Cardiovascular toxicity with topical minoxidil

[lwgable]

I used topical minoxidil 5% for three weeks and experienced negative side effects to my cardiovascular system: rapid heart rate, shortness of breath, elevated blood pressure, fatigue, and esophageal reflux (I think related to unpredictable blood flow to my diaphragm). Once I recognized minoxidil was the source of these problems, I quit cold turkey and have been off the drug for five weeks now. The rebound to my previous level of fitness (jogging about a mile 5x per week) is taking longer than I had hoped. Has anyone else experienced or heard of effects like these? It surprises me that my doctor would recommend the drug without mentioning these risks, and that I could get it over the counter.