Prescription medication · Beta-1 Selective Blocker
bisoprolol
Also sold as Zebeta. Bisoprolol is used to treat high blood pressure.
Data updated 2026-05-15
- 61,731
- FDA reports
- $0.21
- Generic price (NADAC)
bisoprolol (Zebeta) is a prescription Beta-1 Selective Blocker. Bisoprolol is used to treat high blood pressure.
Bisoprolol (Zebeta) is a medicine that lowers high blood pressure. It belongs to a class of drugs called beta-blockers.
Verify with FDA → · CMS NADAC pricing →
Drug Pricing (NADAC)
Generic Price
$0.21/unit
Generic Available
Yes (18 manufacturers)
Pricing data from NADAC (CMS), effective December 18, 2024. Compare all drug costs →
What it does
Bisoprolol is used to treat high blood pressure.
Common side effects
Headache, Fatigue, Dizziness
Key warnings
You should not take bisoprolol if you have cardiogenic shock, severe heart failure, a second or third-degree AV block, or a very slow heart rate.
The sections below are summarized in plain English from bisoprolol's FDA-approved prescribing information. They describe what the official label says, and are not personal medical advice.
How It Works
Bisoprolol works by blocking the effects of certain natural chemicals in your body, such as adrenaline, on the heart and blood vessels. This helps to slow down your heart rate and relax your blood vessels, which lowers blood pressure. It mainly affects the heart.
Side Effects (from patient reports)
Based on 61,731 FDA adverse event reports.
Most-reported reactions
Adverse reactions in FAERS for bisoprolol, by number of reports
- Difficulty breathing
Difficulty breathing
8,879 reports
- Sudden kidney damage
Sudden kidney damage
6,854 reports
- Tiredness
Tiredness
6,805 reports
- Diarrhea
Diarrhea
6,290 reports
- Feeling sick to your stomach
Feeling sick to your stomach
6,144 reports
- Feeling lightheaded
Feeling lightheaded
5,958 reports
- Interaction with another medicine
Interaction with another medicine
5,592 reports
- Low blood pressure
Low blood pressure
5,256 reports
- Falling down
Falling down
5,167 reports
- Throwing up
Throwing up
4,786 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.
Serious Warnings
You should not take bisoprolol if you have cardiogenic shock, severe heart failure, a second or third-degree AV block, or a very slow heart rate.
Common Questions
Can I stop taking bisoprolol suddenly?
Does bisoprolol interact with other medications?
Can I drink alcohol while taking bisoprolol?
What should I do if I feel dizzy while taking bisoprolol?
How long does it take for bisoprolol to start working?
Can bisoprolol cause weight gain?
Is bisoprolol a water pill?
Can bisoprolol cause erectile dysfunction?
What do I do if I have kidney problems?
What do I do if I have liver problems?
What are the common side effects of bisoprolol?
What drug class is bisoprolol?
What pregnancy or breastfeeding source fields are listed for bisoprolol?
Related Medications in Beta-1 Selective Blocker
Other drugs grouped near bisoprolol - same-class peers and common alternatives.
acebutolol
Sectral
Acebutolol is a medicine that helps lower blood pressure and control irregular heartbeats.
Compare with bisoprolol →
aliskiren
Tekturna
Tekturna is a medicine used to treat high blood pressure.
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amiloride
Midamor
Amiloride is a water pill that helps your body hold onto potassium.
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amlodipine
Norvasc
Amlodipine (Norvasc) is a drug that lowers blood pressure and treats chest pain.
Compare with bisoprolol →
amlodipine/benazepril
Lotrel
Lotrel is a combination medicine that contains amlodipine and benazepril.
Compare with bisoprolol →
Medication Guides
Understanding Drug Interactions
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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 bisoprolol
The FDA label for bisoprolol (sold under brand names such as Zebeta) classifies it as a prescription-only medication in the Beta-1 Selective Blocker class. Bisoprolol is used to treat high blood pressure. Official labeling lists 7 commonly reported side effects, including Headache, Fatigue, Dizziness.
Post-market surveillance from the FDA Adverse Event Reporting System (FAERS) captures real-world experience. For this drug, FAERS contains 61,731 voluntary reports. Interaction data is drawn directly from FDA-approved prescribing information. NADAC pricing from CMS shows a generic unit cost of $0.21.
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: June 26, 2023
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