Blood Pressure - Toprol-xl (Brand name: lopressor)

Common use

Lopressor acts mostly blocking beta-adrenoreceptors of the heart and is used to treat hypertension, chest pain (angina), abnormal rhythms of the heart, to treat and prevent myocardial infarction. This medication influences autonomic nervous system which stipulates increased heart rate by blocking its receptors and thus reducing abnormally rapid heart rhythms. It also diminishes myocard irritability, cardiac output and causes other effects.

Dosage and direction

This medication should be taken with food or just after a meal. Do not chew, squash or break a tablet, drink a glass of water with it. Dosage depends on the treated disease and may vary between 100-450 mg daily. Your individual dosage should be prescribed by your physician. Aged patients are recommended to start from 50 mg daily dose. Kidnely failure does not require a dosage correction while liver failure requires usage of other beta-adrenoblockers which are not destructed in liver.

Precautions

Avoid drinking alcohol as its interaction with Lopressor increases drowsiness and dizziness.

Contraindications

Hypersensitivity to the components of the medication, acute or chronic heart failure, arterial hypotention, congestive heart failure, asthma or other breathing problems, diabetes, disorders of perepherial blood circulation, pregnancy, breast-feeding, depression, liver or kidney disease, a thyroid disorder, or myasthenia gravis.

Possible side effect

At the background of common tolerance to the medication among side effects are noticed abdominal cramps, fatigue, insomnia, nausea, depression, memory loss, fever, impotence, lightheadedness, slow heart rate, low blood pressure, cold extremities, sore throat, diarrhea, constipation, and shortness of breath or wheezing.

Drug interaction

Attention should be paid to intake of calcium channel blockers and digoxin (Lanoxin) which are known by dangerous lowering of blood pressure and heart rate being administered together with Lopressor.
Lopressor also is able to mask the early symptoms of low blood sugar and should be used with caution in patients who suffer from diabetes.

Missed dose

Take the forgotten dose as soon as you remember. If your next dose is less than 4 hours away, skip it and return to your schedule. Do not try to compensate a missed dose by taking an extra one.

Overdose

If you notice such symptoms as uneven heartbeats, shortness of breath, dizziness, weakness or fainting, bluish-colored fingernails, seek for immediate medical help.

Storage

Store between 15-30 C (59-86 F). Protect this medication away from moisture and sunlight in tight, light-resistant container.

Disclaimer

We provide only general information about medications which does not cover all directions, possible drug integrations, or precautions. Information at the site cannot be used for self-treatment and self-diagnosis. Any specific instructions for a particular patient should be agreed with your health care adviser or doctor in charge of the case. We disclaim reliability of this information and mistakes it could contain. We are not responsible for any direct, indirect, special or other indirect damage as a result of any use of the information on this site and also for consequences of self-treatment.

Please find the full description of Lopressor at Drugs.com and general information at Wikipedia