Prescription medication · Non-Selective Beta-Blocker
nadolol
Also sold as Corgard. Nadolol is used to treat angina, which is chest pain.
Data updated 2026-05-15
- 7,398
- FDA reportsLightly reported
- 3
- InteractionsFew interactions
- $0.15
- Generic price (NADAC)
What the data shows
nadolol (Corgard) is a prescription Non-Selective Beta-Blocker, reported less often than most tracked drugs (7,398 FDA reports), with 3 documented drug interactions.
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.
nadolol (Corgard) is a prescription Non-Selective Beta-Blocker. Nadolol is used to treat angina, which is chest pain.
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.
Verify with FDA → · CMS NADAC pricing →
Drug Pricing (NADAC)
Generic Price
$0.15/unit
Generic Available
Yes (7 manufacturers)
Pricing data from NADAC (CMS), effective December 18, 2024. Compare all drug costs →
What it does
Nadolol is used to treat angina, which is chest pain.
Common side effects
Slow heart rate (less than 60 beats per minute)
Key warnings
If you have heart disease and stop taking nadolol suddenly, it can worsen chest pain or cause a heart attack.
The sections below are summarized in plain English from nadolol's FDA-approved prescribing information. They describe what the official label says, and are not personal medical advice.
How It Works
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.
How to Take It
Take nadolol exactly as your doctor tells you. You can take it with or without food. The usual starting dose is 40 mg once a day. Your doctor may increase your dose every 3 to 7 days to get the best result. Do not stop taking nadolol suddenly, as this can worsen heart problems.
This is a plain-language summary of nadolol'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 nadolol will harm your unborn baby. Talk to your doctor about the risks and benefits of taking nadolol while breastfeeding.
This is a plain-language summary of nadolol'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 nadolol's FDA labeling, not individualized advice. Ask a pharmacist or prescriber what to do about your specific missed dose.
Storage
Store nadolol tablets at room temperature (68° to 77°F) and protect them from light.
Side Effects (from patient reports)
Based on 7,398 FDA adverse event reports.
Most-reported reactions
Adverse reactions in FAERS for nadolol, by number of reports
- Eye problem that can cause vision loss
Eye problem that can cause vision loss
814 reports
- Feeling sick to your stomach
Feeling sick to your stomach
663 reports
- Head pain
Head pain
588 reports
- Feeling tired
Feeling tired
522 reports
- Aches or soreness
Aches or soreness
502 reports
- Lost weight
Lost weight
455 reports
- Loose or watery stools
Loose or watery stools
433 reports
- Feeling unwell
Feeling unwell
412 reports
- Fever
Fever
397 reports
- Low red blood cell count
Low red blood cell count
342 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 nadolol 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 nadolol sits
nadolol has more FDA adverse-event reports than 32% 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 nadolol; the line is the median (50th percentile).
FDA Adverse Event Report Analysis
Detailed analysis of 7,398 reports from the FDA Adverse Event Reporting System (FAERS). Reports span 2004–2025.
Total Reports
7,398
Reports Mentioning Death
602
8.1% of reports — not proof of cause
Hospitalization Reports
2,516
Top Indication
Product Used For Unknown Indication
Gender Distribution
Age Distribution
Most Reported Adverse Reactions (FAERS)
| # | Reaction | Reports |
|---|---|---|
| 2 | MACULAR DEGENERATION | 814 |
| 3 | NAUSEA | 663 |
| 4 | HEADACHE | 588 |
| 6 | FATIGUE | 522 |
| 7 | PAIN | 502 |
| 8 | WEIGHT DECREASED | 455 |
| 9 | DIARRHOEA | 433 |
| 10 | MALAISE | 412 |
| 11 | PYREXIA | 397 |
| 12 | ANAEMIA | 342 |
| 13 | DIZZINESS | 333 |
| 14 | DYSPNOEA | 319 |
| 15 | ABDOMINAL PAIN | 317 |
| 16 | CONSTIPATION | 305 |
| 17 | THERAPEUTIC PRODUCT EFFECT INCOMPLETE | 279 |
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
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.
Known Drug Interactions
albuterol, systemic and inhaled mebendazole amoxicillin medroxyprogesterone ampicillin, with or without sulbactam methylprednisolone atenolol metronidazole azithromycin metoprolol caffeine, dietary ingestion nadolol cefaclor nifedipine co-trimoxazole (trimethoprim and sulfamethoxazole) nizatidine diltiazem norfloxacin dirithromycin ofloxacin enflurane omeprazole famotidine prednisone, prednisolone felodipine ranitidine finasteride rifabutin hydrocortisone roxithromycin isoflurane Sorbitol (purgative doses do not inhibit theophylline absorption) isoniazid sucralfate isradipine terbutaline,...
Mechanism: Nadolol is a beta-blocker that can block the airway-opening effects of theophylline, which may make it harder for you to breathe.
What to do: Your doctor may need to monitor your breathing closely or choose a different medication for your heart or blood pressure.
Such patients may be unresponsive to the usual doses of epinephrine used to treat allergic reaction.
Mechanism: Nadolol can make your body less responsive to epinephrine, which is the medicine used to treat severe allergic reactions.
What to do: Be aware that standard doses of epinephrine may not work as well if you are taking this medication.
Beta Blockers Nadolol a Monitor for adverse reactions.
Mechanism: Itraconazole can slow down how the body breaks down nadolol, which might lead to higher levels of the beta blocker in the blood.
What to do: Your doctor should watch you closely for side effects like a slow heart rate or low blood pressure.
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 stop taking nadolol suddenly?
Can I take nadolol with food?
What should I do if I miss a dose?
How should I store nadolol?
What are the common side effects of nadolol?
Can nadolol be used during pregnancy?
Can nadolol be used while breastfeeding?
What is the usual starting dose of nadolol?
What is nadolol used for?
Does nadolol interact with other medications?
What are the common side effects of nadolol?
Does nadolol interact with other medications?
What drug class is nadolol?
Is nadolol safe during pregnancy?
Related Medications in Non-Selective Beta-Blocker
Other drugs grouped near nadolol - same-class peers and common alternatives.
acebutolol
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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
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Lotrel is a combination medicine that contains amlodipine and benazepril.
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What the FDA Data Shows for nadolol
The FDA label for nadolol (sold under brand names such as Corgard) classifies it as a prescription-only medication in the Non-Selective Beta-Blocker class. Nadolol is used to treat angina, which is chest pain. Official labeling lists 1 commonly reported side effect, including Slow heart rate (less than 60 beats per minute).
Post-market surveillance from the FDA Adverse Event Reporting System (FAERS) captures real-world experience. For this drug, FAERS contains 7,398 voluntary reports. The database also lists 3 documented drug interactions derived from FDA labeling, with the top-flagged interaction rated major severity. NADAC pricing from CMS shows a generic unit cost of $0.15.
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: May 28, 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