Persistent wheezing caused by carvedilol overdose in a non-asthmatic man

Cardiovascular dysfunction is the main manifestation of β-blocker intoxication; however, respiratory manifestations have rarely been reported.

A 41-year-old man, who had ingested 300 mg carvedilol in a suicide attempt, was transferred to our emergency department. The patient had wheezing on arrival; however, he had no known history of bronchial asthma. In the absence of signs of heart failure, we gave the patient inhaled procaterol, a short-acting β2 agonist. The wheezing disappeared approximately 60 h after carvedilol ingestion and did not recur thereafter.

We report a case of wheezing caused by carvedilol intoxication. Although rare, clinicians should recognize that wheezing or bronchospasm can develop following β-blocker intoxication, for which a short-acting β2 agonist could be indicated.