Safely Discontinuing Toprol: A Guide for Patients

Toprol is a prescription medication, known as a beta-blocker, and is used in the treatment of heart disease conditions, such as hypertension (high blood pressure) and chest pain (angina). Common side effects include a decreased heart rate, shortness of breath, dizziness, depression and diarrhea, all of which may be reasons for some people to want to stop taking the drug. Talk to your doctor first, so your condition does not become worse.

Instructions

• 1

  Consult your physician to let him know you are interested in stopping treatment of Toprol.

• 2

  Provide your doctor with the reasons why you think the treatment needs alteration, and be sure to include any other drugs (even over-the-counter medicines) you are currently taking. Sometimes, drugs cause improper interactions with each other. Many drugs could decrease the effectiveness of Toprol. Once your doctor knows everything you are taking, she will be able to advise you on your Toprol dose.

• 3

  Hypertension often does not have symptoms, so you may feel that you do not need to take Toprol because you do not have symptoms. It is important that you speak with your doctor before you stop taking your medication to prevent a potentially dangerous spike in blood pressure.

• 4

  Taper off the drug gradually, if your doctor recommends weaning you off the drug. The goal with tapering is to transition to another treatment or medication while reducing the risk of worsening your medical condition if you stopped taking Toprol too abruptly.