Possible Metoprolol Side Effects Have Me Scared!

[JeanO0701]

I'll try not to write a novel here and just get to the point.  I'm a healthy woman, 52 yrs.  I have no other health issues, have a healthy heart (CHAD score is 0), BP that is nice and low (100/60), don't smoke, drink (anymore - it's big trigger), etc etc.  After an ablation for PVCs, I developed a-fib.  I have a wonderful (and high profile) cardiologist in Boston (who performed the ablation).  He put me on flecainide (worked up to 75mg/day) and 50mg/day metoprolol.  It worked at first - not a blip.  But then I started having frightening episodes of SVT, which brought me to the ER, and eventually hospitalization.  He took me off the flecainide which seemed to be the cause of the SVT.  I also have atrial flutter now.  I had cardioversion, but still have a-fib and my heart rate is too high again (I'm on an event monitor which reported to my doctor that my heart rate was 150 last night while I slept through it).  He has put me on 100mg metoprolol - I'll be taking the 2nd dose (50mg) in a few minutes.  He wanted me on the brand name Toprol XL, but the pharmacies are having a hard time stocking it right now so I'm on the regular (not extended release) version, taking it in the a.m. and again in the p.m.  OK, done with the background, now here's my issue:  I've been online reading page after page after page about people who have taken this and the side effects at this dosage that they are reporting are scaring me to tears.  Everything from hair thinning to huge weight gains (I'm somewhat overweight, so this is the last thing I need), sleeplessness, extreme exhaustion, depression, sweating, zero libido, worsened a-fib - it just goes on and on.  Honestly, I'm so upset and frightened.  I just knew I shouldn't have gone online and read this stuff, but now that I have I'm shocked at how prevalent these adverse side effects are.  I feel like I'm going to become a chronically unhealthy person and this is the beginning of the end of my healthy years. Oh, one of the things I read was that it is impossible to lose weight while on metoprolol because it slows the heart and you are unable to burn fat - even with tons of working out.  This stinks, because as soon as the monitor comes off, I was planning to start working out again to lose some of this excess weight.  ...I went to the ER with a heart rate of 200+ and my BP was still perfect.  I was told that this is kind of phenomenal, that my heart muscle is obviously very strong.  I'd like to keep it this way.  ...Any thoughts?

[Brooke_38]

Hello...

As with any medication, any and all adverse side effects that have been reported must be documented. This does not mean that you will experience all of them. Most adverse effects that people experience have been mild and transient.

There have been rare reports of reversible alopecia (hair loss). If this were to occur, discontinuation of the drug is warranted. The good news is that the condition is reversible and not a permenant result.

There are many who do complain of weight gain during betablocker therapy. Have you spoken to your Dr about your concerns? You mention that this is for treatment of afib, are you taking any type of anti-arrhythmic along with the BB?

[banglamom]

metoprolol side effects.... well, I guess they are real, but you learn to live with it.  The side effects are easier to live with than a resting rate of 150 and then going up and up from there.  When they were trying to control rate with JUST beta blockers... I took 200 of propranolol and 300 of metoprolol and occasional 100 of labetalol here and there.  It helped but it worked a LOT better when other classes of drugs were added.  Since the point is to slow you down, it generally SLOWS you down.  When I was on THAT much, I felt like I was nailed to the couch.  Now, instead I take coreg as a beta blocker and diltiazem, and flecainide and lisinopril.  (Only the lisinopril is not for the rhythms.)  I have struggles with the meds, but it is helping my heart.  So, regardless of weight gain or tired or dizzy, I'm not in heart failure now... so I'll take it.  I hope it all works out for you.  Talk over your concerns with your md and what you are trying to acheive vs. trying to avoid with the meds.  Though it isn't optimal, sometimes "better living through chemistry" is our only reasonable option.  

[musikbox]

I was on Metaprolol (generic of Lopressor), and the only thing Metaprolol did was make me tired, but it made me SO tired, I couldn't function, so I went off it.

Since then, I've switched to Atenelol (generic of Tenormin) and NO side effects.

You might want to ask for that if you can :)

[Jerry_NJ]

I am basically in AFib and use Metoprolol for rate control.  I have taken as much as 200 mg a day, 100 in am 100 in pm.  That did give me some problems with dizziness and tiredness .. I'm now on 100 ER (Extended Release) which I take in the morning.  I don't have much in the way of side effects from that dose, but I do feel a bit lethargic..not sure if it is due to the medication of AFib, or both.  My only complaint symptoms are the lazy feeling and some shortness of breath if I do anything beyond walking on the level.  I think it may also have lowering effect on male libido, I'm not convinced that is the case.  

So, for rate control, I was running as high as 130 bpm at rest without Metoprolol, and with 100 mg I run as low as mid 70s when really at rest and around 90 if just walking around the house. It also lowers my normal blood pressure, but not too much..guess I'm usually around 120/70.

Hope I didn't wander off topic, bottom line of this post, my experience with Metoprolol at 100 mg or less a day is the side effects are not troubling.

[twinbee]

I take metoprolol and I have had hardly any side effects. It did make me alittle tired but I got use to it. Everybody is different when it comes to meds and side effects. For expample musikbox could not tolerate metoprolol and was switched to atenolol. For me it was the opposite. I could not function on atenolol and had to come off of it and I am having no problems with metoprolol.

[musikbox]

you're absolutely right, everyone experiences different side effects.

But to address the OP's concerns, if a drug was THAT risky, the FDA wouldn't have approved it to begin with.

[JeanO0701]

Thank you for all the valuable comments - I really appreciate every one of them.  I know I shouldn't look for trouble before it happens, so I guess I'll stick with the increased dosage of metoprolol and just see what happens.  Right now, it's the only med I'm on. If I'm lucky it will do the job and I won't have any insurmountable side effects.  If not, I'm pretty sure that a-fib ablation is going to be the recommended next option.  I have a LOT of questions about that for my doctor as I'm not too crazy about the statistics on the success rate and instance of stroke for this procedure (much more complex and risky than the ablation I had for PVCs).  However, I guess my overall good health (aside from the a-fib) is certainly in my favor.  I have an appointment this week with my cardiologist and will definitely be addressing the weight issue with him.  I mean, what could be more conducive to cardiac health than being at (or at least close to) an optimal weight?  ...Good luck to all - I had no idea that arrhythmia was such a prevalent condition until it happened to me - I'm not unique, that's for sure.  I can very much relate to the frustration and fear that go along with it and am glad there are opportunities like this to talk with others going through the same thing.  Thanks again.