Prescription medication · Beta-1 Selective Blocker with ISA
acebutolol
Also sold as Sectral. Acebutolol is used to treat high blood pressure in adults.
Data updated 2026-05-15
- 1,220
- FDA reportsRarely reported
- 1
- InteractionFew interactions
- $0.58
- Generic price (NADAC)
What the data shows
acebutolol (Sectral) is a prescription Beta-1 Selective Blocker with ISA, among the least-reported drugs the FDA tracks (1,220 FDA reports), with 1 documented drug interaction.
Reporting volume reflects how widely a drug is used and studied, not how dangerous it is, a FAERS report documents a temporal association, never proof of cause.
acebutolol (Sectral) is a prescription Beta-1 Selective Blocker with ISA. Acebutolol is used to treat high blood pressure in adults.
Acebutolol is a medicine that helps lower blood pressure and control irregular heartbeats. It belongs to a class of drugs called beta-blockers.
Verify with FDA → · CMS NADAC pricing →
Drug Pricing (NADAC)
Generic Price
$0.58/unit
Generic Available
Yes (2 manufacturers)
Pricing data from NADAC (CMS), effective December 18, 2024. Compare all drug costs →
What it does
Acebutolol is used to treat high blood pressure in adults.
Common side effects
No common side effects listed.
Key warnings
You should not take acebutolol if you have a very slow heart rate, second- or third-degree heart block, heart failure, or cardiogenic shock.
The sections below are summarized in plain English from acebutolol's FDA-approved prescribing information. They describe what the official label says, and are not personal medical advice.
How It Works
Acebutolol works by blocking the effects of certain natural chemicals in your body, like adrenaline, on the heart and blood vessels. This helps to slow down the heart rate and lower blood pressure. It also helps to make the heart beat more regularly.
Side Effects (from patient reports)
Based on 1,220 FDA adverse event reports.
Most-reported reactions
Adverse reactions in FAERS for acebutolol, by number of reports
- Cognitive Disorder
Cognitive Disorder
620 reports
- Fall
Fall
615 reports
- Orthostatic Hypotension
Orthostatic Hypotension
573 reports
- Balance Disorder
Balance Disorder
568 reports
- Constipation
Constipation
565 reports
- Hypotension
Hypotension
564 reports
- Sedation
Sedation
538 reports
- Mobility Decreased
Mobility Decreased
508 reports
- Depressed Level Of Consciousness
Depressed Level Of Consciousness
501 reports
- Pain
Pain
491 reports
What this shows Bars show how often each reaction was reported, not how likely it is to happen, a report records a temporal association, never proof that the drug caused it.
Reports over time
Adverse-event reports filed for acebutolol each year to the FDA Adverse Event Reporting System (FAERS).
Year-to-year volume tracks usage, prescribing, and scrutiny, not a change in per-patient risk. Source: FDA FAERS.
Where acebutolol sits
acebutolol has more FDA adverse-event reports than 8% of the drugs FAERS tracks. A high position reflects how widely a drug is used and watched, not how dangerous it is.
Percentile across all drugs PlainMeds tracks by FAERS report volume. The dot is acebutolol; the line is the median (50th percentile).
FDA Adverse Event Report Analysis
Detailed analysis of 1,220 reports from the FDA Adverse Event Reporting System (FAERS). Reports span 2004–2025.
Total Reports
1,220
Reports Mentioning Death
44
3.6% of reports — not proof of cause
Hospitalization Reports
921
Top Indication
Product Used For Unknown Indication
Gender Distribution
Age Distribution
Most Reported Adverse Reactions (FAERS)
| # | Reaction | Reports |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | COGNITIVE DISORDER | 620 |
| 2 | FALL | 615 |
| 3 | ORTHOSTATIC HYPOTENSION | 573 |
| 4 | BALANCE DISORDER | 568 |
| 5 | CONSTIPATION | 565 |
| 6 | HYPOTENSION | 564 |
| 7 | SEDATION | 538 |
| 8 | MOBILITY DECREASED | 508 |
| 9 | DEPRESSED LEVEL OF CONSCIOUSNESS | 501 |
| 10 | PAIN | 491 |
| 11 | SEDATION COMPLICATION | 490 |
| 12 | BLOOD CALCIUM DECREASED | 485 |
| 13 | CREATININE RENAL CLEARANCE DECREASED | 485 |
| 14 | TOXICITY TO VARIOUS AGENTS | 473 |
| 16 | HYPERTENSION | 135 |
Reactions in Death Reports
Reactions in Hospitalization Reports
Source: FDA FAERS (Adverse Event Reporting System) Reports are voluntary and do not establish causation
Serious Warnings
You should not take acebutolol if you have a very slow heart rate, second- or third-degree heart block, heart failure, or cardiogenic shock.
Known Drug Interactions
7.3 Beta-Adrenergic Receptor Antagonists (e.g., acebutolol, metoprolol) Beta-adrenergic receptor antagonists have been shown to reduce the production of melatonin via specific inhibition of beta-1 adrenergic receptors.
Mechanism: Acebutolol can lower the amount of natural melatonin your body makes. This may make tasimelteon less effective since it works on the same sleep system.
This is a plain-language summary of FDA-label interaction records and does not provide individual medication-combination directions.
