Atenolol?

[mick skinner]

Hi All,

I was knocked off the bike today, I'll give you the details in anther post if anyone is interested.

I haven't got a phone with a camera so I couldn't just take a photograph of the guys numberplate, so he wrote it down for me.

The piece of card he wrote it on was the back of a packet of Atenolol, prescription in his name. Is this one of those medicines that a person shouldn't be diving whilst taking?

Thanks in advance.

[NATURAL ANKLING]

Hi,
BP med?

[mick skinner]

It is a BP med but does it make the person a liability while driving?

[Paulatic]

Effect of atenolol on car drivers in a prolonged stress situation.

Panizza D, Lecasble M.
Abstract
The effects of atenolol were investigated in car drivers participating in an amateur car rally. Atenolol or placebo were administered to two groups of 20 crews (driver and assistant) in this double-blind randomized trial. When compared with placebo, there was no deterioration in subjective appraisal of alertness and reaction ability in subjects given atenolol, and stress symptoms were markedly reduced. When compared with previous experience, the incidence of improved subjective appraisal of general driving ability was higher with atenolol (30 reports) than with placebo (5 reports). Furthermore the incidence of unchanged or worsened driving ability was significantly higher (p less than 0.001) with placebo (34 reports) than with atenolol (9 reports). At the end of the rally (16 hours after administration) subjects receiving atenolol 50 mg had significant reductions in heart rate (p less than 0.001), diastolic pressure (p less than 0.01), and systolic pressure (p less than 0.01) when compared with placebo.

[thirdcrank]

I've been taking atenolol for around fifteen years and I fancy plenty of other forum members are on it too. I've not experienced any side effects at all.

[AndyK]

From the patient information leaflet for Atenolol:

Driving and using machines
• Your medicine is not likely to affect you being able to drive or use any tools or machines. However, it is best to wait to see how your
medicine affects you before trying these activities.
• If you feel dizzy or tired when taking this medicine, do not drive or use any tools or machines.

https://www.medicines.org.uk/emc/files/pil.6025.pdf

[landsurfer]

From the patient information leaflet for Atenolol:

Driving and using machines
• Your medicine is not likely to affect you being able to drive or use any tools or machines. However, it is best to wait to see how your
medicine affects you before trying these activities.
• If you feel dizzy or tired when taking this medicine, do not drive or use any tools or machines.

https://www.medicines.org.uk/emc/files/pil.6025.pdf

The standard "cover their ass" statements by manufactures on 99% of prescription drugs ....

[mjr]

It is a BP med but does it make the person a liability while driving?

Not necessarily as long as it actually controls their BP - the underlying condition messing up their BP could make them a liability. I'm pretty sure my late father drove loads of complicated stuff while on it and harmed no-one.

[botty]

My day job is a hospital clinical pharmacist. Atenolol is not a drug that requires a statutory drowsiness warning. If asking the question from the perspective of "does use of this medicine make the driver more at fault in the case of a RTA?" I very much doubt it.

[softlips]

My day job is a hospital clinical pharmacist. Atenolol is not a drug that requires a statutory drowsiness warning. If asking the question from the perspective of "does use of this medicine make the driver more at fault in the case of a RTA?" I very much doubt it.

Agreed.

[NATURAL ANKLING]

Hi,
I used to be on atenolol, beta blocker.
If you want to get on on a bike, I mean you are doing energetic or long rides it will screw you.
If your an occasional rider not in a hurry then you might not feel a thing.

I have been on so many BP meds over the years so I forget which beta blocker, but when I came off them, two weeks later I felt like I was on something.....illegal......fast
Just walking up twenty steps made my thighs hurt, constant headaches on bike etc.

[mick skinner]

Exellent information, thank you everyone.

I looked at the scrap of the Atenolol packet again this morning and it's from last year, so he might not be prescribed it anymore.

Thanks again.