My father was being treated for HBP for a couple years and has had his medication switched a few times. I know that he was on metoprolol once before and it didn't help his blood pressure it only increased. He was switched to Lisenipril and that helped. However about 6 months ago he suffered from a mild stroke and then had to undergo heart surgery due to an annuerism that was found in one of his aeortic aretries. When this happened they put him back on metoprolol and he has since had problems with his blood pressure staying elevated. If he doesn't take the medication his blood pressure will decrease as they day goes on but is high upon rising. If he takes the medication he says that it seems his blood pressure stays elevated and will sometimes increase as well. He was taking half of a 25mg pill in the morning and then half of a 25mg pill at night but has since been increased to a full 25mg pill in the morning and a full 25mg pill at night. However his blood pressure is still elevated and his doctor and he do not agree that he should be switched to something else. The doctor swears that this medication doesn't elevate the blood pressure at all but expierience is saying otherwise. We know want to know if anyone else has had this issue with this medication.
Does metoprolol ever cause your blood pressure to rise instead of decrease?
Question posted by Agravated on 21 Feb 2012
Last updated on 15 November 2023 by Bobdun
39 Answers
I know I'm late to this thread, but wanted to add my recent experience. I have had occasional Afib but recently it has gotten worse. I went to a cardiologist and he put me on 5 mg Eliquis twice a day and 12.5 mg Metoprolol once a day. I have never had elevated BP. In fact until now my BP was considered a bit low, 95/60 for example. Yesterday my BP was 135/ 70. I thought my BP cuff was broken and went to a drug store to check it, but they confirmed it. The Dr. said to watch it for a bit. We'll see.
I recently started metoprolol 25mg because I read it will help with migraines and lower blood pressure. After taking it a few months, I have developed a sore and burning sensation in my mouth and my blood pressure is still high 136/94. I have also been taking amlodipine besylate 10mg for the last few years. Got a doctors appointment tomorrow, will see if he can prescribe something else. Can’t really tell if it helped my migraines or not. Still have them occasionally.
Yes, Metoprolol does the exact same thing to me. Doesn't touch my BP and does elevate it. The same thing, docs don't believe me. Husband and I know it's true, as we measure all the time. I have this issue where when my heart rate is higher, say 85 my BP is better. I used to not 'feel my heart' as in a palpitation at 85 but now I do, and I think this metoprolol caused that. It messed with the adrenergic (adrenal) receptors in the heart tissue (Met is a 'selective' adrenergic as opposed to non-selective) specifically. This is why they tell you not to quit taking this drug abruptly. I think it has also decreased my circulation in general. These BB do help people with abnormal heart rhythms, but looking into a patient's minerals (sodium/potassium/magnesium) is helpful and so are looking at adrenal hormones. They don't do that, though. It's basically, here, take this pill.
BB make me dizzy. I like the calming feeling of Met, but overall made me dizzy, raised my BP, and I felt fatigued. I'd also feel shaky in my arms after a few hours, like an internal shaking.
Lisinopril only keeps my BP out of the danger zone, and that's using 40mg. I've yet to be Rx'd anything that lowers BP w/o debilitating my life.
I was taking atenolol 25 mg a day, which is a beta blocker like metoprolol. I had spikes of low and high and decided to see heart doctor. After many test i was diagnosed with RBBB. The doctor then changed blood pressure medications to carvedilol 6.25mg twice a day and olmesartan medoxomil 5 mg 1 hour after taking carvedilol in the morning. He said carvedilol is better for heart problems. I have been on these meds for 8 months and blood pressure is good. Readings are between systolic 110-125, diastolic 65-80 pulse 60-75. Do not know your dads age, I am a 70 year old male. I changed eating habits and increased exercise, more walking. I have also lost 37 lbs. in last 8 months. The doctor also put me on 100 mg of trazodone for sleep and this has been great for sleeping, have gone from 3 to 4 hours a night to 7 - 81/2. of good sleep. I hope some or parts of my answer help.
I’ve come to the realization that pretty much anything will make our blood pressure spike. A good functioning heart will just deal with it and one might not even notice. But a problematic one taking medication to keep it in line, well that’s a whole different play.
Lately I have found that metroplol does work best on an anxious heart as well as keep exciting heart pressure controled. There are things I might do that get my heart and especially my mind all up in a roar, and that is the problem of the elevated blood levels and all that comes with that. I know that watching action movies or really sad, drama movies gets my anxiety going and in turn pressure starts building in my head. I feel it and know that I need to get up and do something to calm myself down. But instead of taking more metroplol, I’ve been approved by my cardiologist to take Xanax and I decided on always having and taking L-Arginine when my heart get a little worked up. L-Arginine is always good to take when working out and it helps for when a heart gets excited.
