📌 Medicine Name:
Metoprolol Modified Release Tablet 100 mg
(Also known as Metoprolol Succinate Extended Release or Metoprolol ER)
📋 Description / Prescription:
Metoprolol MR 100 mg is a prescription-only, extended-release beta-blocker used to treat various cardiovascular conditions.
It allows for once-daily dosing by slowly releasing the medication over 24 hours.
🔸 Form: Metoprolol succinate (not tartrate)
🔸 Dose: 100 mg once daily, usually in the morning with food
🩺 Indications:
- Hypertension (high blood pressure)
- Chronic stable angina pectoris
- Heart failure with reduced ejection fraction (HFrEF)
- Arrhythmias (e.g., atrial fibrillation, supraventricular tachycardia)
- Post-myocardial infarction (MI)
- Prevention of migraine (off-label)
🔬 Nature / Mechanism of Action:
Metoprolol is a selective beta-1 adrenergic receptor blocker.
It works by:
- Reducing heart rate and blood pressure
- Decreasing cardiac workload and oxygen demand
- Controlling abnormal heart rhythms
The modified-release formulation ensures a steady release of medication over 24 hours.
✅ Advantages / Benefits:
- ✅ Once-daily dosing improves compliance
- ✅ Reduces blood pressure and angina frequency
- ✅ Improves survival and quality of life in heart failure patients
- ✅ Controls fast heart rates in arrhythmias
- ✅ Reduces hospitalizations in heart failure
- ✅ Fewer side effects due to steady plasma concentration
📦 Packaging:
- Tablets are film-coated, often oval or capsule-shaped
- Marked with dose strength (e.g., “100”)
- Available in blister packs or HDPE bottles
- Common pack sizes: 10, 14, 30, 100 tablets
🌡️ Storage:
- Store at 15–30°C (59–86°F)
- Keep away from light, heat, and moisture
- Store in the original packaging
- Keep out of reach of children
⚠️ Precautions:
Use with caution in patients with:
- Bradycardia (slow heart rate)
- Second or third-degree AV block
- Severe peripheral arterial disease
- Asthma/COPD (may worsen bronchospasm)
- Diabetes mellitus (can mask hypoglycemia symptoms)
- Liver dysfunction
🚫 Do not discontinue abruptly—risk of rebound hypertension, angina, or MI
🧪 Interactions:
- Calcium channel blockers (e.g., verapamil, diltiazem)
- Digoxin
- NSAIDs
- Clonidine
- Insulin or oral antidiabetics (may enhance effects or mask hypoglycemia)
👩⚕️ Patient Advice / Counseling Points:
- 💊 Take once daily with food (preferably in the morning)
- 🕒 Take at the same time every day
- 🚫 Do not crush or chew the modified-release tablet
- 📉 Monitor blood pressure and pulse regularly
- 🚗 May cause drowsiness, dizziness—be cautious with driving
- 📞 Report signs of:
- Slow pulse
- Shortness of breath
- Fatigue or dizziness
- Swelling in ankles or feet
- Cold hands/feet