Atenolol and Depression: What Users Say

• Mik...
• December 28, 2019

For High Blood Pressure "I went through a very stressful time in my life three years ago. My blood pressure was 200/100. My doctor prescribed atenolol, chlorthalidone 50-25, losartan potassium, amlodipine besylate, and Klor-Con 20. My blood pressure and blood work were normal. A year later, the doctor said I had high cholesterol and stage 3 kidney disease. I also lost my sex drive, experienced depression, dizziness, leg and foot pain, charley horses mostly while sleeping, and water retention in my ankles and feet. Two years later, I went into cardiac arrest, which was caused by low blood pressure. Imaging found no heart problems. The doctor took me off everything but the atenolol, chlorthalidone, and Klor-Con. My blood pressure is okay, but now I have extreme pain in my lower left leg and foot that seems to move. My toes feel like they are asleep. I can barely walk. My potassium level is okay. I'm buying a pill splitter and going to wean off the atenolol, which I know is causing my problems."

• Pit...
• October 27, 2016

For High Blood Pressure "I was diagnosed with genetic high blood pressure at 21. My doctor put me on atenolol, and it helped tremendously with my migraines. At first, I thought it worked pretty well and hadn't had any side effects. Fast forward several years, and I was always tired, suffered from anhedonia and depression, had decreased libido, and could never get a 'runner's high' from working out. I'm off of it now, and I feel alive again. The depression and anhedonia have lifted, I enjoy working out, and am myself again. It controlled my blood pressure well but at the expense of losing myself, it just wasn't worth it."

• Pit...
• October 27, 2016

For High Blood Pressure "I was diagnosed with genetic high blood pressure at 21. My doctor put me on atenolol, and it helped tremendously with my migraines. At first, I thought it worked pretty well and hadn't had any side effects. Fast forward several years, and I was always tired, suffered from anhedonia and depression, had decreased libido, and could never get a 'runner's high' from working out. I'm off of it now, and I feel alive again. The depression and anhedonia have lifted, I enjoy working out, and am myself again. It controlled my blood pressure well but at the expense of losing myself, it just wasn't worth it."

• Anonymous
• September 30, 2009

Atenolol for High Blood Pressure "I took this medication for about a year. Felt severely depressed. Retained fluid. Switched medical insurance, which resulted in my seeing another doctor. He changed me from Tenormin to Accupril. After one month, my world changed. No longer hated to get out of bed each morning. Could now wear my wedding band on my ring finger. Tenormin was the wrong medicine for me. Wrote a letter to my prior doctor to let her know of my experience."

• Mar...
• February 23, 2016

For High Blood Pressure "Worst medication ever. Taking this medication was the biggest mistake I ever made, and I want to wean off it so bad. I wish I had a time machine to go back and stop myself from taking this poison. It has caused me severe depression, hair loss, worsening anxiety, and had a very negative effect on my sex life (I'm a 30-year-old newlywed). Drug companies will not be honest about side effects because BP meds are a huge moneymaker for them, as they are one of the most commonly prescribed meds... do your own research, I wish I had."

• Anonymous
• December 7, 2009

For High Blood Pressure "I have been on atenolol for about 3 1/2 months. I am only 23, so my blood pressure wasn't too, too high, but for my age, it was a concern to my doctor, so she had me start taking half of 25 mg every night. It did help for my blood pressure. It also helped me get to sleep at night, since I have a slight insomnia problem. But I do have a problem with depression also, and it seemed to make that a little worse. Since I started taking it, I also went from about 130 lbs to 146 lbs in those few months, and with dieting and exercise, I still have not been able to get that weight to go away, and it has also made me no longer have a sex drive."

• Joe...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• February 23, 2021

For Anxiety "Took atenolol for only a couple of weeks for anxiety, maybe 2 or 3 times a week. It definitely calmed me down, but after a couple of weeks, I noticed I was really depressed, especially when I took the atenolol. To the point where suicidal thoughts were swimming around in my head, and I felt hopeless 24/7. Turns out beta blockers like atenolol actually affect your brain too, and this can lead to depression. If you decide you want to take this drug for anxiety, it should only be used in emergency situations, this is a serious drug."

• 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!"

• kln...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• January 20, 2023

For Ventricular Tachycardia "While I was in the hyperthyroid stage, I was put on 25 mg of atenolol to control my heart rate. My side effects included: insomnia, brain fog, depressed mood, and anxiety. I am now going through withdrawal symptoms, which are just as unpleasant."

• 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."

• Noc...
• January 15, 2017

For Supraventricular Tachycardia "This drug was awful for me, I was on it 7/8 years ago when I was 13/14. I have always had normal/low blood pressure, reading sometimes normal at 120/80, but sometimes 90/60. My cardiologist put me on 25 mg of atenolol because my heart rate would reach max super quickly during exercise. I was on it for a couple of weeks before beginning to feel symptoms. I couldn't stand up without fading out. The worst part for me is that it gave me deeply disturbing intrusive suicidal thoughts that seemed to come from nowhere. I was extremely depressed and cried a lot. When I told my cardiologist about my symptoms, he doubled my dosage and put me on 50 mg. I slowly weaned myself off because I couldn't take it anymore."

• 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."

• alm...
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• April 15, 2023

For Migraine Prevention "I had to take this because the insurance company forced me to before paying for anything that actually works. It did nothing for migraines. This drug did calm my anxiety and helped my sleep, which is why I was hesitating to quit taking it. But it helped too much. I lived fatigued and depressed with no motivation - and that was while being on a daytime stimulant. Finally, I got the migraine injection that helps my migraines, and it’s time to get off this stuff. My doctor told me to half the dose for a week and I should be good. Uhhh, apparently not. My heart rate has been very high for 10 days and last night my heart was palpating with beats over 100 in my sleep for hours. Then it shot up to 170 bpm when I got out of bed. I had to take atenolol just to get it to go back down. Either I wasn’t tapered off properly or wasn’t told to break from the stimulant for a few weeks while my heart adjusts. My anxiety is also now through the roof."

• Sun...
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• July 18, 2020

For Ventricular Tachycardia "On this for postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome (POTS). This is a terrible drug! I would highly recommend avoiding this med at all costs. This med caused severe dizziness to the point I couldn't function. Also, atenolol causes crippling depression and has a black box warning when you stop taking it. Right before I stopped the med, I noted extreme breathlessness and felt like I couldn't get enough air."

• Bru...
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• May 29, 2023

For Anxiety "It would be VERY helpful if folks would write the dosage they take in all the posts. I take 1/2 of 12.5 mg for anxiety and it seems to work well. I take it 1-2 times a day. One benzoyl too. Be careful. Sometimes it might cause a little increase in depression. Take Paroxetine ER."

• 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!"

• Bob...
• April 14, 2018

For High Blood Pressure "Insomnia. Severe depression. Sadness cravings for alcohol."

• Bob...
• April 14, 2018

For High Blood Pressure "Insomnia. Severe depression. Sadness cravings for alcohol."