To determine if 24 hour metoprolol is the actual cause ask doctor to prescribe 12 hour Atenolol twice a day and see if your problem disappears. Both drugs are “supposed” to be the same but just longer or shorter acting. When my doctor switched me to metoprolol from Atenolol I had immediate hypertension emergencies.
Apparently it does for me. I mistakenly spent a month at only 25 mg when protocol called for 50 mg. In two days my okay-controlled blood pressure is spiking. Are people reporting this to the right authorities? Some doctors only believe the official story, when it is now clear to me that this happens, I have left a message for cardiologist and will now be contacting electrophysiologist. In the meantime, I'm dropping back down to 25 mg this morning. If they say to stay at 50 mg... well, I guess I'll be asking more doctors to recognize this.
metoprolol is supposed to be a 24 hour release of Atenolol. Atenolol has a 12 hour life span in the body. I have been taking and still take Atenolol since 1978. I have had absolutely no problems with Atenolol. metoprolol put me immediately into a hypertensive emergency. Obviously there are ingredients in metoprolol that are not in Atenolol which cause a severe spike in Blood Pressure in some individuals. Ask your doctor to use Atenolol to see if the desired reduction in Heart rate and conversely lower blood pressure is achieved. I am glad you discovered the problem before it became a very serious problem.
Jeff from Wisconsin has it backwards.
Metoprolol is fast acting and Atenolol is longer lasting.
Marigold13, please, please at the least research the drugs and their respective circulatory life spans before you make false comments. We are looking for truth here. Atenolol is a 12 hour Beta Blocker Drug.
Metoprolol is a 24 hour Beta Blocker Drug.
I was switched from atenolol 25mg a day to carvedilol 12.5 twice a day after my heart problems started . My wife is on metoprolol 25mg twice a day and eliquis 10mg because of A-Fib , and will be talking to cardio doctor about switching over to carvedilol extended release . She has elevated spikes on metoprolol . These are all beta blockers medications . My cardio doctor suggested to me for her to talk to her doctor about carvedilol ER . My blood pressure runs between 125-130 over 65-75 Heart rate always around 65 . I hope this helps . Good luck and God bless.
Yes. I take it about 6 pm and sometimes my blood pressure rises to 190 over 99. At. Doctors office in mid day it is in the 120s over 70a. Highest about 10 pm. After taking medicine. Sometimes it goes over 200. Systolic. Doctor doesn't believe me. Have gone to hospital for223 systolic forgot lower one but it was high. Hydrochloride dropped it too low and had clear colorless urine. At hospital I was put on high sodium diet. I requested blood test after 4 days and back to usual.
Well this is not the first time that metroplol suc ER 50 (take 1/2 in the am and the other at 1pm) raises my blood pressure. And today is a new morning and it has happened yet again. I took my 1 pm 1/2 late yesterday because I forgot. I remembered it because I felt a slight tightening in my head and felt I should check my bp out. I did and it was130/90 and for me that can make the difference. So I gave it a bit and realized within 15 min. that it (the pressure/tightening) was only getting worse. Checked bp and whoa, really dangerously high, 150/115 p 80. So I tried to remain calm especially because I wasn’t nervous about anything in the first place. But by this time I was beginning to search my head for the answer as to why my bp was acting up. I started feeling panicky and decided to recheck the bp and it was still rising. I couldn’t decide what to do because the pressure in my head was giving me a tough time on thinking clearly and ofcourse I took a low dose aspirin.
By then I was considering taking something else to bring down that bp (couldn’t decide to go natural and take L-Arginine or take .5 clonidine). Decided on the clonidine to get that quick relief (note: by this time I’d already called 911 and they were en route). After the clonidine, I felt the bp (pounding in my head) normalizing greatly and by the time the ambulance showed up I’d decided against going to ER. However, today, I took my 6 am dose and it is now 7:45 and I’m feeling that same tightness. And when I checked my bp, the rise was starting. I decided to look this up and found you. So far I’ve taken a dose of the L-Arginine, bp so far is 126/87 p67. I still have the uncomfortable feeling in my temples now. And I guess there isn’t anything else I can take since my pulse is a bit lower than I’d like it to be. Don’t know what is causing this but I know it Is the metoprolol, no doubt. I’m gonna have a little something to eat to take an Advil for that pain in my temples now and keep monitoring and pray that all this stabilizes… thank you
I was recently put on Metoprolol by my doctor because my Amlodipine which I'd taken for 2 years started to work against me (creating chest discomfort)... I too notice a spike in my blood pressure after each dose of metoprolol.
