Other Names/Brands

Betablok, Cardiva, Farnormin, Hiblok, Internolol, Lotenac, Lotensi, Nif-Ten, Tenblok, Tenormin, Tensinorm, Zumablok.

Mechanism of Action

Atenolol is a drug widely prescribed to reduce blood pressure in hypertensive (high blood pressure) patients. Atenolol belongs to the beta-blocker group and works by blocking the effects of the epinephrine hormone, which normally accelerates your heart rate. By influencing the diameter of blood vessels and the performance of the heart muscle, atenolol helps keep blood pressure within a normal range.

Indications

Atenolol is used to treat medical conditions such as hypertension and angina pectoris (chest pain caused by heart disorders).

Contraindications

Contraindications of atenolol usage include the following medical conditions:

• Low heart rate (bradycardia)
• Severe drop in blood pressure due to heart disease (cardiogenic shock)
• Metabolic acidosis (increased acidity of body fluids due to metabolic disorders)
• Severe peripheral vascular disease
• Uncompensated heart failure

Side Effects

Side effects of this drug are generally uncommon. Even so, several side effects may occur, including:

• Dry eyes
• Vsual impairment
• Nausea
• Vomiting
• Diarrhea
• Dry mouth
• Bradycardia
• Fatigue
• Headache
• Dizziness
• Depression
• Hallucinations
• Skin disorders
• Hair loss
• Low platelet count (thrombocytopenia)

Preparations

The available atenolol preparations include:

• 50 mg and 100 mg tablets 
• 50 mg and 100 mg film-coated tablets

Dosage

• Purpose: Treatment of hypertension or angina pectoris

Adult dosage: 50-100 mg once daily. The dose may be given as a single daily dose or divided into smaller doses and adjusted according to the patient's clinical response.

Safety of Drugs

Pregnancy:

This drug is classified as FDA category D (there is clear evidence of fetal risk based on adverse reaction data from investigational or post-marketing use in humans), so its use during pregnancy is not recommended.

Drug Interactions

Anti-inflammatory drugs, such as ibuprofen or indomethacin

Using atenolol together with ibuprofen may lead to drug interactions, including a reduction in the blood pressure-related effects of atenolol. Therefore, the concomitant use of atenolol and ibuprofen should be under medical supervision to reduce the risk of unwanted effects.

Looking for more information about other drugs? Click here!