Metoprolol and Headaches: What Users Say

• Mag...
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• May 31, 2019

Metoprolol for High Blood Pressure "I hate this drug. I had been taking 25mg for years along with another blood pressure pill, amlodipine. Worked okay although the metoprolol took me a long time to adjust to. It makes me feel really lousy. The side effects are terrible. Last year I had to have open heart surgery to have my aortic valve replaced. Afterwards, they put me on 100 mg of the metoprolol extended-release. Oh My!! I’ve been on it for 7 months. I might as well be dead. This dosage makes me dizzy, lightheaded, depressed, extremely fatigued, I sleep all day, weight gain, headaches! I took half a pill each day for a few days and actually felt better. I hate this drug. I’m going to tell my cardiologist to lower my dosage way back or I’m just going to stop taking it. I feel worse than I have ever felt in my life. But hey, my BP and pulse are great!"

• Leu...
• June 27, 2019

For High Blood Pressure "Metoprolol is a horrid drug. I was started on 25mg 2x a day and only for the past 2 months. My doctor said it was a TINY dose. Nothing tiny about it. I have been so dizzy, blurry vision. So I am trying to wean off, and it's a miserable ride. I have palpitations, some chest pain. I wake in the night with ringing ears and racing heart. This is Beta Blocker rebound and I'd rather have a craniotomy. I have headaches, tinnitus, poor exercise tolerance. (I was athletic) in addition to the palpitations and chest pain. I am trying to wean at 12.5 and now down to 6.25 daily until I can ditch this horrid drug. It seems many people have had the same struggle. I pray I can get off and get back to normal soon. Good luck to all of you working hard to get off this drug."

• Sun...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• March 10, 2021

Metoprolol for High Blood Pressure "My blood pressure and heart rate went up several times during the winter storm in Houston, so I went to the emergency room and got put on this awful medicine. I started off on long-acting, felt horrible, got put on fast-acting and still feel bad. I have just about every symptom they have on their page - weakness, fatigue, dizziness, itchy skin, off-balance, panic attacks, can't sleep, blood pressure drops low, pulse drops too low, joint pain, muscle aches, hair coming out, headaches, scalp hurts to even gently pull my hair, etc. I go to the doctor soon, I have to get off this stuff. I feel horrible, no energy, and I have a 6-month-old to look after."

• Kat...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• July 31, 2019

For Atrial Fibrillation "Worst experience with a drug in my lifetime. After my first AFib attack, I was prescribed this drug. Could only handle it for two weeks at 25mg twice a day. Felt listless, had headaches, skin turned blue, experienced buzzing in my ears, felt fatigued, had to be very careful while driving, heart rate went down to 64 (felt like a Zombie). Finally coming off it and withdrawals are as bad as the side effects. Don't recommend it to anyone!"

• Sam...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• August 29, 2019

For High Blood Pressure "Was on a quarter of a 25mg metoprolol pill for a week. I felt like I was slowly dying. I had difficulty breathing just walking to the bathroom, nausea, headaches, I felt starving, was shaky and uneasy on my feet, was mentally out of it, my heart rate would jump from 80 to 120 throughout the day for unknown reasons and I felt like I was going to pass out at any moment. My psychiatrist put me on it to slow my heart rate to try and help my anxiety. I had been on it as a teen and was fine, I guess something changed since then. I’ve been off it for a few weeks now and I’m still feeling unwell, my eyes are easily strained and I’m getting migraines, I just want this nightmare to end, I hope I feel like myself again soon."

• Ebj...
• October 12, 2019

For High Blood Pressure "I am 25 years old and my BP is normal all the time. My cardiologist, Dr. [corrected_text] told me I have a weak heartbeat, so he prescribed this pill, metoprolol succinate 25mg ER. In the first week of taking this pill, I felt nothing. By the second week of taking it, my skin felt itchy, and I felt like I've been bitten by an ant all over my body. I also felt severe tiredness when I took it in the morning. I can't fight it and end up falling asleep. I also feel pain when I press my head or put pressure on it. I also wake in the middle of the night with horrible dreams and feel like my heart beats faster. My cardiologist told me to take it at night, and so I did. It works okay, but I want to stop taking it before my body gets used to it. I am healthy, do not have any illnesses, do not drink or smoke, and I am active. Due to a diagnosis of a weak heartbeat after giving birth, I have this pill. I hope I can read a review from someone who has stopped taking it."

• Jan...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• August 15, 2018

Metoprolol for High Blood Pressure "Worked well to control my blood pressure but couldn’t tolerate the side effects. Caused constant headache as well as a pressure feeling in my head and made me feel somewhat swollen all over (even though I wasn’t)"

• Ste...
• October 1, 2015

For Supraventricular Tachycardia "I am a 20-year-old female (yes, 20) and I am taking it for SVT. I take 75 mg twice daily, every 12 hours. Right after I take it, my heart rate increases, and I get major anxiety. At night, it's worse. During the day, I'm perfectly fine. I also have chest pains and SOB, sometimes back pain. I also have heavy legs. Headaches are a definite. I am not wearing the Event Monitor to track my heart rate. It can get high, which can be scary because you don't know what could happen next. Some sleepless nights and early morning wake with anxiety. It sucks because when I have these panic attacks, I can tell when it's about to start so I brace myself. But I tell myself that Jesus is going to heal my body every day."

