Anyone else taking Atenol for high blood pressure?

[bif]

Any side effects? I've been on it for about three weeks an so far so good. However, the last couple nights I've woken up at about 2:30 in the morning and have had a hard time getting back to sleep. Is this one of the side effects? One last question: I forgot to bring a pill in to work. Is it okay to skip a day?

[trof]

1. Been doing that for a couple of years.

Around 2:30 or 3, almost every morning. Just thought it was a sign of age. (63)
Started on Lopressor about a month ago. No noticeable changes.

[Liberal Veteran]

2. Yes atenolol (the generic name) can cause sleeping problems.

It's not all that uncommon. Speak with your doctor about it.

[slackmaster]

Doc said it could cause erectile dysfunction but I haven't noticed it

The only real problem I've had is when I miss a dose. I usually take Atenolol around 7:30 AM. If I forget or am having a hassle with the pharmacy, I get jittery by about noon. It's noticeable enough to serve as a reminder to take the stuff regularly.

[molly]

3. I take Altace and have taken it now for about 2 months

I have not felt this good in years. I have no side effects.

[PCIntern]

4. Get used to it...

for me it took about a year to get fully equilibrated. Interesting side-effects include tyhe feeling that elevators haven't stopped even when they have, slightly lower libido, but the great thing is that when surprises happen (your barbecue explodes on you, etc) you don't panic.
I'm a clinician and had even more subtle side-effects than my pateints report. I'm sure they had them too but were loathe to sound like hypochondriacs.

[flamingyouth]

5. My dad takes it

He had similar problems, so the doctor told him to take one pill first thing in the morning and the second no later than, say, 4 or 5 in the afternoon. Other than that, it's been great for him and has lowered his BP a whole lot. It's one of the oldest blood-pressure meds on the market, and also one of the cheapest. If you find that you are still having trouble after speaking to your doctor, he or she can try another one.

On a side note, one of my employees was on a BP med that cost her $90/month! It got to the point where she was skipping doses and cutting her pills in half because she couldn't afford it. I told her about Atenolol and she started taking it with great results (and a lot less cash). Good luck!:hi:

[Pab Sungenis]

6. Side effects of Atenolol

...are rather minor.

Yes, it can cause sleeping problems. Try varying the time of day you take it, and see which time causes you the least trouble.

When I started on it, I had dizzy spells, but that was mainly due to the drop in blood pressure (duh). I got used to it really fast.

Also, Atenolol is a diuretic. You'll probably find yourself going to the bathroom more often and losing water weight.

[ChickMagic]

7. When I had to take it

I took it in the morning, so that kind of negated the sleep problems associated with it.

[bif]

8. I'm going to try taking it fiirst thing in the morning

And see if that helps. Thanks. for all the feedback. There seem to be a lot of us out there on the stuff.

[Chef]

9. Atenol

Been on it for four years. I fall asleep about 9:30 PM. Wake up at 12:30 to 1:30. Up for a few hours. Back to sleep til 7:00. Erectile dysfunction counteracted by Viagra. Dr. cut dosage in half (never had a big BP problem anyway) Still the same problem. Think I will try taking it in the evening and see what happens.

[bif]

10. Thanks for the input, all!