Drug & supplement interaction

Trigger Point Therapy + Metoprolol

Metoprolol brand names: Lopressor, Toprol XL.

No Known Interaction
The bottom line No known interaction

We found no known interaction between Trigger Point Therapy and Metoprolol in our sources. Absence of a documented interaction is not the same as proven safety, and does not guarantee one does not exist. Do not start, stop, or change a medication or supplement based on this page; confirm with your pharmacist or doctor first. Additionally, although there is no interaction, the two are separately associated with some of the same side effects, which would make a new symptom harder to attribute to one or the other.

Know someone interested in this? Share
Interaction report

Trigger Point Therapy and Metoprolol

We checked these two against our interaction database. Here is what we found.

No Known Interaction Found

We did not find a documented interaction between Metoprolol and Trigger Point Therapy in our sources. This does not guarantee that the combination is completely free of risk — research on Trigger Point Therapy alongside specific medications may be limited.

Worth understanding: our licensed dataset holds no drug-interaction record for Trigger Point Therapy at all — not against Metoprolol, and not against any other medication we track. This verdict therefore rests on the absence of any recorded data, not on research that looked at this combination and found nothing. We cannot rule an interaction out.

Trigger Point Therapy is a treatment rather than something you take. Tell whoever provides it which medicines you use, and ask your prescriber whether it is appropriate for your health and treatment. Do not stop a prescribed medicine on your own.

Always talk with your pharmacist or doctor before making changes to your medications or supplements, particularly if you take several medications or have an ongoing health condition.

Trigger Point Therapy safety at a glance

Trigger Point Ther... overall Use caution Generally low risk when done by a trained provider, but improper technique can cause bruising or soreness.
Pregnancy Use caution May be used with care, but tell your provider you are pregnant so they can adjust technique and avoid certain points.
Breastfeeding Generally safe No special concern, since it is a physical therapy and not something you take internally.

Safety guidance is general; always confirm with your pharmacist or doctor for your situation.

Still wondering about combining Metoprolol and Trigger Point Therapy? Ask Dr. Brian Staiger, PharmD, BCPS directly ›
What to actually watch for

No Interaction Found — But Data Suggests Trigger Point Therapy and Metoprolol May Share Several of the Same Side Effects

This is not an interaction. Neither one changes how your body handles the other, and nothing here says they react together. What our sources do show is that each has separately been linked to the effects below — so having Trigger Point Therapy while taking the medicine can make those effects more likely to turn up, and harder to pin on one or the other if they do. One of them is worth acting on rather than waiting out — marked below.

  • Bleeding or bruising Worth acting on Additional detail

    Trigger Point Therapy

    “Incorrect placement of the needle during trigger point therapy has been reported to cause pneumothorax or hemopneumothorax. This serious complication can be avoided by refraining from insertion of the needle into an intercostal space. Accidental intrathecal injection has also been reported during an attempt to give a local injection in a superficial trapezius trigger point.”

    Trigger Point Therapy · Natural Medicines adverse-effect record, reported in depression.

    3 sources cited
    1. 28803. Shafer, N. Pneumothorax following "trigger point" injection. JAMA 1970;213(7):1193. DOI
    2. 103558. Genç S, Eneyli MG, Polat O, Oğuz AB, Enön S. Hemopneumothorax After Trigger Point Injection for Fibromyalgia. Altern Ther Health Med. 2020;26(2):62-64.
    3. 28804. Nelson, L. S. and Hoffman, R. S. Intrathecal injection: unusual complication of trigger-point injection therapy. Ann Emerg Med 1998;32(4):506-508. PubMed

    Metoprolol

    Listed in the ADVERSE REACTIONS section of the FDA label for Metoprolol. Read the label on DailyMed ›

  • Blurred vision Additional detail

    Trigger Point Therapy

    “A case report describes a 37-year-old male who developed quadriplegia and severe hypokalemia within 12 hours following trigger point injections of bupivacaine and methylprednisolone in the trapezius muscles for neck pain associated with myofascial pain syndrome.”

