Metoroprolol side effects: what 65,521 FDA adverse event reports show
Drug class
Beta-adrenergic receptor inhibitor
Label matched
Metoprolol Tartrate (Metoprolol Tartrate)
Who reports
65,521 reports · 68% serious · 7,462 with death outcome · 53% female
Used for
Metoprolol Tartrate Injection, USP is indicated in the treatment of definite or suspected acute myocardial infarction in hemodynamically stable patients to reduce cardiovascular mortality when used in conjunction with oral metoprolol maintenance therapy.
What it is
Metoprolol Tartrate Injection, USP is a selective beta 1 -adrenoreceptor blocking agent, available in 5 mL and oversized 10 mL vials for intravenous administration.
Boxed warning
None in the current label
Causality screen of the 40 strongest signals
What the badges mean
- Labeled (related wording) The label describes this effect under different wording (e.g. 'neutropenia' for 'neutrophil count decreased'). Treated as known.
- Lab value / disease marker A laboratory result, investigation or disease-activity marker (antibody positive, CRP abnormal, swollen joint count) not described in the label. These usually mirror the monitored disease or testing protocol rather than a drug effect; not screened further.
- Not in label — unassessed Not found in the label text, not an artifact pattern. This is a genuine candidate for a formal causality assessment (Bradford Hill / WHO-UMC); it has NOT had one here.
Strongest disproportionality signals
Flagged terms (PRR ≥ 2, χ² ≥ 4, n ≥ 10), ranked by PRR; infinite PRRs (no comparator reports) excluded. The EBGM column is a second, shrinkage-based estimate (MGPS) with its 5th percentile EB05 and the BCPNN IC025; a pair flagged by PRR alone is marked PRR-only and should be read as fragile. The strata column recomputes the PRR on serious reports only (and, for the 300 most-reported drugs, adjusted for age band), and flags pairs whose reports are unusually skewed by sex or come mostly from consumers. Each row also shows the PRR against the other drugs of the same FDA class, which removes most confounding by the condition being treated, and a calibrated p-value: on validation, known non-causes average an ROR of about 2, so significance is judged against that empirical null (✓ = p < 0.05 after calibration). 1,134 further terms are in the interactive explorer. Reaction links open the term's cross-drug page.
| Reaction | Reports | PRR 95% CI · ROR · χ²/p | EBGM EB05 · IC025 | Label screen | Serious-only & strata | Trial cross-check |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Brash syndrome | 137 | 35.9 30.1–42.8ROR 35.9 · calibrated p 1e-4 ✓ | 32.2 EB05 27.9 · IC025 +4.6 3/3 methods agree | Not in label — unassessed | serious n=137 · 100% clinician | no trial arm names this drug |
| Chronic kidney disease-mineral and bone disorder | 79 | 25.3 20.1–31.8ROR 25.3 · calibrated p 7e-4 ✓ | 23.4 EB05 19.3 · IC025 +4.0 3/3 methods agree | Not in label — unassessed | serious n=79 | no trial arm names this drug |