• Str...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• January 7, 2021

For Premature Ventricular Depolarizations "No prior history of cardiac issues or anxiety, 30-year-old female, been working through COVID as a nurse, unsure if I ever had COVID. Was recently diagnosed with “stress-induced” PVC/PACs, symptomatic and pretty frequent but not enough to require any immediate treatment when I went to the ER. Thought it was anxiety, then it persisted every couple of minutes, a swift kick to my chest, losing my breath, so I gave in after almost a day of relaxation techniques. The ER doctor started me on metoprolol. Awful. They helped the symptoms, but I felt like rubbish. Dizzy, tired, my vitals were fine, but just that 10-15 point drop in my blood pressure was giving me headaches and dizziness affecting me! My resting heart rate was in the 50s, which was concerning at first, but I was asymptomatic, so no issue, it gave me anxiety though and made me restless at night. I started on 50 mg, was only taking 25 mg by the end of it after 2 weeks and was switched to propranolol. Much better after a couple of days on that medication, way fewer symptoms."

• Tre...
• August 12, 2019

For Premature Ventricular Depolarizations "Was on metoprolol for 4 weeks. I had nausea, headache, no energy, stayed in bed for 3 days straight. It also dropped my blood pressure to 90/55 & stayed in that range. After that, Dr. took me off, no taper - just cold turkey. On day 3 of no metoprolol, I ended up in the ER with rebound PVC's. I was in a constant panic attack for the first 4 days of withdrawal. It is day 7 & the panic is gone, but still have anxiety, still have a bad headache & rebound PVC's. Dr. said it could take up to 3 weeks until normal. Never would have taken if I had known."

• tin...
• May 14, 2016

Metoprolol for Supraventricular Tachycardia "This medication almost took my life. During the 6 years I was on it, my cardiologist kept raising the dose. I had difficulty standing on my feet, developed severe headaches, slurred speech, and dark veiled vision. Over time, my fingers turned dark purple like grape juice. I reached the point where I could not sit up one morning without help. My daughter discovered my back was dark purple as well. The emergency room doctor took me off immediately, stating a severe reaction."

• Ram...
• Taken for 10 years or more
• December 2, 2020

Metoprolol for High Blood Pressure "I have been taking Metoprolol Tartrate 50 mg BID for 10 years. Experiences are: heart does not always rest long enough between beats, lack of sleep, memory loss, headaches, white pimple in mouth (just started a month ago), runny nose, tiredness, low energy, constipation, shortness of breath while resting, hypertension, and aching feet. I will be 77 a few days from now. Found an OTC that can replace this drug, but must go off very slowly. All in all, this drug is now too strong for me as I will be talking with my heart doctor very soon."

• Lou...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• February 28, 2021

For Atrial Fibrillation "In September, I had a stroke, which led me to a cardiologist. Had all the tests, eventually diagnosed with afib. On December 28, I was hospitalized for heart issues and COVID. A small vessel in my heart had a clot, dissolved with thinners. On February 16, I couldn't breathe, went to the ER, and got emergency cardioversion (paddle shock to the heart) on metoprolol 50 mg 3 times a day. I absolutely feel awful, and I cut the pill in half to take it 2 times a day and still have bad side effects. I can't sleep. I nod off mid-sentence, can hardly walk to the bathroom, feel shaky, and have extreme lethargy, with a headache 2-3 hours after taking the drug. The worst symptom-I can't breathe, extreme bradycardia. The doctor changes the drug or I get a new doctor. My blood pressure this morning, before meds, was 59."

• Rik...
• April 5, 2009

Metoprolol for High Blood Pressure "I have been taking Metoprolol 25mg once a day for 13 days. It has lowered my heart rate by about 30 beats a minute but I am always tired, get chest pain, headache, and numbness. Little to no benefit in lowering my blood pressure (140/95's)."

• Jes...
• October 13, 2015

For Migraine Prevention "I am so happy to have found a medication that prevents migraines, lowers my blood pressure, and curbs anxiety. I was having 20 to 25 migraine days a month. So far, I've only had two mild headaches that were easily treated with two ibuprofen. I feel like I have my life back. I highly recommend it."

• Bad...
• November 2, 2016

For Atrial Fibrillation "After 8 hours of fast, irregular beating, I went to the emergency room and was diagnosed with afib, which reverted on its own after a few hours. The doctor prescribed metoprolol ER 25 mg. I tried to give this drug a chance, but it did absolutely nothing to stop subsequent episodes. If anything, they seemed to get worse. It felt like my heart was stopping altogether. I'm a fit 27-year-old with low BP and resting heart rate. Because of this, I have to question the doctor's judgment in prescribing this medication. It brought my BP and heart rate down even further, severely affecting my quality of life. I was constantly lightheaded, foggy, woke up with headaches, etc. Bad decision on his part. Switched to flecainide and feel like myself again!"

