Can I drink if I take atenolol?

Answer 1

Atenolol is a beta blocker. It reduces blood pressure by calming down the heart. In the short-term, alcohol often reduces blood pressure as well. So if you drink while on atenolol, your blood pressure may drop even further. Therefore atenolol may exacerbate such side effects of drinking as dizziness, lightheadedness and fainting.

On the other hand, regular moderate or heavy drinking tends to raise blood pressure in the long-term. If you have been prescribed atenolol for high blood pressure, regular drinking would be unwise because it may exacerbate your hypertension in the long run, requiring progressively higher doses of blood pressure medications.