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.
How to Take It
Take acebutolol as your doctor tells you. The starting dose for high blood pressure is usually 400 mg daily. This can be taken as one dose or two divided doses. Your doctor may change your dose to find what works best for you, up to a maximum of 1200 mg per day. If you stop treatment, reduce the dosage slowly over about two weeks.
This is a plain-language summary of acebutolol's FDA labeling, not individualized dosing advice. Ask a pharmacist or prescriber before changing how you take this medication.
Pregnancy & Breastfeeding
Tell your doctor if you are pregnant or plan to become pregnant. It is not known if acebutolol will harm an unborn baby. Talk to your doctor about the risks and benefits of taking acebutolol while breastfeeding.
This is a plain-language summary of acebutolol's FDA labeling, not individualized advice. Ask a pharmacist or prescriber about pregnancy or breastfeeding on this medication.
Missed Dose
If you miss a dose, take it as soon as you remember. If it is almost time for your next dose, skip the missed dose and continue with your regular schedule.
This is a plain-language summary of acebutolol's FDA labeling, not individualized advice. Ask a pharmacist or prescriber what to do about your specific missed dose.
Storage
Store acebutolol at room temperature (68° to 77°F) and protect it from light. Keep the container tightly closed.
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
- Problems with thinking or memory
Problems with thinking or memory
620 reports
- Falling down
Falling down
615 reports
- Low blood pressure when standing up
Low blood pressure when standing up
573 reports
- Problems with balance
Problems with balance
568 reports
- Difficulty passing stools
Difficulty passing stools
565 reports
- Low blood pressure
Low blood pressure
564 reports
- Feeling sleepy or drowsy
Feeling sleepy or drowsy
538 reports
- Difficulty moving around
Difficulty moving around
508 reports
- Reduced alertness
Reduced alertness
501 reports
- Aches or soreness
Aches or soreness
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) 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.
What to do: Your doctor may need to monitor your sleep patterns or adjust your medications if they are not working well.
This is a plain-language summary of interactions documented in FDA labeling, not individualized advice. Ask a pharmacist or prescriber before combining medications.
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?
Is acebutolol safe during pregnancy?
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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 further shape supply and switching decisions. This page summarizes public FDA data for educational purposes only and is not a substitute for professional medical advice, always consult a licensed healthcare provider before starting, stopping, or changing any medication.
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. Always consult a healthcare professional before making medication decisions.
Last updated: October 23, 2024
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 and last refreshed May 2026. See our methodology for per-source dates and refresh cadence. Spot a figure that looks wrong? Report a correction.
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