    Trigger Point Therapy · Natural Medicines adverse-effect record, reported in hypokalemia.

    2 sources cited
    1. 112970. Sangondimath G, Varma Kalidindi KK, Pandrakula P, Kumar V, Hari Krishan M. An unusual complication of quadriparesis after trigger point injection: a case report. Pain 2021;162(3):711-713. PubMed
    2. 112971. Tanoglu C, Duman Ilki C, Ersoy A, Yasar H. Trigger Point Injection as a Rare Cause of Ischemic Stroke: A Case Report. Neurologist 2022;27(4):203-205.

    Metoprolol

    Listed in the ADVERSE REACTIONS section of the FDA label for Metoprolol. Read the label on DailyMed ›

  • Constipation Additional detail

    Trigger Point Therapy

    “In women with pelvic pain, trigger point therapy with botulinum toxin or saline was reported to cause constipation and, rarely, fecal incontinence. However, as constipation and fecal incontinence are not unusual in women with pelvic pain, the relationship to trigger point therapy is unclear.”

    Trigger Point Therapy · Natural Medicines adverse-effect record, reported in constipation.

    1 source cited
    1. 103556. Dessie SG, Von Bargen E, Hacker MR, Haviland MJ, Elkadry E. A randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial of onabotulinumtoxin A trigger point injections for myofascial pelvic pain. Am J Obstet Gynecol. 2019;221(5):517.e1-517.e9. PubMed

    Metoprolol

    Listed in the ADVERSE REACTIONS section of the FDA label for Metoprolol. Read the label on DailyMed ›

Reported for Trigger Point Therapy but not commonly for Metoprolol: loss of bladder control, trouble passing urine, a stroke or mini-stroke and low potassium.

Effects for Metoprolol come from the ADVERSE REACTIONS section of its FDA label; effects for Trigger Point Therapy come from the Natural Medicines adverse-effect record, quoted above. Wording is matched across sources by our own clinical vocabulary, so treat this as a prompt to pay attention, not a diagnosis.

Overlapping uses

What Metoprolol Is Prescribed For, and What Trigger Point Therapy Has Been Studied For

These two come up together because they touch the same health topic — not because they do the same job. Metoprolol is a prescription medicine with approved uses on its FDA label. Trigger Point Therapy is a treatment: what follows is what researchers have looked at it for, and how strong that evidence is.

Metoprolol is prescribed for: Metoprolol is used to treat several heart and blood pressure conditions. Metoprolol succinate extended-release tablets (including Toprol-XL) are approved for high blood pressure, angina pectoris (chest pain from the heart), and heart failure. Metoprolol tartrate tablets (including Lopressor) are approved for high blood pressure, angina, and — when used alongside intravenous metoprolol — to reduce the risk of cardiovascular death after a definite or suspected heart attack. Metoprolol tartrate injection (intravenous form) is used in hemodynamically stable patients with a definite or suspected acute heart attack to reduce cardiovascular death, and is followed by oral metoprolol therapy.

Read the rest of what Metoprolol is prescribed for

Lowering blood pressure with metoprolol reduces the risk of strokes and heart attacks.

Trigger Point Therapy has been studied for:

  • Stroke studied, not established Trigger Point Therapy has been studied for this. Natural Medicines rates the evidence: Insufficient Reliable Evidence To Rate Read what the research shows

    Trigger Point Therapy for stroke

    One small clinical study in adults receiving post-stroke rehabilitation shows that deep trigger point dry needling of the shoulder muscles once weekly for 3 weeks improves shoulder range of motion by a small to moderate amount, but not muscle spasticity, when compared with no dry needling.

