Kidney disease: The kidneys are partially responsible for removing this medication from your body. Kidney disease or reduced kidney function may cause this medication to build up in the body, causing side effects. If you have reduced kidney function or kidney disease, discuss with your doctor how this medication may affect your medical condition, how your medical condition may affect the dosing and effectiveness of this medication, and whether any special monitoring is needed.
Low blood sugar: The signs of low blood sugar may not be as noticeable when taking atenolol. If you have diabetes and take insulin or other medications that affect insulin levels in the blood, discuss with your doctor how this medication may affect your medical condition, how your medical condition may affect the dosing and effectiveness of this medication, and whether any special monitoring is needed. Your doctor will monitor you while you are taking this medication and may need to adjust the doses of diabetes medications.
Prinzmetal's angina: Atenolol may increase the number and duration of angina attacks in patients with Prinzmetal's angina. If you have this condition, be cautious while taking atenolol.
Report unusual chest pain to your doctor as soon as possible. Severe allergies: If you have allergies severe enough to cause anaphylaxis a severe allergic reaction where swelling of the face, lips, and throat make it difficult to breathe , you should talk to your doctor about what to do if you have an allergic reaction. Atenolol may make it more difficult to treat your allergic reaction with epinephrine. Slow heart rate: In general, people with an abnormally slow pulse should not take a beta-blocker such as atenolol.
Stopping usage: Atenolol should not be stopped suddenly. There have been reports of severe worsening of angina and of heart attack or abnormal heart rhythms occurring in people with angina pectoris who have done this. If this medication needs to be stopped, it should be done gradually under supervision of your doctor.
Surgery: If you are scheduled for surgery, inform all doctors involved in your care that you are taking atenolol. Pregnancy: Studies have shown that atenolol does cross the placenta and there have been reports of harm to the developing baby if atenolol is taken by the mother during pregnancy. This medication should not be used during pregnancy unless the benefits outweigh the risks.
If you become pregnant while taking this medication, contact your doctor immediately. Breast-feeding: This medication passes into breast milk. If you are a breast-feeding mother and are taking atenolol, it may affect your baby. Talk to your doctor about whether you should continue breast-feeding. Children: The safety and effectiveness of using this medication have not been established for children. If you are taking any of these medications, speak with your doctor or pharmacist.
Depending on your specific circumstances, your doctor may want you to:. An interaction between two medications does not always mean that you must stop taking one of them. Speak to your doctor about how any drug interactions are being managed or should be managed. Medications other than those listed above may interact with this medication. Tell your doctor or prescriber about all prescription, over-the-counter non-prescription , and herbal medications you are taking. Also tell them about any supplements you take.
Since caffeine, alcohol, the nicotine from cigarettes, or street drugs can affect the action of many medications, you should let your prescriber know if you use them. All material copyright MediResource Inc. These drugs are often used to treat similar conditions.
Beta receptors are found on cells in the heart. When adrenaline activates a beta receptor, blood pressure and heart rate go up. Beta blockers prevent adrenaline from affecting beta receptors in your blood vessels and heart.
This causes blood vessels to relax. By relaxing the vessels, beta blockers help to lower blood pressure and reduce chest pain. Instead, they help to manage the symptoms.
If these effects are mild, they may go away within a few days or a couple of weeks. Call your doctor right away if you have serious side effects. Serious side effects and their symptoms can include the following:. Disclaimer: Our goal is to provide you with the most relevant and current information. However, because drugs affect each person differently, we can not guarantee that this information includes all possible side effects. This information is not a substitute for medical advice.
Always discuss possible side effects with a healthcare provider who knows your medical history. Atenolol oral tablet can interact with other medications, vitamins, or herbs you may be taking. An interaction is when a substance changes the way a drug works. This can be harmful or prevent the drug from working well. To help avoid interactions, your doctor should manage all of your medications carefully. Reserpine and monamine oxidase inhibitors MAOIs may increase or add to the effects of atenolol.
They may also increase lightheadedness or slow your heart rate more. MAOIs can continue to interact with atenolol for up to 14 days after taking them. Examples of MAOIs include:. Taking certain heart drugs with atenolol can slow down your heart rate too much. Examples of these drugs include:. Like atenolol, these drugs are used to treat high blood pressure and several other heart problems. If combined with atenolol, they may reduce the contractions of your heart and slow it down more.
Doctors sometimes use this combination under close supervision. Alpha blockers lower blood pressure. They may decrease blood pressure too much when combined with atenolol.
Suddenly stopping the drug while also taking atenolol can cause a big jump in blood pressure. Taking indomethacin with atenolol can reduce the blood pressure-lowering effects of atenolol. However, because drugs interact differently in each person, we can not guarantee that this information includes all possible interactions.
Always speak with your healthcare provider about possible interactions with all prescription drugs, vitamins, herbs and supplements, and over-the-counter drugs that you are taking.
Taking it again could be fatal cause death. A doctor may still prescribe it, but only in small doses with careful monitoring. Atenolol works to block beta receptors on cells in the heart.
But at higher doses, atenolol can block different types of beta receptors found in breathing passages. Blocking these receptors can lead to narrowing of breathing passages, making asthma or COPD worse. For people with diabetes: Atenolol may mask important signs of low blood sugar, including shaking and increased heart rate.
Without these signals, it becomes more difficult to recognize dangerously low blood sugar levels. For people with poor circulation: If you have poor circulation in your feet and hands, you may have worse symptoms when taking atenolol. Atenolol reduces blood pressure, so you might not get as much blood to your hands and feet.
For people with an overactive thyroid hyperthyroidism : Atenolol may mask important signs of an overactive thyroid, including a fast heartbeat. If you stop taking this drug suddenly, it may get worse and could be life threatening. For pregnant women: Atenolol is a category D pregnancy drug. That means two things:. Atenolol use in the second trimester of pregnancy has been associated with birth of babies who are smaller than normal.
