Metoprolol vs Metoprolol Er: side effects in FDA adverse event reports
At a glance
| Metoprolol | Metoprolol Er | |
|---|---|---|
| Drug class | – | – |
| Brand names | Metoprolol Tartrate | Metoprolol Succinate |
| FAERS reports | 271,764 | 62,027 |
| Serious | 70% | 63% |
| Death outcome | 30,898 | 5,873 |
| Boxed warning | No | No |
Signals both drugs share
| Reaction | Metoprolol | Metoprolol Er | Label screen (A / B) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sinus bradycardia | 625 · PRR 5.3 | 160 · PRR 5.7 | Labeled (related wording) / Labeled (related wording) |
| Atrial fibrillation | 7,476 · PRR 6.3 | 1,507 · PRR 5.3 | Not in label — unassessed / Not in label — unassessed |
| Coronary artery occlusion | 1,023 · PRR 6.1 | 214 · PRR 5.3 | Not in label — unassessed / Not in label — unassessed |
| Nephrogenic anaemia | 1,014 · PRR 21.2 | 143 · PRR 10.6 | Not in label — unassessed / Not in label — unassessed |
| Mitral valve incompetence | 735 · PRR 5.3 | 176 · PRR 5.3 | Not in label — unassessed / Not in label — unassessed |
| Atrial flutter | 672 · PRR 7.0 | 148 · PRR 6.3 | Not in label — unassessed / Not in label — unassessed |
| Brash syndrome | 595 · PRR 60.1 | 105 · PRR 28.3 | Not in label — unassessed / Not in label — unassessed |
| Suspected suicide | 321 · PRR 5.5 | 375 · PRR 28.8 | Likely indication confounding / Not in label — unassessed |
| Hyperparathyroidism secondary | 532 · PRR 20.3 | 64 · PRR 8.7 | Not in label — unassessed / Not in label — unassessed |
| Rebound acid hypersecretion | 415 · PRR 11.9 | 62 · PRR 6.9 | Not in label — unassessed / Not in label — unassessed |
| Coronary artery stenosis | 389 · PRR 6.4 | 78 · PRR 5.3 | Not in label — unassessed / Not in label — unassessed |
| Diastolic dysfunction | 215 · PRR 5.7 | 67 · PRR 7.4 | Likely indication confounding / Likely indication confounding |
| Essential hypertension | 196 · PRR 6.2 | 67 · PRR 8.9 | Likely indication confounding / Likely indication confounding |
| Aortic arteriosclerosis | 174 · PRR 5.5 | 62 · PRR 8.3 | 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
- 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 Metoprolol Er
- Blood pressure inadequately controlled — n=133, PRR 7.6 Labeled (related wording)
Common questions
Which has more reported side effects, Metoprolol or Metoprolol Er?
Metoprolol has 271,764 FAERS reports and Metoprolol Er 62,027. 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 63%) is a better like-for-like signal of the kind of problems reported.
Which side effects do Metoprolol and Metoprolol Er share?
Both drugs carry disproportionality signals for sinus bradycardia, atrial fibrillation, coronary artery occlusion, nephrogenic anaemia, mitral valve incompetence. Shared signals often reflect a shared drug class or the condition both are used for.
Is Metoprolol or Metoprolol Er 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.