| Body tinea | 41 | 25.0 18.2–34.4ROR 25.0 · calibrated p 9e-4 ✓ | 23.0 EB05 17.7 · IC025 +3.7 3/3 methods agree | Not in label — unassessed | serious n=40 · ♀ 100% (drug 53%) · 100% clinician | no trial arm names this drug |
| Nephrogenic anaemia | 290 | 21.1 18.7–23.8ROR 21.2 · calibrated p 0.002 ✓ | 19.8 EB05 18.0 · IC025 +4.1 3/3 methods agree | Not in label — unassessed | serious n=290 | no trial arm names this drug |
| Hyperparathyroidism secondary | 155 | 20.8 17.7–24.5ROR 20.9 · calibrated p 0.002 ✓ | 19.5 EB05 17.1 · IC025 +3.9 3/3 methods agree | Not in label — unassessed | serious n=155 | no trial arm names this drug |
| Hypertensive emergency | 68 | 19.7 15.4–25.2ROR 19.7 · calibrated p 0.002 ✓ | 18.5 EB05 15.1 · IC025 +3.6 3/3 methods agree | Not in label — unassessed | serious n=68 · 100% clinician | no trial arm names this drug |
| Rebound acid hypersecretion | 111 | 12.0 9.9–14.5ROR 12.0 · calibrated p 0.018 ✓ | 11.4 EB05 9.7 · IC025 +3.2 3/3 methods agree | Not in label — unassessed | serious n=111 | no trial arm names this drug |
| Nephrogenic systemic fibrosis | 110 | 11.9 9.8–14.4ROR 11.9 · calibrated p 0.018 ✓ | 11.4 EB05 9.6 · IC025 +3.1 3/3 methods agree | Not in label — unassessed | serious n=108 | no trial arm names this drug |
| Echocardiogram abnormal | 47 | 11.1 8.3–14.9ROR 11.1 · calibrated p 0.025 ✓ | 10.4 EB05 8.0 · IC025 +2.8 3/3 methods agree | Lab value / disease marker | serious n=45 | no trial arm names this drug |
| Left atrial dilatation | 43 | 11.0 8.1–15.0ROR 11.1 · calibrated p 0.026 ✓ | 10.3 EB05 7.8 · IC025 +2.8 3/3 methods agree | Not in label — unassessed | serious n=42 · ♀ 0% (drug 53%) | no trial arm names this drug |
| Loss of employment | 94 | 10.1 8.3–12.5ROR 10.2 · calibrated p 0.032 ✓ | 9.7 EB05 8.1 · IC025 +2.9 3/3 methods agree | Not in label — unassessed | serious n=93 · ♀ 100% (drug 53%) | no trial arm names this drug |
| Essential hypertension | 78 | 9.9 7.9–12.4ROR 9.9 · calibrated p 0.035 ✓ | 9.4 EB05 7.7 · IC025 +2.8 3/3 methods agree | Not in label — unassessed | serious n=72 | no trial arm names this drug |
| Obstructive sleep apnoea syndrome | 42 | 9.9 7.3–13.4ROR 9.9 · calibrated p 0.038 ✓ | 9.1 EB05 6.9 · IC025 +2.6 3/3 methods agree | Not in label — unassessed | serious n=40 · ♀ 100% (drug 53%) | no trial arm names this drug |
| End stage renal disease | 535 | 9.5 8.8–10.4ROR 9.6 · calibrated p 0.037 ✓ | 9.3 EB05 8.6 · IC025 +3.1 3/3 methods agree | Not in label — unassessed | serious PRR 7.9 | no trial arm names this drug |
| Fibrosis | 81 | 8.6 6.9–10.8ROR 8.6 · calibrated p 0.055 | 8.2 EB05 6.7 · IC025 +2.6 3/3 methods agree | Not in label — unassessed | serious n=79 | no trial arm names this drug |
| Skin induration | 54 | 8.6 6.5–11.2ROR 8.6 · calibrated p 0.058 | 8.0 EB05 6.3 · IC025 +2.5 3/3 methods agree | Not in label — unassessed | serious n=51 | no trial arm names this drug |
| Inhibitory drug interaction | 41 | 8.4 6.2–11.5ROR 8.4 · calibrated p 0.062 | 7.7 EB05 5.9 · IC025 +2.4 3/3 methods agree | Not in label — unassessed | serious n=41 · ♀ 100% (drug 53%) · 100% clinician | no trial arm names this drug |
