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| Working and Treatment of
Toprol - Lopressor |
Toprol - Lopressor, drug used to treat hypertension (high blood
pressure) and angina pectoris (chest pain), and to reduce the risk
of a second heart attack. Metoprolol belongs to a group of drugs
called beta adrenergic blocking agents, more commonly known as beta
blockers.
Toprol - Lopressor lowers blood pressure by blocking nerve impulses
that contribute to a high heart rate. Lopressor is available by
prescription only. It comes in 50-mg, 100-mg, and 200-mg tablets; in
50-mg and 100-mg prolonged action tablets; and in a liquid that is
administered intravenously. For treatment of hypertension or angina,
the oral dosage in regular tablet form ranges from 10 to 450 mg per
day, either taken as a single dose or in divided doses; in prolonged
action tablets, the oral dosage is up to 400 mg once a day. For
prevention of heart attacks, the typical, intravenous injected
dosage is 5 mg every two minutes for a total of three doses.
For treatment after a heart attack, the typical oral dosage in
regular tablets is 50 mg every 6 hours, starting 15 minutes after
the last intravenous dose followed by 100 mg twice a day for three
months to one year. Toprol is effective within 2 hours when given
orally, and its effectiveness in lowering blood pressure is apparent
after 10 to 14 days. Tablets can be taken with meals or on an empty
stomach. The regular tablet can be crushed, but the prolonged action
tablet should be taken whole. Tropol must be avoided by persons
having allergies, expecting and breast feeding motheres.
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