Not taking metoprolol specifically but I'm familaiar with the drug class. It's a selective beta-blocker that gives good blood pressure reduction.
However, the drug class is fraught with side effects.
Look for a greatly lowered heartrate, much less energy, perhaps some dizziness or sleepiness (OR sleeplessness.)
Exercise will become a burden.
Personally, just going by the averages, you probably won't like the drug very much.
It's GOOD for people with hypertension and something else: like heart failure, racing or irregular heartbeat, angina pectoris....but strictly for hypertension there are FAR better drugs with fewer really awful side effects.
Also look for the possibility of nausea. I took Toprol XL for awhile, which is basically the same drug. I had lots of problems with it and eventually gave it up. I had no digestive problems at 50mg dose, but at 100mg, especially if I took it all at once, made me continually nauseous.
The thing about Toprol (metoprolol) that amazes me the most is the label. It is actually on the label that "Total Mortality" for the trials of folks living in the US (I'm not really sure why this is) actually favors the placebo. Of course, I'm sure the FDA made them disclose this information. Yeah, the drug looks great when you look at the overall popuplation. But, when you look at the sub-groups, it doesn't look so hot.
From this data, the drug is most benificial to white males not living in the US. It would be the worst for black females living in the US. In fact, if you had two out of three (black, female, US), I'd really question using this drug.
Pal, as usual you've given great info. I am a black female and my dr insisted i take toprol xl.I had the worst time on this drug and it was the absolute worst bp med i've ever taken. Now i know why. I still have a bottle of 100 pills in my "don't use" med bag.
I take 50mg of it a day 25 in the morning and 25 at nite and i havent had any side effects from it other than it does make me a little tired but other than that its working fine for me.
