What is this medicine used for?
- Hypertension
- Chronic stable angina pectoris
- To reduce risk of cardiovascular mortality in patients who have had a definite or suspected myocardial infarction and are hemodynamically stable.
How much and how often should you use this medicine?
Individualize dosage of atenolol and adjust according to the patient's response and tolerance. If atenolol therapy is to be discontinued, reduce dosage of the drug gradually over a period of about 2 weeks.
Hypertension
- Usual initial adult oral dose: 25 - 50 mg once daily; may be given in combination with a diuretic
- Oral dose may be increased to 100 mg once daily for optimum response (increasing oral atenolol dosage beyond 100 mg daily usually does not result in further improvement in blood pressure control)
Angina
- Usual initial adult oral dose: 50 mg once daily.
- Oral dose may be increased to 100 mg once daily if an optimum response is not achieved within one week
- Some may require an oral dose of 200 mg once daily for optimum effect.
- The oral dose in angina pectoris is usually adjusted according to clinical response and to maintain a resting heart rate of 55 - 60 beats/minute.
Contraindications
- Methoxyflurane
- Nifedipine, Amlodipine: possible severe decrease in blood pressure
Availability
- Atenolol 50 mg Tablet – in box of 100’s (in blister foil by 20’s)
- Atenolol 100 mg Tablet– in box of 100’s (in blister foil by 20’s)