Atenolol Side Effects

Most Atenolol side effects are usually mild and transient, so that's definitely a good thing. If you have high blood pressure a.k.a. hypertension, you most likely have other things to worry about and your medication's side effects should be low on that list.

Hypertension is also known as "the silent killer", because unlike a lot of other diseases, and in particular other heart diseases, the symptoms of high blood pressure are virtually invisible. The only way to know for sure if you have high blood pressure is to actually measure your blood pressure. Only your doctor can diagnose you so make sure you have it done by your doctor before you jump to any conclusions.

Of course, like a lot of other medications, Atenolol is a multi-purpose medication... It is only FDA-approved to treat the following medical conditions:

• Angina pectoris... or more simply, angina
• Acute myocardial infarction

Alright, so now we've laid the ground work, let's move on to what the actual side effects of Atenolol are.

Atenolol Side Effects (Hypertension)

• Bradycardia - slow heart rate
• Cold Extremities
• Depression
• Diarrhea
• Dizziness
• Dreaming
• Drowsiness
• Dyspnea - painful breathing
• Fatigue
• Leg Pain
• Lethargy - feeling tired
• Light-headedness
• Nausea
• Postural Hypotension - a feeling of lightheadedness, especially upon standing up from sitting or lying down
• Tiredness
• Vertigo
• Wheezing

Atenolol Side Effects (Acute Myocardial Infarction)

• Atrial Fibrillation - a type of abnormal heart rhythm
• Atrial Flutter - a type of abnormal heart rhythm
• Bundle Branch Block plus Major Axis Deviation - a type of heart disorder
• Bradycardia - slow heart rate
• Bronchospasm - abnormal spasm/contraction of the bronchioles (airways)
• Cardiac Reinfarction
• Cardiogenic Shock
• Death
• Development of Mitral Regurgitation
• Development of Ventricular Septal Defect
• Heart Block
• Heart Failure
• Hypotension - low blood pressure
• Nonfatal Cardiac Arrest
• Pulmonary Emboli - blood clot in the lungs
• Renal Failure - kidney failure
• Supraventricular Tachycardia - a type of heart rhythm disorder
• Total Cardiac Arrest
• Ventricular Tachycardia - a type of heart rhythm disorder

Other Potential Side Effects of Atenolol

Atenolol (Brand Name = Tenormin) belongs to a class of drugs known as beta blockers. Medications that belong to this class tend to have certain side effects that are common to them all, so even though they haven't been directly reported with Atenolol use, they can be considered to be potential side effects of Atenolol. They are as follows:

• Agranulocytosis - a type of severe and sometimes fatal low white blood cell count
• Dry eyes
• Emotional lability with slightly clouded sensorium
• Erythematous rash - a type of severe skin rash
• Fever, combined with aching and sore throat
• Ischemic colitis - an intestinal disorder
• Laryngospasm - closure/blocking of the larynx that results in an interference with air flow; choking
• Mesenteric arterial thrombosis - blood clot in one of the major arteries
• Respiratory distress
• Reversible mental depression progressing to catatonia
• Short-term memory loss
• Skin rashes

Post-Marketing Atenolol Side Effects

These Atenolol side effects were reported after Atenolol was approved and being used by the general population. You should note though that they were reported voluntarily by folks in the general population so there is therefore no way to determine how often they occur or if there is even really a true connection between them and Atenolol.

• Development of antinuclear antibodies (ANA)
• Dry mouth
• Elevated liver enzymes and/or bilirubin
• Hallucinations
• Headache
• Impotence
• Lupus syndrome
• Peyronie's disease - a type of penile disorder
• Postural hypotension (see explanation above) which may be associated with syncope (fainting)
• Psoriasiform rash or exacerbation of psoriasis
• Psychoses
• Purpura
• Raynaud’s phenomenon
• Reversible alopecia (hair loss)
• Sick sinus syndrome - a type of heart rhythm disorder
• Thrombocytopenia - low platelet count
• Visual disturbance

There are some remedies
worse than the disease.
- Publilius Syrus

Drug Manufacturer Information

Astra Zeneca Pharmaceuticals LP
P.O. Box 15437
Wilmington, DE 19850
302-886-3000

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March 25, 2010