PlainMeds provides educational information only. This is not medical advice. Always consult your doctor or pharmacist.

atenolol vs dutasteride

Side-by-side comparison of atenolol and dutasteride. 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

7.3 Nifedipine, Atenolol, Enalapril Tamsulosin Dosage adjustments are not necessary when tamsulosin is administered concomitantly with nifedipine, atenolol, or enalapril [see Clinical Pharmacology ( 12.3 ) ] .

Recommendation: You do not need to change your dose when taking these two medicines together.

Drug Class
atenolol Beta-1 Selective Blocker
dutasteride 5-Alpha Reductase Inhibitor
Type
atenolol Prescription
dutasteride Prescription
Summary
atenolol

Atenolol is a medicine that lowers blood pressure. It can also help with chest pain and after a heart attack.

dutasteride

Dutasteride and tamsulosin hydrochloride capsules contain two medicines to treat enlarged prostate in men. They help improve symptoms like frequent urination.

What It Treats
atenolol

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.

dutasteride

This medicine treats benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH), also known as enlarged prostate, in men. It helps with symptoms like needing to urinate often, especially at night. It is for men who have an enlarged prostate causing these problems. This medicine is not approved to prevent prostate cancer.

How It Works
atenolol

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.

dutasteride

Dutasteride lowers a hormone called dihydrotestosterone (DHT) that causes the prostate to grow. Tamsulosin relaxes the muscles in the prostate and bladder. This combination helps urine flow more easily.

Common Side Effects
atenolol
  • Dizziness
  • Tiredness
  • Fatigue
  • Diarrhea
  • Nausea
dutasteride
  • Problems with ejaculation
  • Impotence (trouble getting or keeping an erection)
  • Decreased sex drive
  • Dizziness
  • Breast enlargement or tenderness
FAERS Reports
atenolol
  • 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
dutasteride
  • Difficulty breathing 1,233
  • Tiredness 1,142
  • Feeling lightheaded or unsteady 986
  • Weakness 933
  • Loose stools 897
Serious Warnings
atenolol

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.

dutasteride

This medicine can cause dizziness or fainting, so be careful to avoid falls or injuries. Do not take this medicine with other alpha-blockers, as this can lower your blood pressure too much. This medicine can affect PSA levels, which are used to screen for prostate cancer. Tell your doctor you are taking this medicine before any PSA tests. This medicine may increase the risk of high-grade prostate cancer. Pregnant women should not handle this medicine.

Pregnancy
atenolol

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.

dutasteride

This medicine is not for use in women. It can cause birth defects in a male fetus if a pregnant woman is exposed to it. Pregnant women or women who may become pregnant should not handle these capsules.

Also Compare, Nearby Drugs

How to Read This atenolol vs dutasteride Comparison

atenolol is classified in the Beta-1 Selective Blocker drug class, while dutasteride sits within the 5-Alpha Reductase Inhibitor 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, atenolol has 34,906 submissions while dutasteride has 5,191. 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 taking these two drugs together does not change how the body handles the medication.. 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 atenolol and dutasteride - 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.