Can Excessive Intake Of Metoprolol Cause Signs Of Depression?

Posted on Sat, 8 Apr 2017

Question: My mother is taking metoprolol and showing strong signs of depression and confusion. She is elderly and in early dementia so I'm concerned she may have taken too much of this med. Could this cause her depression and confusion?

Answered by Dr. Ilir Sharka (20 minutes later)

Brief Answer:
I would recommend as follows:

Detailed Answer:
Hello!

Welcome and thank you for asking on HCM!

Regarding your concern, I would explain that Metoprolol may in certain predisposed individuals trigger exacerbation of depression signs.

This has been shown to occur in up to 5 % of the patients under this medication.

But, in your mother's case, probably the main reason for confusion and depression seems to be her senile dementia. Metoprolol may aggravate her situation, but it is not the main cause of her symptoms.

Coming to this point, I would recommend consulting with a psychiatrist for a careful evaluation. She may need to start an antidepressant, in order to help improve her situation.

Regarding Metoprolol intake, I would recommend you to check her heart rate. If she has a normal heart rate, she may continue on this dose.

Hope you will find this answer helpful!

Kind regards,

Dr. Iliri

Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar