atenolol vs sertraline

According to this portal's Publishing Organization, this page was last reviewed in August 2026 against our methodology. Figures and extracts on this site, including tables above 1,000 rows when the corpus is that large, are the publisher's responsibility.

Side-by-side comparison of atenolol and sertraline. 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

Atenolol – Sertraline hydrochloride (100 mg) when administered to 10 healthy male subjects had no effect on the beta-adrenergic blocking ability of atenolol.

Drug Class
atenolol Beta-1 Selective Blocker
sertraline Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitor (SSRI)
Type
atenolol Prescription
sertraline Prescription
Summary
atenolol

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

sertraline

Sertraline is a medicine used to treat depression and other mental health conditions. It helps balance chemicals in your brain to improve your mood and reduce anxiety.

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.

sertraline

Sertraline is used to treat major depressive disorder in adults. This means it can help with ongoing sadness or loss of interest in things. It also treats obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), where you have unwanted thoughts or behaviors that you can't control. Sertraline can also treat panic disorder, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), premenstrual dysphoric disorder (PMDD), and social anxiety disorder.

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.

sertraline

Sertraline is a selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI). It works by increasing the amount of serotonin in your brain. Serotonin is a chemical that helps regulate mood, and by blocking its reabsorption, sertraline helps improve mood and reduce symptoms of depression and anxiety.

Common Side Effects
atenolol
  • Dizziness
  • Tiredness
  • Fatigue
  • Diarrhea
  • Nausea
sertraline
  • Nausea
  • Diarrhea
  • Headache
  • Insomnia
  • Dizziness
FAERS Reports
atenolol
  • Nausea 7,813
  • Fatigue 7,573
  • Diarrhoea 6,999
  • Dyspnoea 6,276
  • Dizziness 6,246
sertraline
  • Nausea 6,466
  • Fatigue 5,891
  • Diarrhoea 5,216
  • Headache 4,927
  • Dizziness 4,599
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.

sertraline

Antidepressants may increase the risk of suicidal thoughts or actions in children, teens, and young adults. Watch closely for worsening depression, unusual behavior, or thoughts of suicide. Sertraline is not approved for treating depression in children.

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.

sertraline

Tell your doctor if you are pregnant or plan to become pregnant. Sertraline may affect your baby. Talk to your doctor about the risks and benefits of taking sertraline during pregnancy and breastfeeding.

Also Compare, Nearby Drugs

How to Read This atenolol vs sertraline Comparison

atenolol is classified in the Beta-1 Selective Blocker drug class, while sertraline sits within the Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitor (SSRI) 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 34,907 submissions while sertraline has 27,099. 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 sertraline does not change the way atenolol works to control heart rate or blood pressure.. Serious warnings, pregnancy guidance, and contraindications can differ even when indications overlap.

A table cannot represent individual circumstances. Data here is sourced from FDA Structured Product Labels (SPL) and FAERS, both of which update as manufacturers and clinicians submit new information. This registry does not provide medical, treatment, substitution, or medication-change directions for atenolol or sertraline.

Registry boundary: This comparison displays source-record fields and does not provide individualized medical direction.