| Skin hypertrophy | 67 | 7.8 6.1–10.0ROR 7.8 · calibrated p 0.075 | 7.3 EB05 6.0 · IC025 +2.5 3/3 methods agree | Not in label — unassessed | serious n=61 | no trial arm names this drug |
| Occult blood positive | 46 | 7.5 5.6–10.1ROR 7.5 · calibrated p 0.086 | 7.0 EB05 5.4 · IC025 +2.3 3/3 methods agree | Lab value / disease marker | serious n=45 · ♀ 0% (drug 53%) · 100% clinician | no trial arm names this drug |
| Atrial flutter | 184 | 7.5 6.5–8.7ROR 7.5 · calibrated p 0.082 | 7.2 EB05 6.4 · IC025 +2.6 3/3 methods agree | Not in label — unassessed | serious PRR 6.2 · ♀ 31% (drug 53%) | no trial arm names this drug |
| Left ventricular hypertrophy | 95 | 7.2 5.9–8.9ROR 7.2 · calibrated p 0.093 | 6.9 EB05 5.8 · IC025 +2.4 3/3 methods agree | Not in label — unassessed | serious n=95 | no trial arm names this drug |
| Atrioventricular block first degree | 96 | 7.2 5.9–8.8ROR 7.2 · calibrated p 0.095 | 6.8 EB05 5.8 · IC025 +2.4 3/3 methods agree | Labeled (related wording) related wording | serious n=93 | no trial arm names this drug |
| Orthopnoea | 68 | 6.9 5.5–8.8ROR 6.9 · calibrated p 0.106 | 6.5 EB05 5.3 · IC025 +2.3 3/3 methods agree | Not in label — unassessed | serious n=62 | no trial arm names this drug |
| Aortic stenosis | 71 | 6.6 5.2–8.4ROR 6.6 · calibrated p 0.119 | 6.3 EB05 5.1 · IC025 +2.3 3/3 methods agree | Not in label — unassessed | serious n=70 · 100% clinician | no trial arm names this drug |
| Blood chloride decreased | 51 | 6.4 4.8–8.4ROR 6.4 · calibrated p 0.134 | 6.0 EB05 4.7 · IC025 +2.1 3/3 methods agree | Lab value / disease marker | serious n=51 | no trial arm names this drug |
| Haemorrhagic anaemia | 87 | 6.3 5.1–7.8ROR 6.4 · calibrated p 0.133 | 6.1 EB05 5.1 · IC025 +2.2 3/3 methods agree | Not in label — unassessed | serious n=87 | no trial arm names this drug |
| Renal failure chronic | 149 | 6.2 5.3–7.3ROR 6.2 · calibrated p 0.139 | 6.0 EB05 5.2 · IC025 +2.3 3/3 methods agree | Not in label — unassessed | serious PRR 5.3 | no trial arm names this drug |
| Atrial fibrillation | 1,858 | 6.2 5.9–6.5ROR 6.3 · calibrated p 0.130 | 6.1 EB05 5.9 · IC025 +2.5 3/3 methods agree | Not in label — unassessed | age-adj. PRR 4.4 · serious PRR 5.2 | no trial arm names this drug |
| Coronary artery stenosis | 96 | 6.2 5.1–7.6ROR 6.2 · calibrated p 0.142 | 5.9 EB05 5.0 · IC025 +2.2 3/3 methods agree | Not in label — unassessed | serious n=95 | no trial arm names this drug |
| Angina unstable | 122 | 6.0 5.1–7.2ROR 6.1 · calibrated p 0.150 | 5.8 EB05 5.0 · IC025 +2.2 3/3 methods agree | Labeled (related wording) related wording | serious n=122 | no trial arm names this drug |
| Infection susceptibility increased | 40 | 5.9 4.3–8.1ROR 5.9 · calibrated p 0.163 | 5.5 EB05 4.2 · IC025 +1.9 3/3 methods agree | Not in label — unassessed | serious n=40 · ♀ 100% (drug 53%) · 100% clinician | no trial arm names this drug |
| Hyperlipidaemia | 216 | 5.9 5.1–6.7ROR 5.9 · calibrated p 0.161 | 5.7 EB05 5.1 · IC025 +2.3 3/3 methods agree | Not in label — unassessed | serious PRR 5.2 | no trial arm names this drug |
