Archives: November 2012
What Beta Blockers are Approved for Heart Failure?
There are two beta blockers approved for heart failure in the United States.
The first is metoprolol succinate (also called Toprol XL, Toprol, metoprolol ER or metoprolol ER succinate). This long-acting formulation should not be confused with short-acting metoprolol (metoprolol, metoprolol tartrate or Lopressor) which is NOT an approved drug for heart failure.
The second beta blocker approved for the treatment of heart failure is carvedilol (also called Coreg or Coreg CR).
Drugs that are NOT approved for heart failure include atenolol and Bystolic. These are approved to treat hypertension.
NOT APPROVED: metoprolol tartrate, Lopressor, atenolol, Bystolic
APPROVED: metoprolol succinate, Toprol XL, Toprol, metoprolol ER, metoprolol ER succinate, carvedilol, Coreg, Coreg CR
(RB)
Three Components of Treating Heart Failure
There are three components to keeping heart failure under control:
- Daily weights
- Diuretics
- Fluid restriction/salt restriction
Daily weights are critical for heart failure patients.
Weights should be done the first thing every morning on the same reliable home scale before eating or drinking anything. Establish a DRY WEIGHT with your physician.
Think of ALL WEIGHT GAIN as an INCREASE IN FLUID, not as getting fatter.