Medicinsk godkendt artikel
Metoprolol is used as a preventive medicine for migraines
Metoprolol has been developed to treat heart and circulatory disorders, but can also have an effect on migraines. When you get the medicine, it's not to lower your blood pressure, but to treat your migraines.
Metoprolol may act as a preventative against migraine by stabilizing blood vessels, but the exact mechanism of action is not known.
As a rule, the effect of metoprolol begins after 1-3 weeks. Metoprolol halves the number of migraine attacks on average. However, there is a big difference from person to person on how well the preparation works.
The most frequent side effects are fatigue, dizziness, drop in blood pressure associated with posture change, nausea, abdominal pain, diarrhoea, constipation, cold hands and feet, slow heart rate, palpitations and difficulty breathing.
Metoprolol should not be used in certain cardiac disorders, such as conduction disorders, and should be used with caution or not at all if you suffer from diabetes, asthma and certain heart conditions. It should also be used with caution when taking certain other medicines, especially other heart medicines.
Before starting treatment, an electrocardiogram (ECG) must be obtained and your heart rate and blood pressure measured.
Usually you start by taking 50 mg once a day for a week. After this, the dose is increased to 100 mg per day. In case of insufficient efficacy and if there are no bothersome side effects after one month, increase to 150 mg once a day for one week and then further to 200 mg once a day (the dose may be divided to 100 mg twice daily). Stay at the dose where you experience the best balance between effect and side effects (usually between 100-200 mg daily). In case of lack of effect after a month of 200 mg per day, it can be concluded that the preparation does not work. You should then step down by 50 mg per week until you have completely stopped taking the medicine.
Once the correct final dose has been found, it should be taken daily for ½-1 years, after which the dose can often be slowly scaled down in consultation with the doctor. However, some patients need to use metoprolol for a longer period of time.
