Coreg vs. Lopressor

• Are Coreg and Lopressor the Same Thing?
• What Are Possible Side Effects of Coreg?
• What Are Possible Side Effects of Lopressor?
• What is Coreg?
• What is Lopressor?
• What Drugs Interact with Coreg?
• What Drugs Interact with Lopressor?
• How Should Coreg Be Taken?
• How Should Lopressor Be Taken?

Coreg (carvedilol) and Lopressor (metoprolol tartrate) are beta-adrenergic blocking agents (beta-blockers) used to treat heart failure, hypertension, and heart attacks.

Lopressor is also used to treat angina.

Common side effects of Coreg include:

• dizziness,
• lightheadedness,
• drowsiness,
• diarrhea,
• nausea,
• vomiting,
• weakness,
• tiredness,
• headache,
• joint pain,
• cough,
• dry eyes,
• vision changes,
• numbness or tingling sensation,
• decreased sex drive,
• impotence, or
• difficulty having an orgasm.

Contact your doctor if you experience serious side effects of Coreg including

• feeling faint,
• slow or irregular heart beats,
• chest pain,
• shortness of breath,
• difficulty swallowing
• loss of bladder control, or
• severe skin reaction.

Common side effects of Lopressor include:

• nausea,
• vomiting,
• dry mouth,
• gas,
• heartburn,
• diarrhea,
• constipation,
• dizziness,
• tiredness,
• depression,
• decreased sex drive, impotence,
• difficulty having an orgasm,
• headache,
• drowsiness,
• tiredness,
• sleep problems (insomnia),
• anxiety,
• nervousness, and
• rash.

Serious side effects of Lopressor include

• wheezing,
• shortness of breath,
• swelling, or
• irregular rapid heartbeats.

Coreg is a prescription medicine that belongs to a group of medicines called "beta-blockers". Coreg is used, often with other medicines, for the following conditions:

• to treat patients with certain types of heart failure
• to treat patients who had a heart attack that worsened how well the heart pumps
• to treat patients with high blood pressure (hypertension)
• Coreg is not approved for use in children under 18 years of age.

Lopressor is a selective beta-adrenoreceptor blocking agent (beta-blocker) used to treat high blood presure (hypertension), angina, and heart attacks. Lopressor is available as a generic.

Coreg may interact with cimetidine, diabetes medications, heart medicines, MAO inhibitors, and medicine to treat psychiatric disorders.

Coreg may also interact with allergy treatments (or if you are undergoing allergy skin-testing), cyclosporine, fluconazole, rifampin, antidepressants, blood pressure medicines, heart rhythm medications, HIV or AIDS medicines, medicine to prevent or treat nausea and vomiting, or narcotics.

Lopressor may interact with cimetidine, diabetes medications, heart medicines, MAO inhibitors, and medicine to treat psychiatric disorders.

Lopressor may also interact with clonidine, digoxin, ritonavir, terbinafine, diuretics (water pills), cold medicines, stimulant medicines, diet pills, anti-malaria medications, or medicines for asthma or other breathing disorders.

It is important for you to take your medicine every day as directed by your doctor. If you stop taking Coreg suddenly, you could have chest pain and/or a heart attack. If your doctor decides that you should stop taking Coreg, your doctor may slowly lower your dose over a period of time before stopping it completely.

• Take Coreg exactly as prescribed. Your doctor will tell you how many tablets to take and how often. In order to minimize possible side effects, your doctor might begin with a low dose and then slowly increase the dose.
• Do not stop taking Coreg and do not change the amount of Coreg you take without talking to your doctor.
• Tell your doctor if you gain weight or have trouble breathing while taking Coreg.
• Take Coreg with food.
• If you miss a dose of Coreg, take your dose as soon as you remember, unless it is time to take your next dose. Take your next dose at the usual time. Do not take 2 doses at the same time.
• If you take too much Coreg, call your doctor or poison control center right away.

Lopressor USP is available as 50 and 100 mg strength tablets for oral administration and as (metoprolol tartrate) Injection, USP in 5 mg strength, in 5 ml ampoules for IV administration. Usual oral dosage is 100 mg per day in single or divided doses; IV begins with a 5 mg injection.