Metoprolol compared with propranolol in the treatment of essential tremor
W. C. Koller and N. Biary
We analyzed effects of metoprolol tartrate and propranolol hydrochloride on
23 patients with essential tremor. Tremor was assessed by patient
self-evaluation, clinical scoring, and tremorgrams. Ten of 20 patients had
tremor reduction with propranolol. Metoprolol decreased tremor in 13 of 23
patients, including three patients with asthma in whom propranolol had
caused respiratory distress. Adverse reactions were infrequent. Individual
patients either responded to both propranolol and metoprolol or to neither
drug. Patient age, duration of tremor, tremor frequency, family history, or
response to intravenous ethyl alcohol did not distinguish responders from
nonresponders.