nadolol vs theophylline

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Side-by-side comparison of nadolol and theophylline. Data from FDA drug databases (Orange Book, NDC Directory, recalls, shortages) covering 20,000+ approved drugs, plus CMS pricing; see our methodology.

major Known Drug Interaction

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Drug Class
nadolol Non-Selective Beta-Blocker
theophylline Methylxanthine Bronchodilator
Type
nadolol Prescription
theophylline Prescription
Summary
nadolol

Nadolol is a medicine that helps lower blood pressure and manage chest pain (angina). It works by blocking certain natural body chemicals that affect the heart and blood vessels.

theophylline

Theophylline is a medicine that helps you breathe easier. It treats the symptoms of asthma and other lung problems.

What It Treats
nadolol

Nadolol is used to treat angina, which is chest pain. It also treats high blood pressure. Lowering blood pressure helps reduce the risk of strokes and heart attacks. It can be used alone or with other blood pressure medicines.

theophylline

Theophylline treats the symptoms of long-term asthma and other lung diseases. These include emphysema and chronic bronchitis, which make it hard to breathe. This medicine helps to open up your airways so you can breathe easier.

How It Works
nadolol

Nadolol is a beta-blocker. It works by blocking the effects of certain natural chemicals in your body, such as adrenaline. This helps to slow down your heart rate and relax blood vessels, which lowers blood pressure and reduces chest pain.

theophylline

Theophylline is a bronchodilator. It works by relaxing the muscles in your airways. This allows more air to flow in and out of your lungs.

Common Side Effects
nadolol
  • Slow heart rate (less than 60 beats per minute)
theophylline
  • Nausea
  • Vomiting
  • Headache
  • Trouble sleeping (insomnia)
FAERS Reports
nadolol
  • Macular Degeneration 814
  • Nausea 663
  • Headache 588
  • Fatigue 522
  • Pain 502
theophylline
  • Dyspnoea 2,273
  • Asthma 1,942
  • Pneumonia 1,318
  • Wheezing 1,306
  • Vomiting 1,101
Serious Warnings
nadolol

If you have heart disease and stop taking nadolol suddenly, it can worsen chest pain or cause a heart attack. Your doctor will slowly lower your dose over 1 to 2 weeks. Do not stop taking nadolol without talking to your doctor.

theophylline

If your theophylline levels get too high in your blood, it can cause serious side effects. These include severe vomiting, irregular heartbeats, and seizures. These can be life-threatening.

Pregnancy
nadolol

Tell your doctor if you are pregnant or plan to become pregnant. It is not known if nadolol will harm your unborn baby. Talk to your doctor about the risks and benefits of taking nadolol while breastfeeding.

theophylline

It is not known if theophylline can harm an unborn baby. Talk to your doctor if you are pregnant or plan to become pregnant. It is also not known if theophylline passes into breast milk, so talk to your doctor if you are breastfeeding.

Also Compare, Nearby Drugs

Compare nadolol with

How to Read This nadolol vs theophylline Comparison

nadolol is classified in the Non-Selective Beta-Blocker drug class, while theophylline sits within the Methylxanthine Bronchodilator 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, nadolol has 3,089 submissions while theophylline has 7,940. 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 major interaction flagged in FDA labeling, attributed to nadolol is a beta-blocker that can block the airway-opening effects of theophylline, which may make it harder for you to breathe.. 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 nadolol or theophylline.

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