I take Metoprolol Succinate is it ok for me to take Metoprolol Tartrate ?
Is Metprolol Er Succinate the same as Metoprolol Tartrate? What is the difference ?
Question posted by LanaHeart on 16 June 2014
Last updated on 14 April 2024
6 Answers
sweetlovinguy1
14 April 2024
Which one you prefer
Keky13
14 April 2024
Thank you so much for your answer. It completely cleared up my confusion!
newjersey1960
30 Jan 2018
Although they both treat high blood pressure and chest pain, these drugs are not interchangeable. They are dosed differently.
Metoprolol succinate comes as an extended-release oral tablet. Extended release means the drug releases into your body slowly. You usually take it once per day.
Metoprolol tartrate is available as an immediate-release oral tablet. It does not stay in your body as long as metoprolol succinate does, so you must take it multiple times per day. This drug also comes as a solution for injection that’s used to treat unstable angina and arrhythmia. A health care provider gives you this injection. You don’t give it to yourself.
Leland MacDonald
12 May 2017
Just been put on Metoprolol succinate 25mg at bedtime.
Leah hawkins
20 March 2017
When taking this medication with other meds, like zoloft 200 mg, and trazodone 600.t,,2. And also metoprolol roping role HCI 0 5 mg cause one to see and hear voices in one's head
WebFly55
13 Sep 2015
The difference is that Metoprolol SUCCINATE slow releases your full daily dose over a 24-hour period, so you only need to take it once a day, .. whereas, Metoprolol TARTRATE releases over a 12-hour period, .. so you have to take tartrate twice a day with each dose being half of the total daily milligrams you need.
Metoprolol Succinate typically costs more than tartrate, but succinate is less hassle since you can simply schedule to take it once-a-day with one of your regular meals.
Bottom line is that the number of milligrams prescribed to you by your doctor is the DAILY dose amount that you're supposed to take. So if your doctor gave you a prescription for "X" milligrams of metoprolol SUCCINATE ( which is a "once a day" med ); and then if he/she switches you to metoprolol TARTRATE, each tartrate pill will be HALF the milligrams of the succinate pill because you'll need to take TWO tartrate pills per day, ..
so you end up with the SAME TOTAL NUMBER OF MILLIGRAMS per day.
Four years ago, my doctor prescribed that I take a 25mg tablet of metoprolol tartrate TWICE a day, which gave me a total of 50mg per day. Since you're supposed to take metoprolol with food ( to slow down the absorption rate ), it was just too much hassle because I don't normally eat food 12 hours after any other meal in a day. I finally remembered to "complain" to my doctor about having to take the tartrate with food twice a day, so he switched my prescription to a once-a-day 50mg dose of the succinate ( which still should be taken with food, but at least I can now simply schedule it with one of my regular meals ).
Anyway, as you can see, THE TOTAL MILLIGRAMS PER DAY STAYED THE SAME, so that's what's important.
The reason I was looking at these questions/answers about metoprolol, in the first place, was because I wanted to know if there's a difference between the SIDE EFFECTS of succinate versus tartrate .. or if one is more prone to side effects than the other. Just a few minutes ago, I gave up on trying to find an authoritative answer to that and decided to call a local pharmacist. .. .. ..
.. .. she said that, in general, side effects, if any, are more likely to occur with quick-release doses because they "spike" and "dip" in your system more than slow-release pills do; .. so, since slow-release medications release more evenly into your system, they're tolerated better by most people. She said that occasionally someone will mention they experience a little dizziness with the metoprolol tartrate. I added that I'm most interested in long-term side effects, for instance, is either the tartrate or succinate more prone to causing kidney or liver damage. I was told, "No, the only difference is in how they release, but they're both the same chemical, so they're both the same with regards to long-term effects."
kaismama
16 June 2014
No its not ok, because the dosing is different. The tartrate is short acting you can't just take it once a day. Your dr would have to change you from one to the other.
beerqueen62
6 Jan 2015
If someone was taking tartrate twice a day and each tablet was 50mg would the does for succinate be one tablet a day and 100mg? Are the side effects the same?
Related topics
metoprolol, metoprolol succinate er
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