Atenolol is a brand name for Atenolol. The medicine, its uses, side effects and dosage are the same regardless of brand.
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…
Verbatim from this product's FDA label. Tap a section to expand.
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 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 not achieved within one week, the dosage should be increased to atenolol 100 mg given as one tablet a day. Some patients may require a dosage of 200 mg once a day for optimal effect.
Twenty-four hour control with once daily dosing is achieved by giving doses larger than necessary to achieve an immediate maximum effect. The maximum early effect on exercise tolerance occurs with doses of 50 mg to 100 mg, but at these doses the effect at 24 hours is attenuated, averaging about 50% to 75% of that observed with once a day oral doses of 200 mg.
V. injection should be initiated as soon as possible after the patient's arrival in the hospital and after eligibility is established. Such treatment should be initiated in a coronary care or similar unit immediately after the patient's hemodynamic condition has stabilized.
Treatment should begin with the intravenous administration of 5 mg atenolol over 5 minutes followed by another 5 mg intravenous injection 10 minutes later. V. injection should be administered under carefully controlled conditions including monitoring of blood pressure, heart rate, and electrocardiogram.
V. injection in dextrose injection, sodium chloride injection, or sodium chloride and dextrose injection may be used. These admixtures are stable for 48 hours if they are not used immediately. In patients who tolerate the full intravenous dose (10 mg), atenolol tablets 50 mg should be initiated 10 minutes after the last intravenous dose followed by another 50 mg oral dose 12 hours later.
Thereafter, atenolol can be given orally either 100 mg once daily or 50 mg twice a day for a further 6 to 9 days or until discharge from the hospital. If bradycardia or hypotension requiring treatment or any other untoward effects occur, atenolol should be discontinued.
ADVERSE REACTIONS
Most adverse effects have been mild and transient. S. , by checklist (foreign studies). The reported frequency of elicited adverse effects was higher for both atenolol and placebo-treated patients than when these reactions were volunteered.
Where frequency of adverse effects of atenolol and placebo is similar, causal relationship to atenolol is uncertain. S. S. 6 1 6 4 Acute Myocardial Infarction In a series of investigations in the treatment of acute myocardial infarction, bradycardia and hypotension occurred more commonly, as expected for any beta-blocker, in atenolol-treated patients than in control patients.
However, these usually responded to atropine and/or to withholding further dosage of atenolol. The incidence of heart failure was not increased by atenolol. Inotropic agents were infrequently used. The reported frequency of these and other events occurring during these investigations is given in the following table.
V. 62%) *Full dosage was 10 mg and some patients received less than 10 mg but more than 5 mg. During postmarketing experience with atenolol, the following have been reported in temporal relationship to the use of the drug: elevated liver enzymes and/or bilirubin, hallucinations, headache, impotence, Peyronie's disease, postural hypotension which may be associated with syncope, psoriasiform rash or exacerbation of psoriasis, psychoses, purpura, reversible alopecia, thrombocytopenia, visual disturbance, sick sinus syndrome, and dry mouth.
Atenolol, like other beta-blockers, has been associated with the development of antinuclear antibodies (ANA), lupus syndrome, and Raynaud’s phenomenon. POTENTIAL ADVERSE EFFECTS In addition, a variety of adverse effects have been reported with other beta-adrenergic blocking agents, and may be considered potential adverse effects of atenolol.
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 cardiac failure, patients should be treated appropriately according to currently recommended guidelines, and the response observed closely. If cardiac failure continues despite adequate treatment, atenolol should be withdrawn.
(See DOSAGE AND ADMINISTRATION . ) Cessation of Therapy with Atenolol Patients with coronary artery disease, who are being treated with atenolol, should be advised against abrupt discontinuation of therapy. Severe exacerbation of angina and the occurrence of myocardial infarction and ventricular arrhythmias have been reported in angina patients following the abrupt discontinuation of therapy with beta-blockers.
The last two complications may occur with or without preceding exacerbation of the angina pectoris. As with other beta-blockers, when discontinuation of atenolol is planned, the patients should be carefully observed and advised to limit physical activity to a minimum.
If the angina worsens or acute coronary insufficiency develops, it is recommended that atenolol be promptly reinstituted, at least temporarily. Because coronary artery disease is common and may be unrecognized, it may be prudent not to discontinue atenolol therapy abruptly even in patients treated only for hypertension.
CONTRAINDICATIONS
Atenolol tablets are contraindicated in sinus bradycardia, heart block greater than first degree, cardiogenic shock, and overt cardiac failure. ) Atenolol tablets are contraindicated in those patients with a history of hypersensitivity to the atenolol or any of the drug product’s components.
Not medical advice. Always read the patient information leaflet and follow your prescriber or pharmacist.
Other brands of Atenolol in United States of America.
Know a brand we are missing in United States of America? Suggest a brand →
Brand names are compiled from public regulatory records for active-ingredient mapping only. Drugvu is not affiliated with any manufacturer. This is not medical advice.
V. V. V. dosing is excluded). Although the demonstration of efficacy of atenolol is based entirely on data from the first seven postinfarction days, data from other beta-blocker trials suggest that treatment with beta-blockers that are effective in the postinfarction setting may be continued for one to three years if there are no contraindications.
