR.  I have some in my drawer, but don't use it too much, but sometimes I need it but I am afraid it will lower the HR even more.

Thank you.  Debbie

[Lisa33167]

I spent 7 hours in the ER last week after my first dose - 25mg  they couldn't keep my bp above 70/40 (I think my hr was 41) and finally sent me home after so long and tons of tests.  They said it's a common side effect of the meds - thats what they told me in the er :(

They told me not to take it again until I talked to my cardiologist.  Have you talked to yours to see what you can do?
  
I've always had BP on the lower side so I kind of expected some side effects, but not that drastic. Before I took it bp was 118/76 - within an hour dropped to 70/40 but the er dr said it shouldn't have happened so fast with the meds - so maybe something else was going on also (like pvc's aren't enough).

Hope you find an answer, I'm watching in hopes someone else knows.

[andrew0099]

I just started taking metoprolol 50mg/twice a day for SVT ( I am 6'2, 200lb male, hence the higer dose).  I am not sure how different metoprolol is from toprol, but I am also noticing some very annoying (albeit less serious) side effects.  The most obvious is insomnia/very odd dreams.  It tends to keep me up at night.  Otherwise, my HB has lowered by a modest 5-10 BPM.  

[Lisa33167]

Toprol is brand name - Metoprolol is generic name

[NTB]

perhaps you need an even lower dose. The Toprol is doing what it was made to do, just maybe too much of a good thing.

And btw, metoprolol succinate is Toprol, which is extended release -  and metoprolol tartrate is Lopressor, which is the normal release version.

[NTB]

maybe you just naturally (genetically) have more of the enzyme that converts the m. succinate to the active molecule.

or maybe there was an interaction with some other drug, or with some food

[Lisa33167]

Lowering bp? wonder why I was given it when I have normal - low bp to begin with - she said (EP) she put me on it for pvc's which did nothing but make them worse.  

My normal bp has been 118/76 & HR 70-75 in the past 6 mths.

That's what I didn't understand I've never had a bp reading over 130/90, so no clue and my script was for Toprol - I got it from my local CVS and saw the generic and asked them about it - said it's the same thing.

I don't even take OTC meds; food maybe but I doubt it, my bp's dropped back & forth since last week so I bet there's something else going on.

[tia77]

Hi I also have normal BP and take Metroprol (toprol) my heart rate and bp was very low when I first started taking it and now it seems to have evened out as the time went on.  I take 12.5 a day and if the pvc's pac's act up I go up to twice a day.  It was very scary in the begining because I was as low as 42 beats in the morning.  Keep yourself hydrated because that will help keep the bp up.  Also if you have to take the anxiety medicine please watch because I do think that could pull your rate down.  As your doctor.  Good luck.  

[smconorm]

I was taking 25 MG of Metropol and my resting heart rate was around 40 with BP 90/60.  The biggest problem I noticed is that I would feel dizzy when rising.  I was able to reduce to 12.5 MG which helped somewhat.  It seems that there is some experimenting to get the dose right.  One thing to cautious of is when going off Metropol there is a chance of a rebound effect and it should be tapered.  However, your dose is very low this should not be a problem.

[NTB]

just curious if you've tried a Calcium Channel Blocker in place of the BB?

[Lisa33167]

NTB - I haven't tried anything but Toprol and they haven't suggested anything else to me, but I'll look it up and ask when I go back next week to see what they say.  

Several drs all agree that I should ablation and my 2nd EP suggested meds. My cardiologist & 1st EP said meds most likely wouldn't help in my case; so it was a toss up and I just had to try them in hopes it would help. (1st ep actually called the drugs to help in my case "toxic" but I don't think it was toprol)

after that episode, I called my original EP and told them to go ahead and schedule my tilt table test & ablation, then I'll revisit the meds issue again if the ablation doesn't fix them