| Ventricular hypokinesia | 58 | 5.8 4.5–7.6ROR 5.9 · calibrated p 0.167 | 5.5 EB05 4.4 · IC025 +2.0 3/3 methods agree | Not in label — unassessed | serious n=58 · 100% clinician | no trial arm names this drug |
| Arteriosclerosis coronary artery | 116 | 5.7 4.7–6.8ROR 5.7 · calibrated p 0.174 | 5.5 EB05 4.7 · IC025 +2.2 3/3 methods agree | Not in label — unassessed | serious n=113 | no trial arm names this drug |
| Blood pressure systolic decreased | 79 | 5.7 4.5–7.1ROR 5.7 · calibrated p 0.178 | 5.4 EB05 4.5 · IC025 +2.1 3/3 methods agree | Lab value / disease marker | serious n=71 | no trial arm names this drug |
| Renal injury | 521 | 5.6 5.2–6.1ROR 5.7 · calibrated p 0.174 | 5.5 EB05 5.1 · IC025 +2.3 3/3 methods agree | Not in label — unassessed | serious PRR 4.7 | no trial arm names this drug |
| Coronary artery occlusion | 239 | 5.6 5.0–6.4ROR 5.6 · calibrated p 0.177 | 5.5 EB05 4.9 · IC025 +2.2 3/3 methods agree | Not in label — unassessed | serious PRR 4.7 | no trial arm names this drug |
| Blood pressure inadequately controlled | 105 | 5.6 4.6–6.8ROR 5.6 · calibrated p 0.181 | 5.4 EB05 4.6 · IC025 +2.1 3/3 methods agree | Not in label — unassessed | serious n=70 · ♀ 74% (drug 53%) | no trial arm names this drug |
| Sinus bradycardia | 165 | 5.5 4.7–6.4ROR 5.5 · calibrated p 0.186 | 5.4 EB05 4.7 · IC025 +2.2 3/3 methods agree | Labeled (related wording) related wording | age-adj. PRR 4.6 · serious PRR 4.7 | no trial arm names this drug |
| Blood phosphorus increased | 46 | 5.5 4.1–7.3ROR 5.5 · calibrated p 0.198 | 5.1 EB05 4.0 · IC025 +1.9 3/3 methods agree | Lab value / disease marker | serious n=41 | no trial arm names this drug |
Clinical concept groups
MedDRA splits one clinical problem across several terms (e.g. "neutropenia", "neutrophil count decreased", "agranulocytosis"), which dilutes term-level signals. These rows count reports with any term in a concept group (an exact union, not a sum), compared with all other drugs. Groups are hand-built and listed in the methods.
| Concept | Reports | PRR 95% CI | Reading |
|---|---|---|---|
| Arrhythmia / qt | 2,532 | 4.24.1–4.4 | signal |
| Heart failure | 1,876 | 3.43.2–3.5 | signal |
| Myocardial infarction | 1,917 | 3.02.9–3.2 | signal |
| Kidney injury | 4,039 | 2.82.8–2.9 | signal |
| Gi bleeding | 1,485 | 2.62.5–2.7 | signal |
| Anaemia | 2,091 | 2.22.1–2.3 | signal |
| Hyponatraemia | 547 | 2.22.0–2.4 | signal |
| Fall / fracture | 2,497 | 2.12.0–2.2 | signal |
| Rhabdomyolysis / myopathy | 524 | 2.11.9–2.3 | raised |
| Serious infection | 4,535 | 1.91.8–1.9 | raised |
| Stroke | 1,401 | 1.81.7–1.9 | raised |
| Hypoglycaemia | 531 | 1.81.6–1.9 | raised |
| Venous thromboembolism | 1,169 | 1.71.6–1.8 | raised |
| Hyperglycaemia / diabetes | 1,849 | 1.71.6–1.8 | raised |
| Thrombocytopenia | 1,165 | 1.71.6–1.8 | raised |
| Pancreatitis | 384 | 1.51.4–1.7 | raised |
Trial evidence (ClinicalTrials.gov)
Most frequently reported reactions
By raw co-report count, regardless of disproportionality. Common terms here are often the illness itself or generic outcomes.
