Atenolol and Chest Pain: What Users Say

• Anonymous
• Taken for less than 1 month
• May 11, 2021

For Anxiety "I needed to share my experience with this drug. If I could go back in time, I would have never taken this! It worked well for my anxiety, but the side effects I experienced a month later of taking this at a 12.5-25 mg dosage were awful. I had extreme shortness of breath, chest pains, tingling in my arms (especially my left arm), and feeling lethargic. I stopped taking this medication right when these side effects started, as I thought I was having a heart attack, and it has been the worst medication to come off of. I stopped taking this a week ago, and I have had unbearable anxiety, heart palpitations all day and night, lethargy, insomnia, etc. I see my doctor this week to get an EKG and do other testing after taking this drug. I know everyone's experience is different, but this drug for me was a true nightmare. Side effects on any medication can start at any time, not just right away. What I had to go through this last week withdrawing from the drug, I wouldn't wish on anyone."

• web...
• Taken for 10 years or more
• December 21, 2016

For High Blood Pressure "I've been on Atenolol for 15 years. My dosage was reduced from 50mg to 25mg about 6 mos. ago when I experienced bradycardia low heart rate. I noticed that I was happier and less tired. Recently, I started having chest pains, tightness, and high BP readings right after taking 25mg Atenolol. After several hours, my BP returns to normal at 120/75. Upon awakening, it is very normal still. My doctor has prescribed another BP med (Lisinopril), but after reading about the horrible 'common' side effects, I am deciding to try natural supplements instead. Even the pharmacist warned me about the new medication. I think the pharmaceutical market wants to keep us on these outrageous medications for profit and probably 50% of us don't really need it."

• Kay...
• December 18, 2016

For Anxiety "I started taking atenolol (25 mg) right after Thanksgiving for heart palpitations. When I saw the doctor, he said I had sinus tachycardia, but I also have severe panic disorder. I can tell a big difference. I will have a palpitation every now and then, but my resting heart rate is down. I haven't noticed that my anxiety is down, so I still take my .25 Xanax when I need it. I also haven't noticed any side effects other than a little dizziness and a little chest tightness. It's kind of been a lifesaver because my palpitations would put me in a panic attack. I would recommend this to anyone that would benefit from it."

• con...
• July 23, 2016

For High Blood Pressure "I was taking Atenolol for 3 years, 50 mg. I had constant tightness in the chest and never ever felt happy and well. I recently had a trip overseas and finished up in the hospital. My blood pressure was 120/80, but my heartbeat was down to 44. I was so dizzy I could not walk, enough was enough so I went to a doctor in Melbourne, Australia, who advised me to take Nitric Factor and reduce Atenolol to 25 mg. This I did, but I can assure you coming off this drug was a horror story. It took 2 months, and now I take one scoop of the Nitric Factor a day, and my blood pressure is about 126/70 with a pulse of 62. It was my decision to stop taking the 25 mg of Atenolol. I can now sleep and feel I have my life back again. I am 63 years old, and my initial blood pressure was 160/90 with pulse 70."

• Sar...
• June 10, 2016

For High Blood Pressure "I was put on a very low dose of Atenolol, and after 27 days, I stopped taking it. Worst ever. My heart pounds, my chest is tight with a burning sensation and difficulty breathing. Add cold soaking sweats and huge bruises on my arms, and I have had enough of this poison. Called my cardiologist and told him I was not taking it anymore, and he didn't call me back. Woke up at 4 a.m., and my heart was beating so hard I thought I was having a heart attack. Happy it works well for some. And it is the only medication I was on."

• Ash...
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• July 16, 2019

For Ventricular Tachycardia "I am a 27-year-old female. I was put on Atenolol after years of doctor's visits, including everyone trying to tell me I had anxiety. That was not the case, I was finally diagnosed with Atrial Ventricular Reentry Tachycardia and immediately put on Atenolol. They tried an ablation, but it was unsuccessful. I have now been on Atenolol for 5 years, and I have had chronic fatigue since I began these medications, and I feel like my symptoms are worsening. I have tightness in my chest often, difficulty getting a deep breath, and the lethargy is off the charts, my sex drive sucks, and I feel 'blah' more often than not. I also love to work out, but I feel like I always have a gorilla on my back. It's all extremely frustrating. I am dying to wean off of this medicine, and I really wish the doctors would have educated me more about the side effects because I think the diagnosis would have seemed more bearable than this."

