Beta blockers

These medicines are often used to treat high blood pressure when other medicines have not worked.

By Mayo Clinic Staff

Beta blockers are medicines that lower blood pressure. They also may be called beta-adrenergic blocking agents. These medicines block the effects of the hormone epinephrine, also known as adrenaline.

Beta blockers cause the heart to beat more slowly and with less force. This lowers blood pressure. Beta blockers also help widen veins and arteries to improve blood flow.

Examples of beta blockers

Some beta blockers mainly affect the heart. Other beta blockers affect both the heart and blood vessels. Several beta blockers are available. The best one for you depends on your overall health.

Examples of beta blockers taken by mouth include:

  • Acebutolol.
  • Atenolol (Tenormin).
  • Bisoprolol.
  • Metoprolol (Lopressor, Toprol XL).
  • Nadolol.
  • Nebivolol (Bystolic).
  • Propranolol (Inderal LA, InnoPran XL).

When beta blockers are used

Beta blockers are not recommended as a first treatment if you have only high blood pressure. Beta blockers are not usually used for high blood pressure unless other medicines, such as diuretics, have not worked well. A beta blocker may be one of several medicines used to lower blood pressure.

Beta blockers are used to prevent, treat, or improve symptoms in other conditions, such as:

  • Irregular heartbeats, called arrhythmias.
  • Heart failure.
  • Chest pain, called angina.
  • Heart attacks.
  • Migraine.
  • Some types of tremors.

Side effects

Common side effects of beta blockers can include:

  • Cold hands or feet.
  • Extreme tiredness.
  • Weight gain.
  • Dizziness or light-headedness.

Less common side effects include:

  • Depression.
  • Shortness of breath.
  • Trouble sleeping.

Beta blockers, especially ones that affect both the heart and blood vessels, generally are not used if you have asthma. There are concerns that the medicine may trigger severe asthma attacks.

If you have diabetes, beta blockers may block signs of low blood sugar, such as a rapid heartbeat. It's important to check your blood sugar regularly if you have diabetes and you're taking a beta blocker.

Some beta blockers can affect cholesterol and triglyceride levels. They can cause a slight rise in triglycerides, a type of fat in the blood. Beta blockers also can cause a modest decrease in good cholesterol, called high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol. These changes may only last for a short time.

You should not suddenly stop taking a beta blocker. Doing so could increase your risk of a heart attack or other heart problem.

Talk to your healthcare team if you have any questions about the medicines you take.

From Mayo Clinic to your inbox

Sign up for free and stay up to date on research advancements, health tips, current health topics, and expertise on managing health. Click here for an email preview.

We use the data you provide to deliver you the content you requested. To provide you with the most relevant and helpful information, we may combine your email and website data with other information we have about you. If you are a Mayo Clinic patient, we will only use your protected health information as outlined in our Notice of Privacy Practices. You may opt out of email communications at any time by clicking on the unsubscribe link in the email.

