Atenolol is a beta blocker medicine, used to treat high blood pressure (hypertension) and irregular heartbeats (arrhythmia).

It can also be used to prevent chest pain caused by angina.

Atenolol is sometimes prescribed to prevent migraines and help with anxiety.

HOW IT WORKS

Atenolol works by slowing down your heart rate, making it easier for your heart to pump blood around your body.

BEFORE TAKING IT

Atenelol is not suitable for everyone. To make sure it is safe for you, tell your doctor if you:

- have ever had an allergic reaction to Atenolol or any other medicine;

- have low blood pressure (hypotension) or a slow heart rate;

- have Raynaud's phenomenon, which may make your fingers and toes tingle, turn paler than usual or turn blue;

- have metabolic acidosis – when there's too much acid in your blood;

- have lung disease or asthma;

- are trying to get pregnant, are already pregnant or breastfeeding.

DOSAGE

How much Atenolol to take depends on why you need it.

The usual dose for adults is:

high blood pressure – 25 mg to 50 mg, taken once a day.

angina (chest pain) – 100 mg, taken once a day, or split into two 50 mg doses.

irregular heartbeats (arrhythmia) – 50 mg to 100 mg, taken once a day.

migraine – 25 mg to 100 mg, taken twice a day.

As for children taking Atenolol: your child's doctor will work out the right dose by using their weight and age.

HOW TO TAKE

You will usually take Atenolol once or twice a day.

When you start taking Atenolol, your doctor may advise you to take your first dose before bedtime because it can make you feel dizzy. After the first dose, if you do not feel dizzy, you can take your medicine in the morning.

If you are taking Atenolol twice a day, try to have 1 dose in the morning and 1 dose in the evening. It's a good idea to leave 10 to 12 hours between doses if you can.

Atenolol does not usually upset your stomach, so you can take it with or without food but it would be better to do the same each day.

Swallow the tablets whole with a drink of water. If you find them difficult to swallow, some brands have a score line to help you break the tablet in half. Check the information leaflet for your brand to see if you can do this.

HOW LONG TO TAKE IT FOR

This depends on why you are taking Atenolol.

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.

Talk to your doctor if you want to stop taking Atenolol. Do not stop taking it suddenly, especially if you have heart disease. This can make your condition worse.

If you are bothered by side effects, your doctor may be able to prescribe a different medicine instead.

MISSED DOSE

If you forget to take a dose of Atenolol, take it as soon as you remember, unless it is nearly time for your next dose. In this case, just skip the missed dose and take your next dose at the usual time.

Never take 2 doses at the same time. Do not take an extra dose to make up for a forgotten one.

If you often forget doses, it may help to set an alarm to remind you. You could also ask your pharmacist for advice on other ways to help you remember to take your medicine.

OVERDOSE

The amount of Atenolol that can lead to an overdose varies from person to person.

If you take more than the prescribed dose, your heart rate may slow down and you may find it difficult to breathe. It can also make you feel dizzy.

SIDE EFFECTS

These common side effects of Atenolol happen in more than 1 in 100 people. They are usually mild and only last for a short time:

Feeling sleepy, tired or dizzy;

Cold fingers or toes;

Feeling sick or being sick (nausea or vomiting);

Diarrhoea;

Stomach pain.

Serious side effects

It happens rarely, but some people have serious side effects when taking Atenolol.

Tell your doctor if:

you have shortness of breath with a cough that gets worse when you exercise (like walking up stairs), swollen ankles or legs, or an irregular heartbeat – these can be signs of heart problems;

you have shortness of breath, wheezing and tightening of your chest – these can be signs of lung problems;

the whites of your eyes turn yellow, or your skin turns yellow, although this may be less obvious on brown or black skin, or you have pale poo or dark pee – these can be signs of liver problems;

you get unexplained bruising, or you bruise more easily than usual – these can be signs of low numbers of platelets in your blood (thrombocytopenia).

Please note, the information given above is a summary. Your doctor, pharmacist or health care provider can give more information about Atenolol. Do not share this medicine with the others who it was not prescribed for. Do not use this medication for other health conditions. Do not store it with an end term of its storage.