• dix...
• August 17, 2016

For High Blood Pressure "The neurologist put me on primidone to stop tremors (caused by seizures medication). Was working great. New doctor switched me to atenolol. Chest pains, tightness in chest, hard to breathe, dizzy, fainted, feeling suicidal, could not read. Called doctor. His RN said to go off it immediately. Later, fainted. Called pharmacist. He said, 'Get to ER stat.' My BP is usually 120/63. Was 188/88 when I was first admitted to ER. Spent 4 hours on IV, etc. ER MD told me never to do beta blockers. Had no idea this Rx was a beta blocker!"

• dix...
• August 17, 2016

For High Blood Pressure "The neurologist put me on primidone to stop tremors (caused by seizures medication). Was working great. New doctor switched me to atenolol. Chest pains, tightness in chest, hard to breathe, dizzy, fainted, feeling suicidal, could not read. Called doctor. His RN said to go off it immediately. Later, fainted. Called pharmacist. He said, 'Get to ER stat.' My BP is usually 120/63. Was 188/88 when I was first admitted to ER. Spent 4 hours on IV, etc. ER MD told me never to do beta blockers. Had no idea this Rx was a beta blocker!"

• Cap...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• March 26, 2019

For High Blood Pressure "At first, it was really nice to find a blood pressure pill with not so many side effects. It also helped with anxiety, which was an added bonus. The first week or so was nice, one night, I woke up, and one eye was seeing double. It went away by morning - never had that before. Recently, my chest and back were very sore and I had weird breathing patterns with fast breathing at moments, but it was not getting better. I missed a dose, and the next day, the back and chest pain were gone. If it were not for these problems, I would still be taking it. I would recommend this to people, but with the heart failure that this medication could cause. I know people on this drug with no problems for them."

• Sea...
• April 8, 2022

For High Blood Pressure "Switched to 12.5 mg atenolol from metoprolol succinate ER 12.5 mg a day because I was having bad headaches on metoprolol. Worse decision. Only on my 5th day, woke up today with a heart rate of 116, chest pain, anxiety is through the roof, and it is causing me to be super depressed. Like I cried 3 times the last couple of days, and I never cry. Going back to metoprolol tomorrow, even with the headaches, it’s way better."

• dix...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• August 23, 2016

For Anxiety "Was prescribed this for tremor (due to seizure Rx). Had been on primidone, which worked well. Atenolol caused dizziness, extreme vertigo, anxiety, suicidal thoughts, chest pains, tightness when trying to breathe. I fainted. MD told me to go off it. After fainting, called pharmacist. He said, 'Get to the ER' and 'Why are you on a beta blocker?' I didn't know atenolol was a beta blocker. Not supposed to take those due to having asthma. In ER, my BP was 188/88. Usually is around 123/63. Took 4 hours, IV etc., to get BP down to 158/78. They released me but said to tell MD never to put me on betas again."

• Acc...
• July 29, 2011

For Ventricular Tachycardia "I was prescribed this temporarily for a bout of rapid resting heart rate. I was unfortunate enough to have some of the severe side effects, including depression. I was inconsolable as every tiny little thing set me off to bawling! I also had tightness in the chest when I tried to walk down the street. Definitely did what it was supposed to do, which was slow my heart, but the side effects were too much."

• Anonymous
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• April 5, 2023

For High Blood Pressure "I've been taking atenolol 25 mg and methyldopa 500 mg for 5 months now. My BP is very normal, however, the side effects are just bad: dizziness, dull pain on the left side of my body, chest discomfort, and anxiety, always very paranoid. Some days are better. I am hoping all these will go away. I'm also terrified about coming off atenolol, but I really want to."

• Che...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• November 15, 2022

For Supraventricular Tachycardia "I had high hopes after reading the reviews. I also have frequent PACs and PVCs, and my doctor said it would also help those. I also have POTS, which this was supposed to help as well. 1. The side effects were awful for me. They luckily didn’t last too long, though. 2. I have never had this many PVCs and PACs in my life, and the more I up the dose, the more frequent they are. I’m also having SVT every single day now when I wasn’t having it nearly as frequently before starting atenolol. I also have a lot of chest pain with this med. I’m currently on a low dose of 12.5 mg twice a day, and it still causes all of these issues. I wish I never started. I want to stop so bad, but the doctor doesn’t want to yet even though I’ve given it enough time to work. It’s not working."

• GBS...
• May 24, 2022

For Mitral Valve Prolapse "It works, but I could not tolerate the side effects. I started taking 25 mg once a day for high blood pressure, chest pains, and mitral valve prolapse. At first, it was great. After taking it for a few months, I started getting worse chest pain with tightness that spread to my back down my arms, back pains, muscle pains, joint pains, shortness of breath, trouble sleeping, extreme fatigue, bouts of depression, and mood swings! I finally talked my doctor into taking me off of beta blockers. I wish I could tolerate them, they are good at keeping anxiety with a fast heart rate at bay!"