| Reaction | Reports | PRR 95% CI · ROR · χ²/p | EBGM EB05 · IC025 | Label screen | Serious-only & strata | Trial cross-check |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fatigue (tiredness) | 4,702 | 1.9 1.9–2.0ROR 2.0 · calibrated p 0.952 | 1.9 EB05 1.9 · IC025 +0.9 | Labeled (related wording) related wording | age-adj. PRR 1.7 · serious PRR 1.9 | no trial arm names this drug |
| Diarrhoea (diarrhea) | 3,931 | 2.0 1.9–2.0ROR 2.0 · calibrated p 0.956 | 2.0 EB05 1.9 · IC025 +0.9 | Not in label — unassessed | age-adj. PRR 1.6 · serious PRR 1.7 | no trial arm names this drug |
| Nausea | 3,797 | 1.5 1.5–1.6ROR 1.6 · calibrated p 0.690 | 1.5 EB05 1.5 · IC025 +0.6 | Labeled adverse reaction exact term | age-adj. PRR 1.4 · serious PRR 1.7 | no trial arm names this drug |
| Dyspnoea (shortness of breath) | 3,750 | 2.1 2.1–2.2ROR 2.2 · calibrated p 0.953 | 2.1 EB05 2.1 · IC025 +1.0 3/3 methods agree | Labeled adverse reaction exact term | age-adj. PRR 1.7 · serious PRR 2.0 | no trial arm names this drug |
| Death | 3,033 | 1.1 1.1–1.2ROR 1.1 · calibrated p 0.395 | 1.1 EB05 1.1 · IC025 +0.1 | Outcome field, not a reaction | age-adj. PRR 1.0 · serious PRR 1.0 | no trial arm names this drug |
| Dizziness | 2,997 | 1.9 1.9–2.0ROR 2.0 · calibrated p 0.931 | 1.9 EB05 1.9 · IC025 +0.9 | Labeled adverse reaction exact term | age-adj. PRR 1.6 · serious PRR 2.0 | no trial arm names this drug |
| Drug ineffective (drug did not work) | 2,922 | 0.7 0.7–0.7ROR 0.7 · calibrated p 0.128 | 0.7 EB05 0.7 · IC025 -0.6 PRR-only: not supported by EBGM or IC | Reporting / coding artifact | age-adj. PRR 0.9 · serious PRR 0.9 | no trial arm names this drug |
| Asthenia (weakness) | 2,751 | 2.3 2.3–2.4ROR 2.4 · calibrated p 0.853 | 2.3 EB05 2.3 · IC025 +1.2 3/3 methods agree | Not in label — unassessed | age-adj. PRR 1.9 · serious PRR 2.2 | no trial arm names this drug |
| Pain | 2,580 | 1.3 1.3–1.4ROR 1.4 · calibrated p 0.546 | 1.3 EB05 1.3 · IC025 +0.4 | Labeled adverse reaction exact term | age-adj. PRR 1.6 · serious PRR 1.3 | no trial arm names this drug |
| Headache | 2,471 | 1.3 1.2–1.3ROR 1.3 · calibrated p 0.490 | 1.3 EB05 1.2 · IC025 +0.3 | Labeled adverse reaction exact term | age-adj. PRR 1.2 · serious PRR 1.3 | no trial arm names this drug |
| Fall | 2,371 | 2.3 2.2–2.4ROR 2.3 · calibrated p 0.885 | 2.3 EB05 2.2 · IC025 +1.1 3/3 methods agree | Not in label — unassessed | age-adj. PRR 1.6 · serious PRR 2.1 | no trial arm names this drug |
| Off label use (used outside approved label) | 2,326 | 0.9 0.8–0.9ROR 0.9 · calibrated p 0.214 | 0.9 EB05 0.8 · IC025 -0.3 PRR-only: not supported by EBGM or IC | Reporting / coding artifact | age-adj. PRR 0.8 · serious PRR 0.9 | no trial arm names this drug |
| Pneumonia (lung infection) | 2,095 | 2.1 2.0–2.2ROR 2.1 · calibrated p 0.994 | 2.1 EB05 2.0 · IC025 +1.0 | Not in label — unassessed | age-adj. PRR 1.6 · serious PRR 1.8 | no trial arm names this drug |
| Hypotension (low blood pressure) | 1,975 | 3.2 3.0–3.3ROR 3.2 · calibrated p 0.553 | 3.2 EB05 3.0 · IC025 +1.6 3/3 methods agree | Labeled adverse reaction exact term | age-adj. PRR 2.7 · serious PRR 2.8 | no trial arm names this drug |
| Vomiting | 1,894 | 1.3 1.2–1.4ROR 1.3 · calibrated p 0.509 | 1.3 EB05 1.2 · IC025 +0.3 | Labeled adverse reaction exact term | age-adj. PRR 1.3 · serious PRR 1.3 | no trial arm names this drug |
Unlabeled candidate signals
These flagged terms were not found in the FDA label text and do not match an artifact pattern. They are the pairs that would merit a structured assessment (temporality, dose-response, biological plausibility, consistency across databases, trial or cohort evidence). The screen has not done that; string-matching misses label wording, and a strong PRR can still be stimulated reporting, co-medication, or the disease itself.
