Metoprolol Tartrate

Patient Information

Metoprolol is a beta-blocker. It helps to control high blood pressure or other heart-related problems

What Metoprolol Tartrate is used for:

Metoprolol is used alone or in combination with another medicine for the following conditions:

• to treat high blood pressure
• to treat angina (chest pain triggered by exercise)
• to help to protect the heart after a heart attack (myocardial infarction)

Tell your doctor or pharmacist before using Metoprolol Tartrate if :

• You have heart, liver or kidney disease
• You have high or low levels of sugar in the blood (diabetes)
• You are at risk for serious allergic reactions
• You have chest pain when you are at rest
• You have poor blood circulation in your limbs
• You have a tumor of the medulla or of the adrenal glands
• You have an overactive thyroid gland
• You have respiratory disease such as asthma, or sometimes get breathlessness and wheezing
• You have a severe syndrome named oculomucocutaneous syndrome
• You are pregnant, or intend to become pregnant.
• You are breast feeding
• You are under 18 years old
• You need to undergo an operation
• You are taken any other medicines

Know all the medicines you take. Keep a list of them with you to show your doctor and pharmacist.

How to take your Metoprolol Tartrate:

Always take this medicine exactly as your doctor or pharmacist has told you. Check with your doctor or pharmacist if you are not sure. Your doctor will have decided how many tablets you need to take each day depending on your condition. Follow your doctor’s instructions about when and how to take your tablets.

What to do if you forget to take a dose :

If you forget to take a dose of Metoprolol, take the missed dose as soon as you remember it. However, if it is almost time for the next dose, skip the missed dose and go back to your regular dosing schedule. Do not take a double dose.

While taking Metoprolol Tartrate:

• Tell your doctor you're taking metoprolol if you're going to be put to sleep (using general anaesthetic), or have any kind of major operation.
• During the first few days of taking metoprolol, or after an increase in your dose, it's best to stop drinking alcohol until you see how the medicine affects you. It's best to stop drinking alcohol if you find metoprolol makes you feel dizzy.
• If your doctor or health visitor says that your baby is healthy, it's OK to take metoprolol while breast feeding. If you notice that your baby is not feeding as well as usual, seems unusually sleepy, or looks much paler than normal, or if you have any other concerns about your baby, then talk to your doctor or health visitor.
• Metoprolol can make some people feel dizzy, especially when they first start taking it or after taking a bigger dose. If this happens to you, do not drive a car, ride a bike, or use tools or machinery.

What to do if you take too many tablets :

If you think you, or a person you are caring for, have taken too much Metoprolol, contact a healthcare professional, hospital emergency department, or regional poison control centre immediately, even if there are no symptoms.

Side-effects :

Like other medications, Metoprolol may cause some side effects. These side effects may be minor and temporary. However, some may be serious and need medical attention.

Side effects may include: sleep disturbance, fatigue and tiredness especially with activity, headache, dry mouth, nausea and vomiting, diarrhea or constipation and abdominal pain, numbness, a tingling sensation in the extremities (signs of paresthesia), increased sensitivity of the skin to sun, sweating, hair loss, increased weight, and lower back pain.

Reporting of side effects:

If you get any side effects, talk to your doctor, pharmacist or nurse. This includes any possible side effects not listed here.

You can also report side effects directly via the Yellow Card Scheme at: www.dorsapharma.com/ (ADR Form)

By reporting side effects, you can help provide more information on the safety of this medicine.