1. Bring Down the Pressure
Toprol treats the chest pain of angina, prevents heart failure and lowers blood pressure. Toprol stops certain chemicals in your heart like epinephrine from acting on your heart and affecting its function; it lowers your heart rate, your blood pressure and the strain on your heart. Toprol can also help regulate irregular heartbeats. After you've had a heart attack or stroke, it can prevent you from having another heart attack and improve your survival rate if you do.
2. Be Regular
Toprol isn't meant to be taken only when you experience chest pains, and it improves your heart health best if you take it regularly as instructed by your doctor. Take your Toprol with food or after a meal at the same time every day to get the most benefit from the medication. Some forms of Toprol can be cut in half and taken as a half tablet, but don't do this unless your doctor tells you to do so. Swallow the whole or half tablet and don't crush or chew it.
3. Monitor Your Blood Pressure
The ultimate goal of taking Toprol is to get your blood pressure down to a good level. Your doctor may need to adjust your dosage while you're on Toprol to achieve this goal. To help your doctor, continue to monitor your blood pressure regularly while you take Toprol and keep your doctor informed so she can decide whether your dosage needs adjustment. Don't be discouraged if you don't see an improvement right away. It could take a week before Toprol begins to change your blood pressure levels.
4. Watch for Dizziness
The most common side effect of Toprol is a feeling of dizziness or lightheadedness. Not everyone that takes Toprol experiences these sensations, but they're fairly common so don't be alarmed if Toprol makes you feel this way. To help eliminate feeling dizzy or lightheaded, remember to take your medication with food and at the same time every day. Limit your alcohol intake while taking Toprol because alcohol can make these side effects worse.
5. Be Aware of Allergic Reactions
If you start to experience a slow heartbeat, numbness or discoloration in your hands and feet, swelling in your fingers or a darkening of your urine, talk to your doctor right away. These effects are rare but could be a sign of an allergic reaction to the medication in Toprol. Your doctor can help you figure out if you need to stop taking Toprol.
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