amiodarone vs atenolol
Side-by-side comparison of amiodarone and atenolol. Data from FDA drug databases (Orange Book, NDC Directory, recalls, shortages) covering 20,000+ approved drugs, plus CMS pricing; see our methodology.
minor Known Drug Interaction
Amiodarone is an antiarrhythmic agent with negative chronotropic properties that may be additive to those seen with beta-blockers.
Recommendation: Your doctor should monitor your heart rate closely to make sure it stays at a safe speed.
Cordarone, Pacerone
Tenormin
Amiodarone (Pacerone) is a medicine used to treat life-threatening, irregular heartbeats. It helps to restore a normal heart rhythm when other medicines don't work or can't be used.
Atenolol is a medicine that lowers blood pressure. It can also help with chest pain and after a heart attack.
This medicine treats very fast, irregular heartbeats in the ventricles (lower chambers of the heart). It is used when these irregular heartbeats are life-threatening. It is also used when other medicines don't work well enough or cause too many side effects. This medicine is for adults.
Atenolol is used to treat high blood pressure (hypertension). Lowering blood pressure reduces the risk of strokes and heart attacks. Atenolol is also used long-term for chest pain (angina) caused by narrowed arteries. It can also help people who have had a heart attack.
Amiodarone affects the electrical signals in your heart. It slows down these signals, which helps your heart beat normally. This medicine can help prevent dangerous, fast heart rhythms.
Atenolol is a beta-blocker that mainly affects the heart. It works by blocking the effects of certain chemicals in your body that raise heart rate and blood pressure. This helps your heart beat slower and with less force, lowering blood pressure.
- • Low thyroid levels (hypothyroidism)
- • High thyroid levels (hyperthyroidism)
- • Heart failure
- • Irregular heartbeats
- • Problems with the heart's natural pacemaker (SA node dysfunction)
- • Dizziness
- • Tiredness
- • Fatigue
- • Diarrhea
- • Nausea
- Difficulty breathing 1,158
- Weakness 975
- Tiredness 893
- Feeling sick to your stomach 605
- Coughing 597
- Feeling sick to your stomach 7,812
- Feeling very tired 7,573
- Loose, watery stools 6,995
- Difficulty breathing 6,277
- Feeling lightheaded or unsteady 6,249
This medicine can cause serious problems with your lungs, liver, and heart. Lung problems can be fatal. Your doctor will check your lungs with X-rays and breathing tests. Liver problems can also be fatal. Your doctor will check your liver with blood tests. This medicine can also make irregular heartbeats worse. You will likely start this medicine in the hospital where your heart can be monitored.
You should not take atenolol if you have a very slow heart rate, a serious heart block, cardiogenic shock, or heart failure. Atenolol can make these conditions worse. Tell your doctor right away if you feel dizzy or lightheaded, or if your heart rate becomes very slow.
This medicine can harm your unborn baby. It can cause thyroid problems, slow heart rate, and brain development issues. Do not breastfeed while taking this medicine.
Tell your doctor if you are pregnant or plan to become pregnant. It is not known if atenolol will harm your unborn baby. Talk to your doctor about the risks and benefits of taking atenolol while pregnant or breastfeeding.
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How to Read This amiodarone vs atenolol Comparison
amiodarone is classified in the Class III Antiarrhythmic drug class, while atenolol sits within the Beta-1 Selective Blocker class. Drugs from different classes work through distinct mechanisms, so a head-to-head comparison illustrates trade-offs rather than equivalence. Both drugs are prescription-only, so a licensed provider must authorize use.
Adverse event totals above are pulled from the FDA's Adverse Event Reporting System (FAERS). For these top-ranked reactions alone, amiodarone has 4,228 submissions while atenolol has 34,906. Those figures reflect cumulative reporting volume, not per-patient risk, so older, widely dispensed drugs typically look worse on count alone. These two drugs have a known minor interaction flagged in FDA labeling, attributed to both of these medicines slow down your heart rate, so taking them at the same time can make your heart beat too slowly.. Serious warnings, pregnancy guidance, and contraindications can differ even when indications overlap.
A table cannot substitute for clinical judgment. Effectiveness, tolerability, drug-drug interactions with your other medications, kidney and liver function, pregnancy status, insurance formulary, and price all feed into a decision that only a licensed prescriber can make responsibly. Data here is sourced from FDA Structured Product Labels (SPL) and FAERS, both of which update as manufacturers and clinicians submit new information. This page is for educational purposes only, is not medical advice, and should not be used to self-switch between amiodarone and atenolol - always consult your physician or pharmacist first.
Important: This comparison is for informational purposes only. Drug effects vary between individuals. Always consult your doctor or pharmacist for personalized medical advice.