atenolol - High & Low Blood Pressure Message Board

umpfan · 06-06-2003, 10:57 PM

Anyone here had any side effects with atenolol. I had blackout spells(seizures?), eyes crossing, and hand numbness at night while on atenolol. I stopped taking it because I reduced my blood pressure by exercising. I had to restart the atenolol a few months ago because of inactivity. In May I had 2 losses of consciousness, one while having 104 fever(mono?). Each blackout/seizure occured after standing up either while feverish or after a hard workout in the heat of summer.

zuzu8 · 06-07-2003, 01:46 PM

Hi Umpfan- If the blackouts/seizure episodes coincided with your being on Atenelol and at no other time, then the Atenelol might be the problem.

Perhaps by lowering your BP and heart rate TOO much (one of the primary side effects,) the drug, combined with heat and a hard workout did you in.

Side effects and adverse reactions are numerous with this drug:

Bradycardia (abnormally slow heart rate) THIS ALONE MIGHT HAVE CAUSED YOUR BLACKOUTS.

Cold Extremities

Postural Hypotension

Leg Pain

Dizziness

Vertigo

Light-headedness

Tiredness

Fatigue

Lethargy

Drowsiness

Depression

Visual disturbances (!)

Dreaming

Diarrhea

Nausea

Wheeziness

Dyspnea (shortness of breath)

Acute Myocardial Infarction

Heart Failure
Heart Block
Supraventricular Tachycardia
Atrial Fibrillation
Atrial Flutter
Ventricular Tachycardia

Allergic: Fever, combined with aching and sore throat, laryngospasm, and respiratory distress.

Want more?

Talk to your doctor, there are equally effective drugs available and especially the ARBs (angiotensin 2 receptor blockers,) like Benicar, Diovan which a lot of people eventually "discover" after they've suffered through all the side effects of the older drugs like atenelol..

Good luck,

zuzu xxxxx

zip2play · 06-08-2003, 07:14 AM

umpfan,

What you decribe is called "postural hypotension" and is common to nearly all blood pressure meds when BP drops low and standing momentarily deprives the brain!

All in all, I think the beta-blockers are a bad way to control blood pressure a person suffers from angina.

crabbycdn · 06-09-2003, 07:32 PM

What I find funny about all of this is that when you look at the side affects of Atenolol -- Many of these things are what we are taking the drug for to begin with. So, how would a person taking this drug know if they were having a heart episode or whether it was a side affect from the drug to prevent heart episodes? What a confusing world it becomes for all of us. You mention that it is not a drug suggested for people with angina.....why?

zuzu8 · 06-10-2003, 02:54 AM

I'm a bit confused by Zip's post as well..... unless there's a typo...because beta blockers are a drug of choice in many instances of angina.

Discontinuing the BBs cold turkey can be dangerous, that I know, and can exacerbate pre-existing angina.... But otherwise in many cases, they are not contraindicated.

Zip...can you explain what you meant?