    2 sources cited
    1. 97836. Mendigutia-Gómez A, Martín-Hernández C, Salom-Moreno J, Fernández-de-Las-Peñas C. Effect of dry needling on spasticity, shoulder range of motion, and pressure pain sensitivity in patients with stroke: A crossover study.
    2. 113393. Zhang Z, Wang W, Song Y, et al. Immediate Effect of Dry Needling at Myofascial Trigger Point on Hand Spasticity in Chronic Post-stroke Patients: A Multicenter Randomized Controlled Trial. Front Neurol 2021;12:745618. PubMed

Effectiveness ratings and the research summaries above are the verbatim record from the Natural Medicines database, which grades evidence from “Effective” down to “Insufficient Reliable Evidence To Rate”. A rating below the top of that scale means researchers have looked at it — not that it works, and never that it can stand in for a prescribed medicine. Do not stop or replace Metoprolol on your own; if you are taking Trigger Point Therapy for the same health topic, tell your prescriber, especially if the medicine is being adjusted to a target.

From our Q&A

Questions About Trigger Point Therapy or Metoprolol

These are real questions from readers, answered by the pharmacists at HelloPharmacist — written by a person, not generated from a database. Each one covers Trigger Point Therapy or Metoprolol, not necessarily both, but if one is close to what you were about to ask it will usually go further than a database entry can:

Not quite your question? Ask our pharmacists directly — it is free, there is no account required, and answers usually come back within 24 hours.

Everything else you take

See Every Supplement That Interacts With Metoprolol

This page covers Trigger Point Therapy only. If you take other supplements — a multivitamin, a sleep aid, something for joints — the Metoprolol page lists 183 supplements it has a documented interaction with, worst first, each one explained.

The most serious there right now: Activated Charcoal (major), American Hellebore (major), American Mistletoe (major), Indian Snakeroot (major) and Tyramine (major).

By severity: 5 major · 152 moderate · 26 minor.

From our pharmacist’s overview on the Metoprolol page

“With metoprolol (Lopressor, Toprol XL), a beta-blocker for high blood pressure and heart problems, these interactions deserve genuine care, starting with the five rated major. Most entries pull blood pressure one way or the other: many supplements add to metoprolol's lowering effect and can drop pressure too far, while a few, tyramine…”

Reviewed by 2 · Jul 18, 2026

Open the Metoprolol interaction page

How much people look this up

Where Trigger Point Therapy and Metoprolol Sit Against Everything Else

Out of every supplement and medication people look up on HelloPharmacist, here is where these two land this week — and which way each has been moving.

Supplement Trigger Point Therapy
Steady interest

#1,113 of 1,452 supplements looked up here in the last 7 days

29 days ago today
Medication Metoprolol
Top 10

#7 of 2,830 medications looked up here in the last 7 days

29 days ago today

Position among everything looked up on this site, not a measure of how commonly either one is used or how important it is. A supplement can climb this list because of a news story. It counts every request to the page, automated ones included, and nothing here identifies anyone.

Where does our data come from?
  • Source: the Natural Medicines (TRC Healthcare) clinical database — the evidence-graded professional reference for herb & supplement interactions.
  • Citation library: 103,510 references behind our interaction content, 65,311 of them resolved to verified PubMed/DOI sources. See every Trigger Point Therapy reference on this page ↓
  • Freshness: we automatically re-check this combination every week — this pair was last verified September 13, 2026. The Trigger Point Therapy and Metoprolol records this page draws on were last updated July 10, 2026.
  • What “no known interaction” means: no documented interaction in the sources above — not a guarantee of safety. Supplements are studied far less than prescription drugs, so we say exactly what the evidence supports, and nothing more.
Data structure & sourcing designed and verified by .
Treatment approach

About Trigger Point Therapy

What is Trigger Point Therapy?

  • Muscle knots and tightness
  • Neck and back pain
  • Tension headaches
  • Myofascial pain
  • Limited range of motion
  • Sports recovery

Trigger Point Therapy is a hands-on (manual) treatment, not a supplement or herb. It targets tight, tender spots in muscles ('trigger points') with pressure or needling to ease pain and stiffness. Some people find real relief, but the research is mixed, so it is best used alongside other care and guided by a qualified provider.

