How fast does atenolol work

Visit Yellow Card for further information. What to do about: feeling sleepy, tired or dizzy - as your body gets used to atenolol, these side effects should wear off. If atenolol makes you feel dizzy, sit or lie down until you feel better. Do not drive or operate machinery until you feel OK again. Try to avoid alcohol as it'll make you feel worse. Do not smoke or have drinks with caffeine in - this can make your blood vessels narrower and further restrict blood flow to your hands and feet.

Try wearing mittens they're warmer than gloves and warm socks. Do not wear tight watches or bracelets. It might help to take your atenolol after a meal or snack. Signs of dehydration include peeing less than usual or having dark, strong-smelling pee. Do not take any other medicines to treat diarrhoea without speaking to a pharmacist or doctor. Try to exercise more regularly by going for a daily walk, for example.

If this does not help, talk to your pharmacist or doctor. Atenolol is not usually recommended in pregnancy. Atenolol and breastfeeding If your doctor or health visitor says that your baby's healthy, it's OK to take atenolol while breastfeeding.

They may recommend a different medicine for your blood pressure. Non-urgent advice: Tell your doctor if you're:. There are some medicines that may interfere with the way atenolol works.

Important: Medicine safety Tell your doctor or pharmacist if you're taking any other medicines, including herbal medicines, vitamins or supplements. How does atenolol work? Atenolol is a type of medicine called a beta blocker. We do not fully understand how atenolol prevents migraines. How long does atenolol take to work? How long will I take it for? This depends on why you're taking atenolol. Is it safe to take for a long time?

Atenolol is generally safe to take for a long time. What will happen if I stop taking it? Talk to your doctor if you want to stop taking atenolol. Stopping atenolol suddenly may make your health problem worse. How does atenolol compare with other heart medicines? They work in a different way from beta blockers and include: ACE inhibitors - for example, ramipril and lisinopril angiotensin receptor blockers - for example, candesartan calcium channel blockers - for example, amlodipine diuretics medicines that make you pee more - for example, furosemide Beta blockers are not usually the first choice treatment for high blood pressure.

The medicine your doctor prescribes depends on your age and ethnicity. How does it compare with other medicines for preventing migraine? Ask your doctor or pharmacist which medicine is best for you. Will I need to stop atenolol before surgery? Can I drink alcohol with it? Is there any food or drink I need to avoid? You can eat and drink normally while taking atenolol. Will it affect my contraception? Atenolol will not stop your contraception working.

Talk to your doctor if you're taking a hormonal contraceptive. Will it affect my fertility? Will it affect my sex life? If you're having problems with your sex life, talk to your doctor. Do I need to avoid playing sports?

Can I drive or ride a bike? Can lifestyle changes help with high blood pressure? Quit smoking - smoking increases your heart rate and blood pressure. Quitting smoking brings down your blood pressure and relieves heart failure symptoms. Try to avoid secondhand smoke. Cut down on alcohol - drinking alcohol while you're taking atenolol can make you feel dizzy or lightheaded.

Beta blockers prevent adrenaline from affecting beta receptors in your blood vessels and heart. This causes blood vessels to relax. By relaxing the vessels, beta blockers help to lower blood pressure and reduce chest pain. Instead, they help to manage the symptoms. If these effects are mild, they may go away within a few days or a couple of weeks. Call your doctor right away if you have serious side effects. Serious side effects and their symptoms can include the following:.

Disclaimer: Our goal is to provide you with the most relevant and current information. However, because drugs affect each person differently, we can not guarantee that this information includes all possible side effects. This information is not a substitute for medical advice. Always discuss possible side effects with a healthcare provider who knows your medical history. Atenolol oral tablet can interact with other medications, vitamins, or herbs you may be taking.

An interaction is when a substance changes the way a drug works. This can be harmful or prevent the drug from working well. To help avoid interactions, your doctor should manage all of your medications carefully. Reserpine and monamine oxidase inhibitors MAOIs may increase or add to the effects of atenolol.