Common Questions
Can I drink alcohol while taking acebutolol?
Will acebutolol cure my high blood pressure?
Can I stop taking acebutolol if I feel better?
Does acebutolol interact with other medications?
Can older patients take this medication?
What do I do if I think I have overdosed?
Can acebutolol cause weight gain?
Can acebutolol cause dizziness?
How long does it take for acebutolol to start working?
What are the inactive ingredients in acebutolol?
Does acebutolol interact with other medications?
What drug class is acebutolol?
What pregnancy or breastfeeding source fields are listed for acebutolol?
Related Medications in Beta-1 Selective Blocker with ISA
Other drugs grouped near acebutolol - same-class peers and common alternatives.
aliskiren
Tekturna
Tekturna is a medicine used to treat high blood pressure.
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amiloride
Midamor
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amlodipine
Norvasc
Amlodipine (Norvasc) is a drug that lowers blood pressure and treats chest pain.
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amlodipine/benazepril
Lotrel
Lotrel is a combination medicine that contains amlodipine and benazepril.
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amlodipine/valsartan
Exforge
Exforge HCT is a combination medicine used to treat high blood pressure.
Compare with acebutolol →
Compare beyond drug class
Nationwide peers by FAERS volume & death-report share
Two PlainMeds-derived comparison paths for acebutolol: nearest FDA FAERS report volume and nearest death-report share among drugs with at least 1,000 logged reports, excluding same-class neighbors listed above. Counts reflect reporting volume, not proven individual harm.
Similar FAERS report volume
Nearest drugs by total FAERS reports. This record: 1,220.
Similar death-report share
Nearest drugs by FAERS death-report share. This record: 3.61%.
- upadacitinib Δ 0.02 pts · 72,798 reports · JAK Inhibitor 3.63%death share
- liraglutide Δ 0.04 pts · 47,843 reports · GLP-1 Receptor Agonist 3.65%death share
- lisdexamfetamine Δ 0.04 pts · 5,840 reports · CNS Stimulant 3.56%death share
- paliperidone Δ 0.09 pts · 22,775 reports · Atypical Antipsychotic 3.52%death share
Medication Guides
Understanding Drug Interactions
How CYP450 enzymes, inhibitors, and inducers affect your medications
Generic vs Brand Name Drugs
FDA requirements, cost savings, and when the difference matters
Narrow Therapeutic Index Drugs
FDA bioequivalence and label-record context for narrow therapeutic index medicines
Common Drug Interactions
Dangerous medication combinations and how to protect yourself
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What the FDA Data Shows for acebutolol
The FDA label for acebutolol (sold under brand names such as Sectral) classifies it as a prescription-only medication in the Beta-1 Selective Blocker with ISA class. Acebutolol is used to treat high blood pressure in adults. Labeling covers dosing, contraindications, and monitoring requirements derived from clinical trials.
Post-market surveillance from the FDA Adverse Event Reporting System (FAERS) captures real-world experience. For this drug, FAERS contains 1,220 voluntary reports. The database also lists 1 documented drug interaction derived from FDA labeling, with the top-flagged interaction rated minor severity. NADAC pricing from CMS shows a generic unit cost of $0.58.
Report counts do not establish causation, a FAERS entry documents a temporal association, not proof that the drug produced the outcome. Widely prescribed medications naturally accumulate more reports than niche therapies, so raw totals must be interpreted alongside total exposure. Shortage status, recall history, and patent information are separate source-record fields. This page is a public FDA/CMS registry and does not provide medical, treatment, substitution, or medication-change directions.
Data Sources
Drug labeling: FDA Drug Labels (SPL/DailyMed). Adverse events: FDA Adverse Event Reporting System (FAERS). Pricing: CMS National Average Drug Acquisition Cost (NADAC).
FAERS reports are voluntary and do not establish causation. Drug interactions are derived from FDA labeling and clinical references. This registry does not provide medication decisions.
Last updated: October 23, 2024
PlainMeds is rendered directly from FDA openFDA/FAERS extracts, DailyMed labels, and CMS drug-pricing files, no number is typed in by an editor. FAERS counts, recalls, shortages, and price figures on this page are queried live from those federal extracts. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of 2026-05-15. Primary sources: openFDA / FAERS, DailyMed and CMS Part B ASP.
Read our methodology - how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.
Data currency: FDA FAERS adverse-event reports through 2025, CMS NADAC acquisition-cost pricing effective December 2024, compiled from the source snapshot dated . See our methodology for per-source dates and refresh cadence. Spot a figure that looks wrong? Report a data issue.
All federal data sources used on this page
- FDA Orange Book - approved drug products with therapeutic equivalence. accessdata.fda.gov/cder/ob
- FDA DailyMed - NIH-hosted drug labeling for FDA-approved meds. dailymed.nlm.nih.gov
- FDA Adverse Event Reporting System (FAERS) - post-marketing safety surveillance. fda.gov/drugs/faers
- NLM RxNorm - standardized clinical drug nomenclature. nlm.nih.gov/research/umls/rxnorm
- CMS Medicare Part B Drug Average Sales Price Files - federal drug pricing data. cms.gov/medicare/part-b-drugs/asp
- FDA Drug Shortages Database - current and resolved drug shortage tracking. accessdata.fda.gov/drugshortages