Not applicable (manual therapy technique) · Manual pressure, massage, dry needling, self-massage with tools (foam rollers, massage balls)

An interaction check asks whether these two react with each other — it does not ask whether Trigger Point Therapy is a good idea for someone in your situation. Here is what our Trigger Point Therapy record says about it on its own.

Trigger Point Therapy: dosing

Because Trigger Point Therapy is a hands-on treatment and not a supplement, there is no standardized 'dose.' The number and length of sessions vary based on your condition, your provider's approach, and how you respond.Many providers start with one or two sessions per week and adjust from there.

From our Trigger Point Therapy monograph — the full record covers uses, side effects and every documented interaction.

Read the full Trigger Point Therapy monograph & all interactions
Medication

About Metoprolol

What Is Metoprolol Used For?

Brand names: Lopressor, Toprol XL

Metoprolol is used to treat several heart and blood pressure conditions. Metoprolol succinate extended-release tablets (including Toprol-XL) are approved for high blood pressure, angina pectoris (chest pain from the heart), and heart failure. Metoprolol tartrate tablets (including Lopressor) are approved for high blood pressure, angina, and — when used alongside intravenous metoprolol — to reduce the risk of cardiovascular death after a definite or suspected heart attack.

Metoprolol tartrate injection (intravenous form) is used in hemodynamically stable patients with a definite or suspected acute heart attack to reduce cardiovascular death, and is followed by oral metoprolol therapy. Lowering blood pressure with metoprolol reduces the risk of strokes and heart attacks.

Most-Reported Side Effects for Metoprolol

From FAERS, the FDA’s public side-effect reporting system (0 reports, all brands). Reports are voluntary and are not proof the drug caused the effect.

Fatigue 23,416 reports
Dyspnea 20,183 reports
Diarrhea 19,912 reports
Nausea 19,659 reports
Dizziness 16,726 reports
See full Metoprolol drug information
Keep checking

Other Drugs & Trigger Point Therapy

Browse every other medication we’ve checked against Trigger Point Therapy — both the ones with a known interaction and the ones without. Select any drug for the full detail.

0Major
0Moderate
0Minor
2,829No known interaction
No interaction 2,829 drugs checked — show the list
Evidence & sources

Trigger Point Therapy References

The 44 references that drive our Trigger Point Therapy monograph and interaction data, from the evidence-graded Natural Medicines (TRC Healthcare) database. Citations with a link open the study on PubMed or the publisher’s site.