Atenolol is an additional treatment to standard coronary care unit therapy. Elderly Patients or Patients with Renal Impairment Atenolol is excreted by the kidneys; consequently dosage should be adjusted in cases of severe impairment of renal function.
In general, dose selection for an elderly patient should be cautious, usually starting at the low end of the dosing range, reflecting greater frequency of decreased hepatic, renal, or cardiac function, and of concomitant disease or other drug therapy.
Evaluation of patients with hypertension or myocardial infarction should always include assessment of renal function. Atenolol excretion would be expected to decrease with advancing age. 73 m 2 . Accumulation of atenolol and prolongation of its half-life were studied in subjects with creatinine clearance between 5 mL/min and 105 mL/min.
Peak plasma levels were significantly increased in subjects with creatinine clearances below 30 mL/min. 73 m 2 ) Atenolol Elimination Half-Life (h) Maximum Dosage 15-35 16-27 50 mg daily <15 >27 25 mg daily Some renally-impaired or elderly patients being treated for hypertension may require a lower starting dose of atenolol: 25 mg given as one tablet a day.
If this 25 mg dose is used, assessment of efficacy must be made carefully. This should include measurement of blood pressure just prior to the next dose ("trough" blood pressure) to ensure that the treatment effect is present for a full 24 hours.
Although a similar dosage reduction may be considered for elderly and/or renally-impaired patients being treated for indications other than hypertension, data are not available for these patient populations. Patients on hemodialysis should be given 25 mg or 50 mg after each dialysis; this should be done under hospital supervision as marked falls in blood pressure can occur.
Cessation of Therapy in Patients with Angina Pectoris If withdrawal of atenolol therapy is planned, it should be achieved gradually and patients should be carefully observed and advised to limit physical activity to a minimum.
Hematologic:
Agranulocytosis.
Allergic:
Fever, combined with aching and sore throat, laryngospasm, and respiratory distress.
Central Nervous System:
Reversible mental depression progressing to catatonia; an acute reversible syndrome characterized by disorientation of time and place; short-term memory loss; emotional lability with slightly clouded sensorium; and, decreased performance on neuropsychometrics.
Gastrointestinal:
Mesenteric arterial thrombosis, ischemic colitis.
Other:
Erythematous rash.
Miscellaneous:
There have been reports of skin rashes and/or dry eyes associated with the use of beta-adrenergic blocking drugs. The reported incidence is small, and in most cases, the symptoms have cleared when treatment was withdrawn. Discontinuance of the drug should be considered if any such reaction is not otherwise explicable.
Patients should be closely monitored following cessation of therapy. (See DOSAGE AND ADMINISTRATION ). The oculomucocutaneous syndrome associated with the beta-blocker practolol has not been reported with atenolol. Furthermore, a number of patients who had previously demonstrated established practolol reactions were transferred to atenolol therapy with subsequent resolution or quiescence of the reaction.
To report SUSPECTED ADVERSE REACTIONS, contact Aurobindo Pharma USA, Inc. gov/medwatch for voluntary reporting of adverse reactions .
) Concomitant Use of Calcium Channel Blockers Bradycardia and heart block can occur and the left ventricular end diastolic pressure can rise when beta-blockers are administered with verapamil or diltiazem. Patients with pre-existing conduction abnormalities or left ventricular dysfunction are particularly susceptible.
) Bronchospastic Diseases PATIENTS WITH BRONCHOSPASTIC DISEASE SHOULD, IN GENERAL, NOT RECEIVE BETA-BLOCKERS. Because of its relative beta 1 selectivity, however, atenolol may be used with caution in patients with bronchospastic disease who do not respond to, or cannot tolerate, other antihypertensive treatment.
Since beta 1 selectivity is not absolute, the lowest possible dose of atenolol should be used with therapy initiated at 50 mg and a beta 2 -stimulating agent (bronchodilator) should be made available. If dosage must be increased, dividing the dose should be considered in order to achieve lower peak blood levels.
Major Surgery Chronically administered beta-blocking therapy should not be routinely withdrawn prior to major surgery, however the impaired ability of the heart to respond to reflex adrenergic stimuli may augment the risks of general anesthesia and surgical procedures.
, surgery, not eating regularly, or are vomiting). If severe hypoglycemia occurs, patients should be instructed to seek emergency treatment. , tachycardia) of hyperthyroidism. Abrupt withdrawal of beta-blockade might precipitate a thyroid storm; therefore, patients suspected of developing thyrotoxicosis from whom atenolol therapy is to be withdrawn should be monitored closely.
) Untreated Pheochromocytoma Atenolol should not be given to patients with untreated pheochromocytoma. Pregnancy and Fetal Injury Atenolol can cause fetal harm when administered to a pregnant woman. Atenolol crosses the placental barrier and appears in cord blood.
Administration of atenolol, starting in the second trimester of pregnancy, has been associated with the birth of infants that are small for gestational age. No studies have been performed on the use of atenolol in the first trimester and the possibility of fetal injury cannot be excluded.
If this drug is used during pregnancy, or if the patient becomes pregnant while taking this drug, the patient should be apprised of the potential hazard to the fetus. Neonates born to mothers who are receiving atenolol at parturition or breastfeeding may be at risk for hypoglycemia and bradycardia.
Caution should be exercised when atenolol is administered during pregnancy or to a woman who is breastfeeding. * *Based on the maximum dose of 100 mg/day in a 50 kg patient.