March 27, 2025 See more In-depth

See also

  1. Medication-free hypertension control
  2. Alcohol: Does it affect blood pressure?
  3. Alpha blockers
  4. Amputation and diabetes
  5. Angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitors
  6. Angiotensin II receptor blockers
  7. Anxiety: A cause of high blood pressure?
  8. Arteriosclerosis / atherosclerosis
  9. Artificial sweeteners: Any effect on blood sugar?
  10. #AskMayoMom Pediatric Urology
  11. Beta blockers: Do they cause weight gain?
  12. Beta blockers: How do they affect exercise?
  13. Blood glucose meters
  14. Blood glucose monitors
  15. Blood pressure: Can it be higher in one arm?
  16. Blood pressure chart
  17. Blood pressure cuff: Does size matter?
  18. Blood pressure: Does it have a daily pattern?
  19. Blood pressure: Is it affected by cold weather?
  20. Blood pressure medication: Still necessary if I lose weight?
  21. Blood pressure medications: Can they raise my triglycerides?
  22. Blood pressure readings: Why higher at home?
  23. Blood pressure test
  24. Blood sugar levels can fluctuate for many reasons
  25. Blood sugar testing: Why, when and how
  26. Bone and joint problems associated with diabetes
  27. How kidneys work
  28. Bump on the head: When is it a serious head injury?
  29. Caffeine and hypertension
  30. Calcium channel blockers
  31. Calcium supplements: Do they interfere with blood pressure drugs?
  32. Can whole-grain foods lower blood pressure?
  33. Central-acting agents
  34. Choosing blood pressure medicines
  35. Chronic daily headaches
  36. Chronic kidney disease
  37. Chronic kidney disease: Is a clinical trial right for me?
  38. Coarctation of the aorta
  39. COVID-19: Who's at higher risk of serious symptoms?
  40. Cushing syndrome
  41. DASH diet
  42. DASH diet: Recommended servings
  43. Sample DASH menus
  44. Diabetes
  45. Diabetes and depression: Coping with the two conditions
  46. Diabetes and exercise: When to monitor your blood sugar
  47. Diabetes and heat
  48. 10 ways to avoid diabetes complications
  49. Diabetes diet: Should I avoid sweet fruits?
  50. Diabetes diet: Create your healthy-eating plan
  51. Diabetes foods: Can I substitute honey for sugar?
  52. Diabetes and liver
  53. Diabetes management: How lifestyle, daily routine affect blood sugar
  54. Diabetes symptoms
  55. Diabetes treatment: Can cinnamon lower blood sugar?
  56. Using insulin
  57. Diuretics
  58. Diuretics: A cause of low potassium?
  59. Diuretics: Cause of gout?
  60. Dizziness
  61. Do infrared saunas have any health benefits?
  62. Drug addiction (substance use disorder)
  63. Eating right for chronic kidney disease
  64. High blood pressure and exercise
  65. Fibromuscular dysplasia
  66. Free blood pressure machines: Are they accurate?
  67. Home blood pressure monitoring
  68. Glomerulonephritis
  69. Glycemic index: A helpful tool for diabetes?
  70. Guillain-Barre syndrome
  71. Headache and Migraine
  72. Headaches and hormones
  73. Headaches: Treatment depends on your diagnosis and symptoms
  74. Heart and Blood Health
  75. Herbal supplements and heart drugs
  76. High blood pressure (hypertension)
  77. High blood pressure and cold remedies: Which are safe?
  78. High blood pressure and sex
  79. High blood pressure dangers
  80. How does IgA nephropathy (Berger's disease) cause kidney damage?
  81. How opioid use disorder occurs
  82. How to tell if a loved one is abusing opioids
  83. What is hypertension? A Mayo Clinic expert explains.
  84. Hypertension FAQs
  85. Hypertensive crisis: What are the symptoms?
  86. Hypothermia
  87. I have IgA nephrology. Will I need a kidney transplant?
  88. IgA nephropathy (Berger disease)
  89. Insulin and weight gain
  90. Intracranial hematoma
  91. Isolated systolic hypertension: A health concern?
  92. What is kidney disease? An expert explains
  93. Kidney disease FAQs
  94. Kratom: Unsafe and ineffective
  95. Kratom for opioid withdrawal
  96. L-arginine: Does it lower blood pressure?
  97. Late-night eating: OK if you have diabetes?
  98. Lead poisoning
  99. Living with IgA nephropathy (Berger's disease) and C3G
  100. Low-phosphorus diet: Helpful for kidney disease?
  101. Medications and supplements that can raise your blood pressure
  102. Menopause and high blood pressure: What's the connection?
  103. Molar pregnancy
  104. MRI: Is gadolinium safe for people with kidney problems?
  105. New Test for Preeclampsia
  106. Nighttime headaches: Relief
  107. Nosebleeds
  108. Obstructive sleep apnea
  109. Obstructive Sleep Apnea
  110. Opioid stewardship: What is it?
  111. Pain Management
  112. Pheochromocytoma
  113. Picnic Problems: High Sodium
  114. Pituitary tumors
  115. Polycystic kidney disease
  116. Polypill: Does it treat heart disease?
  117. Poppy seed tea: Beneficial or dangerous?
  118. Porphyria
  119. Postpartum preeclampsia
  120. Preeclampsia
  121. Prescription drug abuse
  122. Primary aldosteronism
  123. Pulse pressure: An indicator of heart health?
  124. Mayo Clinic Minute: Rattlesnakes, scorpions and other desert dangers
  125. Reactive hypoglycemia: What can I do?
  126. Renal diet for vegetarians
  127. Resperate: Can it help reduce blood pressure?
  128. Scorpion sting
  129. Secondary hypertension
  130. Serotonin syndrome
  131. Sleep deprivation: A cause of high blood pressure?
  132. Sleep tips
  133. Snoring
  134. Sodium
  135. Spider bites
  136. Stress and high blood pressure
  137. Symptom Checker
  138. Takayasu's arteritis
  139. Tapering off opioids: When and how
  140. Tetanus
  141. Tetanus shots: Is it risky to receive 'extra' boosters?
  142. The dawn phenomenon: What can you do?
  143. Understanding complement 3 glomerulopathy (C3G)
  144. Understanding IgA nephropathy (Berger's disease)
  145. Vasodilators
  146. Vegetarian diet: Can it help me control my diabetes?
  147. Vesicoureteral reflux
  148. Video: Heart and circulatory system
  149. How to measure blood pressure using a manual monitor
  150. How to measure blood pressure using an automatic monitor
  151. Obstructive sleep apnea: What happens?
  152. What is blood pressure?
  153. Can a lack of vitamin D cause high blood pressure?
  154. What are opioids and why are they dangerous?
  155. White coat hypertension
  156. Wrist blood pressure monitors: Are they accurate?
  157. Xylazine
  158. Effectively managing chronic kidney disease
  159. Mayo Clinic Minute: Do not share pain medication
  160. Mayo Clinic Minute: Avoid opioids for chronic pain
  161. Mayo Clinic Minute: Be careful not to pop pain pills
  162. Mayo Clinic Minute: Out of shape kids and diabetes