Tell your doctor or pharmacist if you're taking any other medicines, including herbal medicines, vitamins or supplements. Like other beta blockers, atenolol works by changing the way your body responds to some nerve impulses, including in the heart.
It slows down your heart rate and makes it easier for your heart to pump blood around your body. It may work by relaxing the blood vessels involved or by reducing activity in the visual cortex. This is the part of the brain where migraines are believed to start. Atenolol starts to work after about 3 hours to reduce high blood pressure, but it can take up to 2 weeks to reach its full effect.
You may not feel any different when you take atenolol for high blood pressure, but this does not mean it's not working. It's important to keep taking your medicine. For migraines, it may take several weeks for atenolol to start making a real difference, so keep taking it. For heart conditions or high blood pressure - treatment is usually long term and may be for the rest of your life. For migraines - treatment can last for several months or years, depending on how bad your symptoms are.
If you're taking it for a heart condition or to prevent migraines, it works best when you take it long term. You'll need to have your blood pressure checked regularly if you're taking atenolol for a long time for migraines. If you're bothered by side effects, your doctor may be able to prescribe a different medicine instead. If you stop taking atenolol, it'll take about 1 to 2 days for it to be completely out of your body. Atenolol works as well as other beta blockers for reducing blood pressure.
Other beta blockers, like propranolol , work on your heart and affect other parts of your body, too. There are lots of other medicines to lower your blood pressure and treat chest pain. Beta blockers are not usually the first choice treatment for high blood pressure.
If you're under 55, you'll usually be offered an ACE inhibitor or an angiotensin receptor blocker. If you're 55 or older, or you're any age and of African Caribbean or black African origin, you'll usually be offered a calcium channel blocker. Sometimes you may have to try other blood pressure-lowering medicines if you get side effects.
Many people need to take a combination of different blood pressure-lowering tablets. Atenolol, metoprolol , propranolol and nadolol are all beta blockers , and they work well in preventing migraines. But most doctors prescribe propranolol. There are some other medicines that are known to prevent migraines, but they're not officially approved in the UK. They include amitriptyline , sodium valproate and gabapentin , and may have different side effects.
Topiramate can also be used to prevent migraines. But topiramate has not been officially approved for migraine for children under the age of Tell your doctor that you're taking atenolol if you're going to be put to sleep using general anaesthetic or you're having any kind of major operation.
Your doctor may advise you to stop taking atenolol for 24 hours before surgery. This is because atenolol can lower your blood pressure too much when it's combined with some anaesthetics. Drinking alcohol can increase the blood pressure-lowering effect of atenolol, which can make you feel dizzy or lightheaded. During the first few days of taking atenolol or after an increase in your dose, it's best to stop drinking alcohol until you see how the medicine affects you.
If you find atenolol makes you feel dizzy, it's best to stop drinking alcohol. Eating a healthy, balanced diet can help if you have high blood pressure or another heart condition.
But some types of hormonal methods of contraception, like the combined pill and contraceptive patch , are not usually recommended for women with high blood pressure.
It's unlikely that atenolol affects fertility in men or women. But there's not enough evidence to say for certain. If you're trying for a baby or having problems getting pregnant while on atenolol, speak to your doctor.
Some people on atenolol say their sex drive goes down, and some men find they cannot get an erection. But this is not a common side effect and there's not enough evidence to say for sure that atenolol is causing it.
You do not need to stop playing sports if you take atenolol. But do not push yourself too much. Regular exercise is good for you because it lowers blood pressure by keeping your heart and blood vessels in good condition.
Be aware, though, that in some sports atenolol is not allowed if you're competing at a high level. Atenolol can make some people feel dizzy, especially when you first start taking it or after taking a bigger dose. If this happens to you, do not drive a car, ride a bike, or use tools or machinery until you feel better. If you have heart problems, you can boost the health of your heart by making some key lifestyle changes.
These will also help if you have high blood pressure. There are a number of things you can do to help prevent migraines. This includes working out what things trigger an attack so you can avoid them.
Page last reviewed: 19 March Next review due: 19 March Atenolol On this page About atenolol Key facts Who can and cannot take atenolol How and when to take it Side effects How to cope with side effects Pregnancy and breastfeeding Cautions with other medicines Common questions. About atenolol Atenolol belongs to a group of medicines called beta blockers. This medicine is only available on prescription.
Help us improve our website Can you answer a quick question about your visit today? Atenolol slows down your heart rate and makes it easier for your heart to pump blood around your body. It can make you feel dizzy, sick or tired, or give you constipation or diarrhoea. These side effects are usually mild and short-lived. Your very first dose of atenolol may make you feel dizzy, so take it at bedtime. After that, if you do not feel dizzy, you can take it in the morning.
Atenolol is known by the brand name Tenormin. Other brand names include Tenif for atenolol mixed with nifedipine and Co-tenidone atenolol mixed with chlortalidone. To make sure it's safe for you, tell your doctor before starting atenolol if you have: had an allergic reaction to atenolol or any other medicine in the past low blood pressure or a slow heart rate serious blood circulation problems in your limbs such as Raynaud's phenomenon , which may make your fingers and toes tingle or turn pale or blue metabolic acidosis - when there's too much acid in your blood lung disease or asthma Tell your doctor if you're trying to get pregnant, are already pregnant or breastfeeding.
You'll usually take atenolol once or twice a day. It's a good idea to leave 10 to 12 hours between doses if you can. Dosage How much you take depends on why you need atenolol. How to take it Atenolol does not usually upset your tummy, so you can take it with or without food.
Swallow the tablets whole with a drink of water.
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