I've asked buddies who have taken metoprolol and they say it works great for them. As for me, the spikes never fail. The other day my blood pressure was fairly reasonable due to my deep breathing and cardio exercises. However many hours later, when it was time to take my metoprolol, my pressure metoprolol (50mg) my pressure spiked to a stroke level bp reading.
I'm sorry. But I'm so off this medication and will be reporting the occurrences to my doctor asap. I'm thinking different meds react differently to different individuals. What may work for the masses may not work for another. I think listening to your body may be the best indicator. So, here I go again... Searching for what works with this resistant ole blood pressure.
Oh yeah, I'm also on .3 clonidine, once a day and every day, which is what I took to get the high b/p down.
Thank you for your report and update. Sorry to hear about the problems you are coping with. My Husband had a stent put in his main coronary artery last December. Since then he has been on metoprolol 25 mg. He was taking it twice a day but reduced it to once a day because he had cold feet and hands and felt cold all the time. His B/P did drop some what. Now he has high blood pressure every morning after taking the metoprolol the previous evening. 25 mg ER. Which means it is still in effect in the morning but the B/P is elevated. He was on Telmisartin also but he stopped it because it did not change anything. We have increased his Hawthorn Berry and extract which we both find to be beneficial and his B/ P drops by over ten points a few hrs after taking the Hawthorn. So my concern is that this drug is making his B/P worse but he doesnt believe me. He also is lethargic and complains of falling asleep all the time. His lower legs swell up and he wears support sox for this.
My BP shot up when I was put on a blood thinner plus Metoprolol. I had to stop the blood thinners after two different ones caused the same thing. I can also take only 6.25 mg of Metoprolol b.i.d because it drops my heart rate so low.
I have the same problem on Metoprolol. I am on 50MG that I take at night. I now 1/2 a pill and as recommended by hitmanmark 12/22/17 I take CoQ 10 daily. My BP stays relatively stable now and I noticed a remarkable decrease in the redness of my skin. I tried to bring this to the doctor's attention before trying the CoQ 10 but he would not listen and wanted to put me on another BP med along with the Metoprolol. I highly recommend your father adding CoQ 10 as a daily supplement.
Just wanted to share my experience with Metoprolol. I was put on this drug for tachycardia not for high blood pressure; my blood pressure readings are always in the range of 110/70 to at most 122/72. I had been taking 12.5mg in the morning and 12.5mg at night. This was bringing my resting heart rate down into the low 60's. Many times I would be trying to function during the day but would feel faint. I went to see my doctor for an unrelated issue and while in his office he noticed my heart rate was high so he told me to increase the Metoprolol to 25mg morning and night. Saturday morning I took the 25mg. I ended up spending an entire day in bed with blood pressure readings of 80/50 I felt like I was going to die. Sunday morning I felt better so I just took 12.5mg but again ended up in bed with similar readings as Saturday.
Then suddenly Sunday evening my heart begins to race, I start to sweat, and my blood pressure spiked to 170/100!!! I immediately called 911 and was taken to the ER where i was labeled as "having anxiety". One doctor's response to my question as to why this happened was "maybe you seen the low blood pressure reading and you panicked and it raised your blood pressure"!!! Are these people serious? On a side note: my mother's blood pressure spiked to 250/150 at 10pm one night. She was taken by ambulance to the ER where one doctor said "maybe it was something she ate". It is frustrating enough to not feel well; it is even more frustrating to hear some dumbass responses like that.
Changing medications over the past few months, I am taking BP measurements at home. Metoprolol reduces my heart rate by -20 beats per minute, but it seems to elevate my BP moderately. I have a heart condition, a left ventrical problem. With exercise, my BP decreases to below normal levels, which is a characteristic of this heart condition, while at the same time my heart rate increases. Maybe the BP decrease with exercise is actually tied to the heart rate increase, rather than the exertion, per se. If so, I am thinking that Metoprolol's slowing the heart may cause an increase in BP for people with my condition or a similar condition.
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Further information
- Metoprolol uses and safety info
- Metoprolol prescribing info & package insert (for Health Professionals)
- Side effects of Metoprolol (detailed)
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