Metoprolol vs Carvedilol: side effects in FDA adverse event reports
At a glance
| Metoprolol | Carvedilol | |
|---|---|---|
| Drug class | – | alpha-Adrenergic Blocker, beta-Adrenergic Blocker |
| Brand names | Metoprolol Tartrate | – |
| FAERS reports | 271,764 | 134,417 |
| Serious | 70% | 70% |
| Death outcome | 30,898 | 16,351 |
| Boxed warning | No | No |
Signals both drugs share
| Reaction | Metoprolol | Carvedilol | Label screen (A / B) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chronic kidney disease | 5,602 · PRR 6.0 | 4,057 · PRR 8.7 | Likely indication confounding / Not in label — unassessed |
| End stage renal disease | 2,145 · PRR 10.0 | 1,755 · PRR 16.3 | Not in label — unassessed / Not in label — unassessed |
| Nephrogenic anaemia | 1,014 · PRR 21.2 | 925 · PRR 38.3 | Not in label — unassessed / Not in label — unassessed |
| Mitral valve incompetence | 735 · PRR 5.3 | 671 · PRR 9.8 | Not in label — unassessed / Not in label — unassessed |
| Hyperparathyroidism secondary | 532 · PRR 20.3 | 497 · PRR 38.0 | Not in label — unassessed / Not in label — unassessed |
| Brash syndrome | 595 · PRR 60.1 | 266 · PRR 37.9 | Not in label — unassessed / Not in label — unassessed |
| Haemorrhagic anaemia | 470 · PRR 9.0 | 355 · PRR 13.4 | Not in label — unassessed / Not in label — unassessed |
| Rebound acid hypersecretion | 415 · PRR 11.9 | 307 · PRR 17.3 | Not in label — unassessed / Not in label — unassessed |
| Ischaemic cardiomyopathy | 226 · PRR 6.0 | 376 · PRR 21.4 | Likely indication confounding / Likely indication confounding |
| Left ventricular hypertrophy | 279 · PRR 5.3 | 281 · PRR 10.9 | Likely indication confounding / Likely indication confounding |
| Orthopnoea | 229 · PRR 5.9 | 271 · PRR 14.4 | Not in label — unassessed / Not in label — unassessed |
| Chronic kidney disease-mineral and bone disorder | 223 · PRR 20.0 | 210 · PRR 37.7 | Not in label — unassessed / Not in label — unassessed |
| Diastolic dysfunction | 215 · PRR 5.7 | 202 · PRR 10.8 | Likely indication confounding / Likely indication confounding |
| Essential hypertension | 196 · PRR 6.2 | 149 · PRR 9.5 | Likely indication confounding / Likely indication confounding |
| Aortic arteriosclerosis | 174 · PRR 5.5 | 122 · PRR 7.7 | Not in label — unassessed / Not in label — unassessed |
Labeled signals distinctive to Metoprolol
- Bradycardia — n=3,427, PRR 5.3 Labeled adverse reaction
- Coronary artery disease — n=2,442, PRR 6.6 Labeled adverse reaction
- Sinus bradycardia — n=625, PRR 5.3 Labeled (related wording)
- Angina unstable — n=543, PRR 6.9 Labeled (related wording)
- Coronary arterial stent insertion — n=352, PRR 5.7 Labeled (related wording)
- Rhinitis allergic — n=337, PRR 6.3 Labeled (related wording)
- Hypertensive emergency — n=168, PRR 12.8 Labeled (related wording)
Labeled signals distinctive to Carvedilol
- Cardiac failure congestive — n=4,455, PRR 9.0 Labeled (related wording)
- Renal failure chronic — n=356, PRR 7.4 Labeled (related wording)
- Cardiac failure chronic — n=338, PRR 13.4 Labeled (related wording)
- Bundle branch block left — n=260, PRR 10.1 Labeled (related wording)
- Ventricular hypokinesia — n=211, PRR 10.9 Labeled (related wording)
Common questions
Which has more reported side effects, Metoprolol or Carvedilol?
Metoprolol has 271,764 FAERS reports and Carvedilol 134,417. More reports does not mean more dangerous: volume follows how widely and how long a drug has been used, prescription vs over-the-counter status, and publicity. The seriousness share (70% vs 70%) is a better like-for-like signal of the kind of problems reported.
Which side effects do Metoprolol and Carvedilol share?
Both drugs carry disproportionality signals for chronic kidney disease, end stage renal disease, nephrogenic anaemia, mitral valve incompetence, hyperparathyroidism secondary. Shared signals often reflect a shared drug class or the condition both are used for.
Is Metoprolol or Carvedilol safer?
FAERS cannot answer that: it has no denominator and no comparator. Use this page to see which risks are already on each label and which signals are unlabeled, then check the prescribing information and your clinician for your situation.
Sources: openFDA FAERS pair statistics (OpenPV build 2026-09-14), FDA labels via openFDA, openFDA count queries for seriousness and deaths. Pair chosen because it is a commonly searched comparison. Generated 2026-10-08.