Atenolol is a prescription drug for the treatment of high blood pressure, chest pain or angina, and to prevent additional heart attacks. It may also be prescribed for other reasons, such as muscle tremors, irregular heartbeat and migraines. Atenolol is in the family of beta-blocker drugs, which act by affecting nervous response to decrease the force of the heart’s contractions. This helps to reduce high blood pressure and the heart’s demand for oxygen. This cardiovascular drug is very powerful and ceasing to take it suddenly can worsen the condition it was prescribed for. Additionally, atenolol may cause unwanted side effects along with its beneficial effects on the body.
Common Side Effects
Any side effect that is experienced while taking a medication should be reported to a primary care or specialist physician. Common sides effects of atenolol include blurred vision, cold hands and feet (due to decreased blood circulation), confusion and slower mental reflexes, difficulty breathing or shortness of breath, wheezing, dizziness or lightheadedness (when sitting or standing up), tightness in the chest and night sweats. Though these are more common side effects, not everyone will encounter them while taking atenolol.
Less Common Side Effects
According to the Mayo Clinic, atenolol may also cause less common side effects in some individuals. These side effects include anxiety or nervousness, chills and cold sweats, coughs, fast heartbeat, leg pain, dizziness (even when sitting or standing still), fainting, noisy breathing and sudden shortness of breath or difficulty breathing. It is important to document the number and durations of side effects and discuss them with a physician.
Severe Side Effects
Though rare, some individuals who take atenolol may experience severe side effects that should immediately be reported to a physician who will determine if the medication should be stopped. These reactions include severe shortness of breath, a severely slowed heartbeat (particularly if it is less than 50 beats per minute), chest pain, slow or irregular heartbeat, red or scaling skin, bruising easily, swelling of the hands and feet and bleeding from the nose, gums or blood in the urine or stools.
Allergic Reactions
Signs of an allergic reaction to atenolol are also rare and should be reported to a physician. Allergy symptoms will appear shortly after beginning a dosage of atenolol and include swelling of the lips, eyes face or throat, hives and difficulty breathing.
