|
What is Toprol
 Toprol
is in a class of drugs called beta-blockers. Beta-blockers
affect the heart and circulatory system.
Toprol
is used to reduce hypertension (high blood pressure), to treat
chest pain (angina), to treat heart failure, and to reduce
the risk that a heart attack will recur.
Toprol
may also be used for purposes other than those listed in this
medication guide.
General medical information about Toprol
Do not stop taking Toprol without first talking to
your doctor. Stopping Toprol abruptly may cause your condition
to become worse.
Call your doctor immediately if
you experience shortness of breath.
Use caution when
driving, operating machinery, or performing other hazardous
activities. Toprol may cause dizziness or drowsiness. If
you experience dizziness or drowsiness, avoid these activities.
What you should find out before taking
Toprol
Before taking Toprol, tell your doctor if you have:
- asthma;
- a heart problem such as low blood
pressure, a slow heart rate, heart block, sick sinus syndrome,
a pacemaker, heart failure, and others;
- diabetes;
- depression;
- thyroid disease;
-
kidney disease;
- liver disease; or
- any
type of circulatory disease.
You may not be able
to take Toprol, or you may require a dosage adjustment or
special monitoring during treatment if you have any of the
conditions listed above.
Toprol is in the FDA pregnancy
category C. This means that it is not known whether Toprol
will be harmful to an unborn baby. Do not take this medication
without first talking to your doctor if you are pregnant
or could become pregnant during treatment.
Toprol
passes into breast milk in small amounts and may affect
a nursing baby. Do not take Toprol without first talking
to your doctor if you are breast-feeding a baby.
How should take Toprol Take Toprol exactly as directed by your doctor. If
you do not understand these instructions, ask your pharmacist,
nurse, or doctor to explain them to you.
Take each
dose with a full glass of water.
Take Toprol with
food or immediately following a meal.
Do not crush
or chew the extended-release tablets and capsules (e.g.,
Toprol XL). The tablets can be divided in half if prescribed
by your doctor and the half tablet should be swallowed whole,
without crushing or chewing. These tablets are specially
formulated to release the medication slowly in the body.
It is important to take Toprol regularly to get the
most benefit.
Do not stop taking Toprol without first
talking to your doctor. Stopping Toprol abruptly may cause
your condition to become worse.
Your doctor may want
you to have blood pressure monitoring or other medical evaluations
during treatment with Toprol to monitor progress and side
effects.
Store this medication at room temperature
away from moisture and heat.
If you miss a dose: Take the missed dose as soon as you remember. If
it is almost time for the next dose however, skip the missed
dose and take only the next regularly scheduled dose. Do
not take a double dose of this medication.
What happens if you overdose: Seek emergency medical attention if an overdose is
suspected.
Symptoms of a Toprol overdose include
a slow heart beat, shortness of breath, fainting, dizziness,
weakness, confusion, nausea, and vomiting.
Avoid while taking Toprol Use caution when driving, operating machinery, or
performing other hazardous activities. Toprol may cause
drowsiness, dizziness, and blood pressure changes. If you
experience drowsiness or dizziness, avoid these activities.
Use alcohol cautiously. Alcohol may increase drowsiness
and dizziness while taking this medication.
Tell
your doctor and dentist that you are taking this medication
before having surgery.
Possible side effects of Toprol If you experience any of the following serious side
effects, stop taking Toprol and contact your doctor immediately
or seek emergency medical treatment:
- an allergic
reaction (difficulty breathing; closing of the throat; swelling
of the lips, tongue, or face; hives);
- wheezing
or shortness of breath;
- an unusually slow or irregular
heartbeat;
- swelling of the feet and lower legs;
- leg pain or cramping;
- sudden weight gain
(more than 2 pounds in one day or 5 pounds in one week);
- chest (heart) pain;
- unusually cold or
blue feet and hands; or
- skin rash.
If you
experience any of the following less serious side effects,
continue taking Toprol and talk to your doctor:
-
fatigue or confusion;
- headache or dizziness;
-
weak pulse or mildly slow heart rate;
- diarrhea,
constipation, gas, nausea, or vomiting;
- depression;
or
- nightmares.
Side effects other than those
listed here may also occur. Talk to your doctor about any
side effect that seems unusual or that is especially bothersome.
What other drugs will affect Toprol Before taking Toprol, tell your doctor if you are
taking
- a heart medication such as nifedipine (Procardia,
Adalat), reserpine (Serpasil), verapamil (Calan, Verelan,
Isoptin), diltiazem (Cardizem, Dilacor XR), clonidine (Catapres),
digoxin (Lanoxin), doxazosin (Cardura), guanadrel (Hylorel),
prazosin (Minipress), or terazosin (Hytrin);
- a
diabetes medication such as insulin, glyburide (Diabeta,
Micronase, Glynase), glipizide (Glucotrol), chlorpropamide
(Diabinese), or metformin (Glucophage);
- a nonsteroidal
anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID) such as ibuprofen (Motrin,
Advil, others), naproxen (Aleve, Anaprox, Naprosyn, others),
ketoprofen (Orudis, Orudis KT, Oruvail), and others;
-
a respiratory medication such as albuterol (Ventolin, Proventil,
Volmax, others), bitolterol (Tornalate), metaproterenol
(Alupent, Metaprel), pirbuterol (Maxair), terbutaline (Brethaire,
Brethine, Bricanyl), or theophylline (Theo-Dur, Theochron,
Theolair, others), and others;
- the stomach medication
cimetidine (Tagamet, Tagamet HB); or
- prescription
or over-the-counter cough medicines, cold medicines, or
diet pills.
You may not be able to take Toprol, or
you may require a dosage adjustment or special monitoring
during treatment.
Drugs
other than those listed here may also interact with Toprol
or affect your condition. Talk to your doctor and pharmacist
before taking any prescription or over-the-counter medicines,
including vitamins, minerals, and herbal products. |
