Atenolol: The Medication For High Blood Pressure
Essay by 24 • September 22, 2010 • 1,327 Words (6 Pages) • 2,417 Views
Atenolol is a nationally known, commonly used medication that has helped to change the lives of many people in America. Atenolol, also known as Tenormin, is placed in a group of remedies known as beta-blocker. As a Beta-blocker, Atenolol is used to treat a range of bodily disorders in connection with anxiety and tension, such as high blood pressure, angina, irregular heart rhythms, migraines, prevention of a second heart attack, tremors, alcohol withdrawal, anxiety, and glaucoma. The three main malfunctions atenelol is used for are alcohol withdrawal, anxiety disorders, and cardiac disorders.
Dealing with alcohol withdrawal, Atenolol can be used as an addition to tradition alcohol withdrawal treatment to help make the results more effective. In relation to anxiety disorders, atenolol is usually used in small stress reactions, minor panic disorders, and generalized anxiety syndrome. Results are most easily obtainable in patients who have bodily anxiety, as opposed to the mind, and helps reduce trembling and rapid heart beat. Atenolol also had a large affect on cardiac illnesses. In the most common, angina pectoris, atenolol is used to decrease the amount of repeated attacks and to prevent any immediate death. Atenolol is best effective on middle-aged or teenagers, and to those with high blood pressure and heart rate as a result of exercise. The other major heart sickness is congestive heart failure. Giving Atnolol to a person with congestive heart failure must be taken with much care and precauution. One should start with low doses at first, and as time passes, increase the intake gradually. Overall, it affects the heart and circulatory system to either lessen the effect of or prevent any type of cardiovascular illness that may cause serious and/or permanent damage to the body. But how exactly does the medication work?
Let's begin with the structure. The structure of Atenolol is as follows: its chemical formula is C14H22N2O3, its relative molecular mass is 266.3g, and its chemical name is (RS)-4-(2-hydroxy-3-isopropylaminopropoxy)phenylacetamide. The physical appearance of the drug itself is a white colored powder that is odorless. The way atenolol, as well as other beta-blockers, work, is that they affect the different beta-recptors located within the human body. Every human has a certain number of beta-receptors located throughout the body, in places such as the heart, lungs, brain, etc. When a person takes a dose of atenolol, it reacts with the beta-receptors to either calm anxiety or treat blood pressure, without altering a person's actions. A perfect example is can be seen in athletes or performers. Before a show or a game, the performer or athlete might take a dose of atenolol to help decrease their uncontrollable nervousness so that they can perform well.
In addition to having beneficial results on a persons behalf on taking Atenolol, it is also easily obtainable by the public because of its affordable price. On average, the normal prices on Atenolol are as follows (as stated by PharmNetRX):
Atenolol Prices
Tablet Size Quantity of Pills Price of Bottle 100mg 30/90 $7.82/$13.45
50mg 30/90 $6.95/$10.63
25mg 30/90 $6.96/$10.89
However, despite the benefits of taking atenolol, it also has certain side effects that can affect the different body types of people in a numerous of ways. Some of the most common side effects of atenolol that should be checked by your doctor either way are: fatigue, confusion, headache, dizziness, weak pulse, slow heart rate, diarrhea, constipation, nausea, vomiting, depression, and trouble having sex, or impotence (not being able to hold an erection). The more serious side effects of taking atenolol, at which in time a person should refrain from continuing to take the medication are: any type of allergic reaction, shortness of breath, increasingly slow heart beat, swelling of feet, cramps, sudden weight gain, chest pain, cold hands and/or feet, and skin rash. Prior to even taking this type of medication, a person must consult with a doctor in order to prevent any potential side effects that may cause harm to the body.
Also, not only does Atenolol have negative side affects on its own, its effects can also be transformed by interactions with other medications. If mixed with the wrong type of drug, atenolol can cause serious turmoil if not treated quickly. For instance, both atenolol and verapamil perform the same type of effects on the body and are both reducers of the lacking ability of the heart to contract. The distribution of the medicine within the veins is allowed only after the first twenty four hours of the withdrawal of either
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