• kim...
• May 23, 2011

Metoprolol for Supraventricular Tachycardia "I was diagnosed with supraventricular tachycardia two weeks ago and was put on Toprol 25 mg a day. It didn't work in bringing down my pulse, so the doctor increased it to 50 mg a day until I see my heart doctor. I have to say that I do not like the side effects: heavy feeling in my chest, tired all the time, headaches, etc. I hope my doctor recommends ablation because I don't think I can take this medicine much longer."

• old...
• June 5, 2010

For Atrial Fibrillation "I have atrial fibrillation, inherited it from my mother. I'm 62 now, and VA put me on Warfarin and metoprolol about 6 weeks ago. Seems to be doing the trick, and the only side effect I notice is that if I drink a small glass of red wine, I'll get a headache in the middle of the night. Used to take Advil to shake them, but can't now, and Tylenol does nothing. Tried some beer and no headache. My one vice is my nightly glass of wine, which looks like I'll have to give up and replace with beer once in a while. Oh well, beats the alternative. No other side effects yet. Have had trouble losing any weight, but I attribute that to the state they have me on. Ain't it great growing old?"

• mis...
• April 24, 2016

For Angina "I am 54 and had a stent put in with 95% blockage. I was put on Metoprolol 25 mg along with atorvastatin and Effient. The first month or so was tough as I had headaches, chest pains, shortness of breath, etc. I think a large part of it was anxiety from a life-changing surprise condition. No more headaches, and anxiety is much, much better. I have a bit of shortness of breath, even when sitting at times, but I have been able to jog at the gym. Just started again this week and went 30 minutes today. Overall, not sure if anything is working, but I am trying to just trust my doctor and listen to my body. Very tough emotionally, but adjusting."

• Ama...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• April 4, 2023

"This drug is terrible. I was on propranolol 80 mg daily, but that stopped working for my tachycardia and palpitations. My doctor switched me to metoprolol 100 mg, and I immediately regretted it. It began with extreme sweat, even when I was shivering cold. I had confusion, blurred vision, and panic attacks. After taking the medication for a while, I began to get tremors. Feels like my body is electric, shaking, weak knees, off balance, with no coordination, and feeling as though I am tilting to one side. I have since stopped taking the medication, I'd rather deal with the tachycardia. I have bad tension headaches out of the blue, blood sugar, and BP drop where I need sugar to regulate myself. This drug is TERRIBLE. I will deal with my palpitations and tachycardia before I would ever touch this drug again."

• Anonymous
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• January 1, 2020

For Supraventricular Tachycardia "I've been on Metoprolol for about a month now, and I was admitted to the hospital for heart palpitations and am waiting for surgery now for SVT. Metoprolol causes severe side effects of headaches, lightheadedness, and dizziness. The medicine does a great job in lowering heart rate, but the side effects are unreal. Can't wait to have the surgery and be done with this medicine! I can't even leave my house because I'm afraid I'll pass out while driving."

• you...
• December 28, 2008

For High Blood Pressure "I have been using metoprolol for about 3 years now for high blood pressure. Started with 50 mg and now at 100 mg. Before the medicine, I used to have a headache from the back of my neck to the back of my head every day. Since taking it, no more headaches. Blood pressure is low too. Can't seem to lose any weight, though. I think I started out at 185 lbs (still overweight), but now I'm at 192 lbs and can't seem to get below that. Am pretty gassy and have frequent diarrhea."

• coo...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• April 3, 2018

For Atrial Fibrillation "I had a slight headache on the back of my head and neck, which bothered me. I thought it was sweets, or a diet drink, or my diet. Then, after a month, I went to see a doctor, and her nurse was taking my blood pressure, and it hurt really bad. I told her, she looked and took it again. She turned so I could see my numbers, and I was shocked, the top number was 209. I don't remember what the bottom number was. I called the doctor that had prescribed the metoprolol, and he told me to get off it. It took 3 to 4 days for it to go back to normal. I do take a blood thinner, I guess that will have to do?"

• are...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• July 28, 2021

Metoprolol for Supraventricular Tachycardia "I’ve been on beta blockers before, and this one really took me for a ride. Was fine and slowed down a 5-day episode of palpitations, but after day 3, I had intense body aches and headaches, the craziest brain fog. I just did not feel like myself. Told the doctor, and they said to take half (of a 25 mg), and I ended up blacking out 3 hours later. Please beware, because I really felt like I was going crazy, and one day off, I already feel better."

• Atr...
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• May 30, 2022

For Atrial Fibrillation "Was prescribed this about a year ago for persistent atrial fib, and as soon as taking it, noticed major pain and headaches around temples. I had just had cardioversion done, and after it, these tablets are like poison. My dose of metoprolol is 100 mg a day, and I've had headaches every day for months - very short of breath - spiking blood pressure into the 180s. Been to the hospital on numerous occasions while I was in AF. Told them it was the drug doing these symptoms, I was told it was AF. Now heart is back in sinus rhythm, and symptoms still remain that admit it's the drug's ADRs. Stay clear of this tablet if you can, it was poison to me, especially when using digoxin with it also. They both are serious side effect giving drugs."