Among all of the medications used to treat angina, “Lovenox” and “Lopressor” tend to be the most popular ones. But how well do they fare against one another? And how frequently should they be taken? These are a few of the many questions that we’ll attempt to cover below.
What are Lovenox and Lopressor?
Lovenox is a drug used to treat deep venous thrombosis. Enoxaparin sodium is amongst its active ingredients. Lopressor is a drug used to in blood pressure management and contains two primary active ingredients: metoprolol tartrate and hydrochlorothiazide.
Lovenox vs. Lopressor – How Are They Different?
Both medications are frequently used to treat angina as well as other cardio-related diseases. Let’s take a look at how they differ from one another as well as discuss the various “worries” that patients tend to have about them (and whether or not the chances of experiencing a related side effect is a high probability).
Lopressor
Commonly referred to as “Metoprolol Tartrate” or “Metoprolol”, Lopressor is a drug that can be used for high blood pressure, tachycardia, migraines, heart attacks, and angina. This selective beta blocker is often used to treat a variety of cardiovascular-related diseases- especially hypertension. Some of the more common concerns that individuals have regarding the drug include:
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- Low Blood Pressure: Approximately 9 out of 10 patients claim to worry about low blood pressure when taking Lopressor.
- Depression: Approximately 9 out of 10 patients claim to be worried about experiencing depression when taking the drug.
- Weight Loss: Approximately 7 out of 10 patients claim that they frequently worry about losing too much weight as a result of taking Lopressor.
While patients may excessively worry about these side effects, the more common Lopressor side effects experienced include confusion, dizziness, shortness of breath, and unusual sweating. The usual dosage for the drug is typically a 100mg tablet that can be taken several times per day. Dosages of about 450mg of the drug are quite common, while anything over this isn’t recommended as it has yet to be studied thoroughly.
Lovenox
Lovenox is commonly referred to as “Enoxaparin” or “Clexane”, and can be used to treat blood clots, DVT, miscarriages, clotting disorders. A lot of patients use this drug to prevent pulmonary embolisms or deep vein thrombosis. Some of the worries that individuals tend to have about this drug include:
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- Spotting: About 5 out of 10 patients have concerns regarding spotting when taking this drug.
- Bleeding: About 4 out of 10 patients claim to be worried about internal bleeding as a result of taking Lovenox.
- Cramping: About 4 out of 10 patients worry about cramping when taking the drug.
Despite these worries, some of the Lovenox side effects that you may experience include nausea, mild pain, or swelling in the area where the medication was injected. Remember that Lovenox is an injection-based medication, and is highly effective for individuals who have just gotten out of surgery but who still can’t leave their bed.
The specific dosage for the medication depends heavily on the age and health of the patient, as well as their particular diagnosis. For example, someone just getting out of abdominal surgery would require a different dosage than someone getting out of hip surgery.
The Big Differences Between Lovenox and Lopressor
Perhaps the biggest difference between Lovenox and Lopressor are that one is injection based and one comes in tablet form. Both are effective at treating angina and are highly recommended by doctors and physicians alike.