Treats high blood pressure and angina (chest pain) and lowers the risk of repeated heart attacks. This medicine is a beta blocker
Brand Names:
Toprol XL, Lopressor
Contraindications:
You should not use this medicine if you have had an allergic reaction to any type of beta blocker medicine (such as atenolol, metoprolol, propranolol, Corgard®, Inderal®, Lopressor®, Toprol®, Tenormin®), or if you have low blood pressure or certain heart problems. Talk with your doctor about what these heart problems are
Uses:
Tablet, Long Acting Tablet
Your doctor will tell you how much of this medicine to take and how often. Do not take more medicine or take it more often than your doctor tells you to.
You may take this medicine with or without food.
Take the extended-release tablet with a meal or just after you eat. You may break the tablet in two, but swallow the two pieces whole and do not crush or chew them.
If a dose is missed:
If you miss a dose or forget to take your medicine, take it as soon as you can. If your next regular dose is less than 4 hours away (8 hours for extended-release tablets), wait until then to take the medicine and skip the missed dose.
Do not use extra medicine to make up for a missed dose.
Storage:
Store the medicine at room temperature, away from heat, moisture, and direct light. Ask your pharmacist, doctor, or health caregiver about the best way to dispose of any outdated medicine or medicine no longer needed.
Keep all medicine away from children and never share your medicine with anyone.
Special precautions:
Before taking, tell your doctor and pharmacist if you are allergic to any medications. tell your doctor and pharmacist what prescription and nonprescription medications, vitamins, nutritional supplements, and herbal products you are taking. tell your doctor if you have or have ever had heart failure or liver disease. tell your doctor if you are pregnant, plan to become pregnant, or are breast-feeding. If you become pregnant while taking, call your doctor
Make sure your doctor knows if you are also using amiodarone (Cordarone®), celecoxib (Celebrex®), chlorpheniramine (cold or allergy medicine), cimetidine (Tagamet®), clomipramine (Anafranil®), halofantrine (Halfan®), methadone, Paxil®, Prozac®, quinidine (Quinidex®), ritonavir (Norvir®), terbinafine (Lamisil®), or Zantac®.
Warnings:
Make sure your doctor knows if you are pregnant or breastfeeding, or if you have asthma, emphysema, bronchitis, liver disease, overactive thyroid, or diabetes.
Do not stop using this medicine suddenly without asking your doctor, or you may develop life-threatening heart problems. You may need to slowly decrease your dose before stopping it completely.
This medicine may raise or lower your blood sugar, and it may cover up symptoms of very low blood sugar (hypoglycemia).
This medicine may make you dizzy. Avoid driving, using machines, or doing anything else that could be dangerous if you are not alert.
Make sure any doctor or dentist who treats you knows that you are using this medicine.
If you stop using this medicine, your blood pressure may go up. High blood pressure usually has no symptoms. Even if you feel well, do not stop using the medicine without asking your doctor.
Side Effects:
Tell your doctor if any of these symptoms are severe or do not go away:
Chest pain (may be related to your disease and not a side effect)