  1. Hesse, J., Mogelvang, B., and Simonsen, H. Acupuncture versus metoprolol in migraine prophylaxis: a randomized trial of trigger point inactivation. J Intern Med 1994;235(5):451-456. PubMed
  2. Kovacs, F. M., Abraira, V., Pozo, F., Kleinbaum, D. G., Beltran, J., Mateo, I., Perez, de Ayala, Pena, A., Zea, A., Gonzalez-Lanza, M., and Morillas, L. Local and remote sustained trigger point therapy for exacerbations of chronic low back pain. A randomi DOI
  3. Garvey, T. A., Marks, M. R., and Wiesel, S. W. A prospective, randomized, double-blind evaluation of trigger-point injection therapy for low-back pain. Spine (Phila Pa 1976) 1989;14(9):962-964. PubMed
  4. Itoh, K., Katsumi, Y., and Kitakoji, H. Trigger point acupuncture treatment of chronic low back pain in elderly patients--a blinded RCT. Acupunct Med 2004;22(4):170-177. PubMed
  5. Iguchi, M., Katoh, Y., Koike, H., Hayashi, T., and Nakamura, M. Randomized trial of trigger point injection for renal colic. Int J Urol 2002;9(9):475-479. PubMed
  6. Nazareno, J., Ponich, T., and Gregor, J. Long-term follow-up of trigger point injections for abdominal wall pain. Can J Gastroenterol 2005;19(9):561-565. PubMed
  7. Ferrante, F. M., Bearn, L., Rothrock, R., and King, L. Evidence against trigger point injection technique for the treatment of cervicothoracic myofascial pain with botulinum toxin type A. Anesthesiology 2005;103(2):377-383. PubMed
  8. Iwama, H., Ohmori, S., Kaneko, T., and Watanabe, K. Water-diluted local anesthetic for trigger-point injection in chronic myofascial pain syndrome: evaluation of types of local anesthetic and concentrations in water. Reg Anesth Pain Med 2001;26(4):333-336 DOI
  9. Hameroff, S. R., Crago, B. R., Blitt, C. D., Womble, J., and Kanel, J. Comparison of bupivacaine, etidocaine, and saline for trigger-point therapy. Anesth Analg 1981;60(10):752-755. DOI
  10. Kamanli, A., Kaya, A., Ardicoglu, O., Ozgocmen, S., Zengin, F. O., and Bayik, Y. Comparison of lidocaine injection, botulinum toxin injection, and dry needling to trigger points in myofascial pain syndrome. Rheumatol Int 2005;25(8):604-611. PubMed
  11. Shafer, N. Pneumothorax following "trigger point" injection. JAMA 1970;213(7):1193. DOI
  12. Nelson, L. S. and Hoffman, R. S. Intrathecal injection: unusual complication of trigger-point injection therapy. Ann Emerg Med 1998;32(4):506-508. PubMed
  13. Edwards, J. and Knowles, N. Superficial dry needling and active stretching in the treatment of myofascial pain--a randomised controlled trial. Acupunct Med 2003;21(3):80-86. PubMed
  14. Sánchez-Romero EA, Pecos-Martín D, Calvo-Lobo C, Ochoa-Sáez V, Burgos-Caballero V, Fernández-Carnero J. Effects of dry needling in an exercise program for older adults with knee osteoarthritis: A pilot clinical trial. Medicine
  15. Brennan KL, Allen BC, Maldonado YM. Dry needling versus cortisone injection in the treatment of greater trochanteric pain syndrome: A noninferiority randomized clinical trial. J Orthop Sports Phys Ther. 2017;47(4):232-239. PubMed

Medication overviews come from MedlinePlus (NIH); supplement label data from the NIH Dietary Supplement Label Database. Content is written and reviewed by licensed HelloPharmacist pharmacists — see our data sources and editorial standards.

Pharmacist Counseling Corner

Having Trigger Point Therapy While Taking Metoprolol: Common Questions

Is it safe to have Trigger Point Therapy while taking Metoprolol?
We do not list a known interaction between Trigger Point Therapy and Metoprolol. That does not guarantee the combination is risk-free, so confirm with your pharmacist or doctor — especially if you take other medications or have a health condition.
Do Trigger Point Therapy and Metoprolol have any of the same side effects?
Yes — our sources link each of them separately to 3 of the same effects. That is not an interaction: neither changes how your body handles the other. It does mean that if one of those effects turns up, it can be harder to tell which one is behind it. They are listed on this page with the source behind each.
Are Trigger Point Therapy and Metoprolol used for the same thing?
They overlap in purpose, which usually means the real question is whether you need both rather than whether they are safe together. This page lists the shared uses and how strong the evidence is for Trigger Point Therapy in each. That is a conversation for your prescriber, especially if Metoprolol is being adjusted to a target.
Does Metoprolol interact with any supplements?
Yes. Metoprolol has documented interactions with 183 supplements in our database — Trigger Point Therapy is not one of them. The Metoprolol interaction page linked on this page lists every one, ranked by severity.

Written and reviewed by the HelloPharmacist editorial staff. Our editorial policy

Still Have a Question About Metoprolol and Trigger Point Therapy?

Our pharmacists answer your medication & supplement questions — free.

Ask a pharmacist

This information is for education only and is not a substitute for professional medical advice. Always check with your pharmacist or doctor before starting, stopping, or combining supplements and medications.