Metoprolol vs Digoxin: side effects in FDA adverse event reports
At a glance
| Metoprolol | Digoxin | |
|---|---|---|
| Drug class | – | Cardiac Glycoside |
| Brand names | Metoprolol Tartrate | – |
| FAERS reports | 271,764 | 71,320 |
| Serious | 70% | 83% |
| Death outcome | 30,898 | 13,780 |
| Boxed warning | No | No |
Signals both drugs share
| Reaction | Metoprolol | Digoxin | Label screen (A / B) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Atrioventricular block first degree | 327 · PRR 6.2 | 325 · PRR 23.6 | Not in label — unassessed / Labeled (related wording) |
| Ischaemic cardiomyopathy | 226 · PRR 6.0 | 289 · PRR 30.2 | Likely indication confounding / Not in label — unassessed |
| Orthopnoea | 229 · PRR 5.9 | 276 · PRR 27.8 | 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 Digoxin
- Ventricular tachycardia — n=1,215, PRR 23.2 Labeled adverse reaction
- Therapeutic agent toxicity — n=1,178, PRR 157.7 Labeled (related wording)
- Nodal rhythm — n=159, PRR 35.6 Labeled (related wording)
- Electrocardiogram st segment depression — n=152, PRR 21.7 Labeled (related wording)
- Nodal arrhythmia — n=97, PRR 36.9 Labeled (related wording)
- Electrocardiogram st-t change — n=85, PRR 40.5 Labeled (related wording)
Common questions
Which has more reported side effects, Metoprolol or Digoxin?
Metoprolol has 271,764 FAERS reports and Digoxin 71,320. 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 83%) is a better like-for-like signal of the kind of problems reported.
Which side effects do Metoprolol and Digoxin share?
Both drugs carry disproportionality signals for atrioventricular block first degree, ischaemic cardiomyopathy, orthopnoea. Shared signals often reflect a shared drug class or the condition both are used for.
Is Metoprolol or Digoxin 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.