I have just read an answer about high blood pressure drug atenolol?

Question

he said that he was taken off it because it wasn't safe. I have been on it for 3 years, and have never heard of this claim. Does anybody know anything about this and should I contact my GP about it? Last blood pressure check was normal.

Answer 1

Atenolol is NOT unsafe and is still in very common use, it is a very potent and effective anti-hypertensive. The medical debate which is still going on, and is difficult for even some doctors to follow, is which BP drugs in the very long term give the most advantage, in terms of preventing heart attacks, strokes and deaths. NICE (national institute for clinical excellence) chooses diuretics and calcium channel blockers above B-blockers (atenolol). Not all BP guidelines agree with this.

Additionally there are significant numbers of patients where B-blockers are chosen because they also have other useful properties, suitable for that individual. By all means chat to your GP, he would not be wrong if he advises you to continue them.

Answer 2

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Answer 3

Everything everyone had to say was interesting. Atenolol as many people have rightly noted is a beta blocker and that class of medications can have side effects...this is far from new. These side effects were known in the 1950's when this class of medications were developed. So what is new?

Atenolol was specifically, and beta blockers in general, were identified as second line hypertensive agents especially for some groups, like diabetics. As a result it is not recommended as strongly by some guidelines. There is no new information about the safety profile of Atenolol. It is as safe as it ever was.

On a side note: As far as the pharmaceutical lunches - yeah, I enjoy them. It gives the rep an opportunity where our attention is undivided to listen to what's new about their product in exchange for buying us lunch. Does it influence me? All things being equal and I have five medications that are all in the same class and all do the same thing, sure I'll prescribe one where the rep bought me lunch.

Would I ever use a medication that I other wise would not have? - unequivocally, no. Its people's health and well being we are talking about - get real - that's why I chose medicine - to do the right thing first and worry about the dollars and cents later.

Good luck.

Answer 4

First of all you know that almost all medications, they have some kind of side effects. Even a very simple food, may make you sick, while many other people tolerate it well. Imagine how many people eat egg every day with no problem, but very few people, develop bad heaves if they consume egg.
Atenolol is one of the first step Meds to control high blood pressure, and some of its side effects are:
1- lowering the heart rate(If your heart rate is lower than 60/min then your GP may wanna change your drug).
2- Atenolol is belong to a family of Meds named beta-blockers. All this family members are not good for a person who has Asthma, or airway/lung disease.
3- If you have diabetes and take medication for that, you need to be aware of hypoglycemic (very low blood sugar) symptoms, and also you need to know that beta-blockers they can mask those symptoms.
4- At the end , never change or stop your medications, esp. blood pressure medication without talking to your Doc. Otherwise there is risk to develop a critical high blood pressure. Good luck.

Answer 5

Well, we all have to admit, it's better if we don't put any chemicals into our bodies. However sometimes it's the lesser of two evils. We also don't know what the answerer or the doctor meant by safe (safer perhaps). I discovered something quite interesting though. Due to my schedule, I always saw my doctor around lunchtime on Thursdays. Everytime I went in, there was a WONDERFUL buffet lunch for the doctors and staff provided by..............the drug company reps. Human nature is human nature even for a doctor, we associate pleasant memories (good food) with the (drug) message. Otherwise, why would the drug companies spend the money for the food? Many new drugs are better than the previous treatment. But when the patent runs out and generics can be made, the original drug co. better come up with something "better" or they go out of business.
I found the following:

Atenolol can aggravate breathing difficulties in patients with asthma, chronic bronchitis, or emphysema. In patients with existing slow heart rates (bradycardias) and heart blocks (defects in the electrical conduction of the heart), atenolol can cause dangerously slow heart rates, and even shock. Atenolol reduces the force of heart muscle contraction and can aggravate symptoms of heart failure. Calcium channel blockers, and digoxin (Lanoxin) can cause lowering of blood pressure and heart rate to dangerous levels when administered together with atenolol. In patients with coronary artery disease, abruptly stopping atenolol can suddenly worsen angina, and occasionally precipitate heart attacks. If it is necessary to discontinue atenolol, its dosage can be reduced gradually over several weeks. Atenolol can mask the early warning symptoms of low blood sugar (hypoglycemia), and should be used with caution in patients receiving treatment for diabetes. It is not habit forming.

Answer 6

3 years ago, I was diagnosed - hypertension with a reading of 160/100. I used to feel dizzy a lot, my legs had awful cramps, and levels were very low in my potassium, causing my fingers and toes to always cramp together. One day I started to feel really faint while I was driving with my daughter in the back seat and I passed out, hitting 3 cars and ending up in a ditch. That moment,I knew I had to do something because my meds weren't working. I heard about this diet from a friend and thought I'd give it a shot. The results have been remarkable. In just 21 days, I honestly can't remember feeling this good, my blood pressure went from 175/110 to 125/70.

Answer 7

If your blood pressure is only slightly elevated (less than 139/89), then you can probably bring it down by eating a healthy diet and exercise. If it is higher than that, diet and exercise alone are probably not enough and you will need some blood pressure medicine. High blood pressure can lead to some very nasty problems, such as stroke, diabetes, and heart disease. I treat people with these problems all the time. Trust me, it is so much better to just take a blood pressure pill and watch what you eat than to try to get back your function after a bad stroke or heart attack. Ask your doctor what you can do to help lower your blood pressure.

Answer 8

Atenolol belongs to a group of drugs known as Betablockers.It prevents the heart from beating too fast and is used mainly to treat irregular heart beats,angina and high blood pressure.It can cause problems in people with Asthma,Bronchitis and other respiratory conditions.Some of these drugs may not suit everyone.It obviously suits you as your blood pressure is controlled and you have no side effects.Talk to your GP regarding your worries about it.Worrying and not seeking medical advice about it could raise your BP.

Answer 9

There are some illnesses that it is bad for. I took it for tachycardia, but if you have some neuromuscular diseases and neuro illnesses, it can effect you badly. I also read something small one time about taking it with Lithium is bad. I have a rare neuromuscular disorder and I can not take it because it causes my legs to be paralyzed temporararly. I googled " reactions to atenolol" and other versions of that comment and came up with some findings. I took it for 6 mos before it began effecting me badly and then began dropping my blood pressure until I passed out. Google it with combos of the words reactions,side effects. Good luck!

Answer 10

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