- Brash syndrome — n=137, PRR 35.9
- Chronic kidney disease-mineral and bone disorder — n=79, PRR 25.3
- Body tinea — n=41, PRR 25.0
- Nephrogenic anaemia — n=290, PRR 21.1
- Hyperparathyroidism secondary — n=155, PRR 20.8
- Hypertensive emergency — n=68, PRR 19.7
- Rebound acid hypersecretion — n=111, PRR 12.0
- Nephrogenic systemic fibrosis — n=110, PRR 11.9
- Left atrial dilatation — n=43, PRR 11.0
- Loss of employment — n=94, PRR 10.1
✓ A hand-written Bradford Hill causality assessment exists for this drug: Pimavanserin Tartrate ↔ Hallucination.
Want to assess one of these properly? The runbook describes the Bradford Hill / trial-evidence workflow used on the assessment page, and handoff_top1000_signals.csv lists the strongest unassessed pairs across all drugs.
Common questions
What are the most reported side effects of Metoroprolol?
In FDA FAERS, the most frequently co-reported reaction terms for Metoroprolol are fatigue, diarrhoea, nausea, dyspnoea, dizziness, asthenia. These are report counts, not rates: FAERS has no denominator, reporting is voluntary and uneven, and a term can be reported because of the illness being treated rather than the drug.
Does Metoroprolol have an FDA boxed warning?
No. The FDA label retrieved for Metoroprolol has no boxed warning; see the label's Warnings and Precautions for the recognised risks.
Do FAERS signals prove that Metoroprolol causes these side effects?
No. A disproportionality signal (PRR, ROR) means a reaction is reported more often with this drug than with others in the database. That can reflect a real effect, but also the disease being treated, stimulated reporting after news or litigation, co-medications, or how reports are coded. Causality needs temporality, dose-response, biological plausibility, consistency across data sources and, ideally, trial or cohort evidence. This page screens each term against the FDA label and ClinicalTrials.gov results; it does not establish causation.
Sources & methods
- FDA label via openFDA (set ID c7ec36bb-bc6f-42de-9974-a50ac13e9410, effective 20250326; matched on
openfda.generic_name.exact:"METOROPROLOL TARTRATE") - Bayesian shrinkage measures computed offline over all 1,317,300 cached pairs: BCPNN information component (IC, with Norén closed-form IC025) and MGPS empirical-Bayes geometric mean (EBGM, EB05) with a two-component gamma prior fitted by maximum marginal likelihood (α₁=0.57, β₁=0.02, α₂=1.42, β₂=0.70, w=0.17); unstratified
- FAERS pair statistics from the OpenPV build of 2026-09-14 (openFDA
count=aggregation, fieldpatient.drug.openfda.generic_name.exact, 1,174 reaction terms, min 3 co-reports); PRR/ROR with 95% CI, chi-square with Yates correction - Serious-only and stratified counts (serious:1, patient.patientsex, primarysource.qualification) from openFDA count queries; serious-only PRR uses the drug serious report total and the term global serious total (N_serious=11,882,979); strata shown only when n ≥ 20
- Seriousness and sex counts from openFDA
count=serious,patient.patientsex,seriousnessdeath - ClinicalTrials.gov API v2 (query
METOROPROLOL, results-bearing studies sorted by enrollment)
Page generated 2026-10-14. Label and PubChem text are retrieved automatically and may lag the current label; always check the current prescribing information. OpenPV is a beta research tool of the Open Source Medicine Foundation.