IN HYPERTENSION ATENOLOL IS GIVEN BY MOUTH IN A DOSE OF 50 TO 100 MG DAILY, AS A SINGLE DOSE, ALTHOUGH 50 MG DAILY IS GENERALLY ADEQUATE. THE FULL EFFECT IS USUALLY EVIDENT WITHIN 1 TO 2 WEEKS.
THE USUAL DOSE FOR ANGINA PECTORIS IS 50 TO 100 MG DAILY BY MOUTH, GIVEN AS A SINGLE DOSE OR IN DIVIDED DOSES. ALTHOUGH UP TO 200 MG DAILY HAS BEEN GIVEN FOR ANGINA PECTORIS ADDITIONAL BENEFIT IS NOT USUALLY OBTAINED FROM HIGHER DOSES OF ATENOLOL.
FOR THE EMERGENCY TREATMENT OF CARDIAC ARRHYTHMIAS ATENOLOL MAY BE GIVEN BY INTRAVENOUS INJECTION IN A DOSE OF 2.5 MG INJECTED AT A RATE OF 1 MG/MINUTE, REPEATED IF NECESSARY EVERY 5 MINUTES TO A MAXIMUM TOTAL DOSAGE OF 10 MG. ALTERNATIVELY ATENOLOL MAY BE GIVEN BY INTRAVENOUS INFUSION IN A DOSE OF 150 MICROGRAMS/KG GIVEN OVER 20 MINUTES. THE INJECTION OR INFUSION PROCEDURE MAY BE REPEATED EVERY 12 HOURS IF NECESSARY. WHEN CONTROL IS ACHIEVED MAINTENANCE DOSES OF 50 TO 100 MG DAILY MAY BE GIVEN BY MOUTH.
ATENOLOL IS ALSO USED IN THE EARLY MANAGEMENT OF ACUTE MYOCARDIAL INFARCTION. TREATMENT SHOULD BE GIVEN WITHIN 12 HOURS OF THE ONSET OF CHEST PAIN; ATENOLOL 5 MG SHOULD BE GIVEN BY SLOW INTRAVENOUS INJECTION AT A RATE OF 1 MG/MINUTE AND FOLLOWED AFTER 15 MINUTES WITH 50 MG BY MOUTH, PROVIDED NO ADVERSE EFFECTS RESULT; ALTERNATIVELY THE INTRAVENOUS DOSE MAY BE REPEATED AFTER 10 MINUTES FOLLOWED BY 50 MG BY MOUTH AFTER A FURTHER 10 MINUTES. A FURTHER 50 MG MAY BE GIVEN BY MOUTH AFTER 12 HOURS, AND SUBSEQUENT DOSAGE MAINTAINED, AFTER A FURTHER 12 HOURS, WITH 100 MG DAILY.
IN THE PROPHYLAXIS OF MIGRAINE A DOSE OF 50 TO 100 MG DAILY BY MOUTH HAS BEEN USED
CHILDREN :- 1.0 -1.3 MG/KG/24 HOURS. ONCE DAILY OR DIVIDED EVERY 12 HRS.