Atenolol Medication Summary
No separate FDA Medication Guide was found for this label. This summary is based on FDA/DailyMed prescribing information.
What is this medication?
Atenolol is described in FDA/DailyMed prescribing information. No separate FDA Medication Guide was found for this label. This summary is based on FDA/DailyMed prescribing information.
What is this medication used for?
INDICATIONS AND USAGE Hypertension Atenolol tablets are indicated for the treatment of hypertension, to lower blood pressure. Lowering blood pressure lowers the risk of fatal and non-fatal cardiovascular events, primarily strokes and myocardial infarctions. These benefits have been seen in controlled trials of antihypertensive drugs from a wide variety of pharmacologic classes including atenolol. Control of high blood pressure should be part of comprehensive cardiovascular risk management, including, as appropriate, lipid control, diabetes management, antithrombotic therapy, smoking cessation, exercise, and limited sodium intake. Many patients will require more than 1 drug to achieve blood.
What should I know before taking it?
Atenolol tablets are contraindicated in sinus bradycardia, heart block greater than first degree, cardiogenic shock, and overt cardiac failure. (See WARNINGS.) Atenolol tablets are contraindicated in those patients with a history of hypersensitivity to the atenolol or any of the drug product’s components.
What important warnings are listed?
WARNINGS Cardiac Failure Sympathetic stimulation is necessary in supporting circulatory function in congestive heart failure, and beta blockade carries the potential hazard of further depressing myocardial contractility and precipitating more severe failure. In patients with acute myocardial infarction, cardiac failure which is not promptly and effectively controlled by 80 mg of intravenous furosemide or equivalent therapy is a contraindication to beta-blocker treatment. In Patients Without a History of Cardiac Failure Continued depression of the myocardium with beta-blocking agents over a period of time can, in some cases, lead to cardiac failure. At the first sign or symptom of impending.
How is this medication usually taken?
DOSAGE AND ADMINISTRATION Hypertension The initial dose of atenolol is 50 mg given as one tablet a day either alone or added to diuretic therapy. The full effect of this dose will usually be seen within one to two weeks. If an optimal response is not achieved, the dosage should be increased to atenolol 100 mg given as one tablet a day. Increasing the dosage beyond 100 mg a day is unlikely to produce any further benefit. Atenolol tablets may be used alone or concomitantly with other antihypertensive agents including thiazide-type diuretics, hydralazine, prazosin, and alpha-methyldopa. Angina Pectoris The initial dose of atenolol is 50 mg given as one tablet a day. If an optimal response is.
What side effects are listed?
Most adverse effects have been mild and transient. The frequency estimates in the following table were derived from controlled studies in hypertensive patients in which adverse reactions were either volunteered by the patient (U.S. studies) or elicited, e.g., by checklist (foreign studies). The reported frequency of elicited adverse effects was higher for both atenolol tablets and placebo-treated patients than when these reactions were volunteered. Where frequency of adverse effects of atenolol tablets and placebo is similar, causal relationship to atenolol tablets is uncertain. Volunteered (U.S. Studies) Total-Volunteered and Elicited (Foreign + U.S. Studies) Atenolol (n = 164) % Placebo.
What interactions are listed?
Catecholamine-depleting drugs (e.g., reserpine) may have an additive effect when given with beta-blocking agents. Patients treated with atenolol tablets plus a catecholamine depletor should therefore be closely observed for evidence of hypotension and/or marked bradycardia which may produce vertigo, syncope, or postural hypotension. Calcium channel blockers may also have an additive effect when given with atenolol tablets (see WARNINGS). Disopyramide is a Type I antiarrhythmic drug with potent negative inotropic and chronotropic effects. Disopyramide has been associated with severe bradycardia, asystole and heart failure when administered with beta-blockers. Amiodarone is an antiarrhythmic.
Where can I find the official prescribing information?
Review the full prescribing information on DailyMed: https://dailymed.nlm.nih.gov/dailymed/drugInfo.cfm?setid=15c0c2df-f195-45f9-a1e4-1ed2a43c2216
⚠️ Disclaimer
This summary is for educational purposes only and is not medical advice. Always consult your doctor, pharmacist, or other licensed healthcare professional before starting, stopping, or changing any medicine. Read full medical disclaimer.