They may also increase lightheadedness or slow your heart rate more. MAOIs can continue to interact with atenolol for up to 14 days after taking them. Examples of MAOIs include:. Taking certain heart drugs with atenolol can slow down your heart rate too much.

Examples of these drugs include:. Like atenolol, these drugs are used to treat high blood pressure and several other heart problems. If combined with atenolol, they may reduce the contractions of your heart and slow it down more. Doctors sometimes use this combination under close supervision. Alpha blockers lower blood pressure.

They may decrease blood pressure too much when combined with atenolol. Suddenly stopping the drug while also taking atenolol can cause a big jump in blood pressure. Taking indomethacin with atenolol can reduce the blood pressure-lowering effects of atenolol.

However, because drugs interact differently in each person, we can not guarantee that this information includes all possible interactions. Always speak with your healthcare provider about possible interactions with all prescription drugs, vitamins, herbs and supplements, and over-the-counter drugs that you are taking. Taking it again could be fatal cause death. A doctor may still prescribe it, but only in small doses with careful monitoring. Atenolol works to block beta receptors on cells in the heart.

But at higher doses, atenolol can block different types of beta receptors found in breathing passages. Blocking these receptors can lead to narrowing of breathing passages, making asthma or COPD worse. I woke up early hours of the morning with chest pain which is triggered by my anxiety.

My heart rate was 53bpm. I am a 28 year old male. I have Disclaimer: This article is for information only and should not be used for the diagnosis or treatment of medical conditions. Egton Medical Information Systems Limited has used all reasonable care in compiling the information but make no warranty as to its accuracy. Consult a doctor or other health care professional for diagnosis and treatment of medical conditions.

For details see our conditions. Treatment is usually long-term. Continue to take your doses regularly. The most common side-effects are feeling tired, cold hands and feet, a slow heartbeat, and stomach upset. These are usually mild. In this article About atenolol Before taking atenolol How to take atenolol Getting the most from your treatment Can atenolol cause problems? How to store atenolol Important information about all medicines. Appropriate studies performed to date have not demonstrated geriatrics-specific problems that would limit the usefulness of atenolol in the elderly.

However, elderly patients are more likely to have age-related liver, kidney, or heart problems, which may require caution and an adjustment of dosage in patients receiving atenolol.

There are no adequate studies in women for determining infant risk when using this medication during breastfeeding. Weigh the potential benefits against the potential risks before taking this medication while breastfeeding. Although certain medicines should not be used together at all, in other cases two different medicines may be used together even if an interaction might occur.

In these cases, your doctor may want to change the dose, or other precautions may be necessary. When you are taking this medicine, it is especially important that your healthcare professional know if you are taking any of the medicines listed below. The following interactions have been selected on the basis of their potential significance and are not necessarily all-inclusive. Using this medicine with any of the following medicines is usually not recommended, but may be required in some cases.

If both medicines are prescribed together, your doctor may change the dose or how often you use one or both of the medicines. Using this medicine with any of the following medicines may cause an increased risk of certain side effects, but using both drugs may be the best treatment for you. Certain medicines should not be used at or around the time of eating food or eating certain types of food since interactions may occur.

Using alcohol or tobacco with certain medicines may also cause interactions to occur. Discuss with your healthcare professional the use of your medicine with food, alcohol, or tobacco. The presence of other medical problems may affect the use of this medicine. Make sure you tell your doctor if you have any other medical problems, especially:. In addition to the use of this medicine, treatment for your high blood pressure may include weight control and changes in the types of foods you eat, especially foods high in sodium.

Your doctor will tell you which of these are most important for you. You should check with your doctor before changing your diet. Many patients who have high blood pressure will not notice any signs of the problem. In fact, many may feel normal. It is very important that you take your medicine exactly as directed and that you keep your appointments with your doctor even if you feel well.

Remember that this medicine will not cure your high blood pressure, but it does help control it.