Blocadren Side Effects Center

Medical Editor: John P. Cunha, DO, FACOEP

What Is Blocadren?

Blocadren (timolol maleate) is a beta-blocker used to treat hypertension (high blood pressure). The brand name Blocadren is discontinued, but generic versions may be available.

What Are Side Effects of Blocadren?

Common side effects of Blocadren (timolol maleate) include

decreased sex drive
impotence
difficulty having an orgasm
sleep problems (insomnia)
tired feeling
anxiety, or
nervousness

Dosage for Blocadren

The usual initial dosage of Blocadren is 10 mg twice a day, whether used alone or added to diuretic therapy. The usual total maintenance dosage is 20-40 mg per day.

What Drugs, Substances, or Supplements Interact with Blocadren?

Blocadren may interact with allergy treatments (or allergy skin-testing), clonidine, guanabenz, MAO inhibitors, diabetes medications, heart medications, medicine for asthma or other breathing disorders, cold medicines, stimulant medicines, or diet pills. Tell your doctor all medications and supplements you use.

Blocadren During Pregnancy or Breastfeeding

Blocadren may be harmful to a fetus. Tell your doctor if you are pregnant or plan to become pregnant during treatment. This drug can pass into breast milk and may harm a nursing baby. Consult your doctor before breastfeeding.

Additional Information

Our Blocadren (timolol maleate) Side Effects Drug Center provides a comprehensive view of available drug information on the potential side effects when taking this medication.

This is not a complete list of side effects and others may occur. Call your doctor for medical advice about side effects. You may report side effects to FDA at 1-800-FDA-1088.

QUESTION

In the U.S., 1 in every 4 deaths is caused by heart disease. See Answer

Blocadren Consumer Information

Get emergency medical help if you have signs of an allergic reaction: hives; difficult breathing; swelling of your face, lips, tongue, or throat.

Call your doctor at once if you have:

new or worsening chest pain;
slow or uneven heartbeats;
a light-headed feeling, like you might pass out;
shortness of breath (even with mild exertion), swelling, rapid weight gain;
muscle weakness;
drooping eyelids, vision problems; or
a cold feeling in your hands and feet.

Common side effects may include:

slow heartbeats;
dizziness; or
tiredness.

This is not a complete list of side effects and others may occur. Call your doctor for medical advice about side effects. You may report side effects to FDA at 1-800-FDA-1088.

Read the entire detailed patient monograph for Blocadren (Timolol)

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SLIDESHOW

Heart Disease: Symptoms, Signs, and Causes See Slideshow

Blocadren Professional Information

SIDE EFFECTS

BLOCADREN (timolol) is usually well tolerated in properly selected patients. Most adverse effects have been mild and transient.

In a multicenter (12-week) clinical trial comparing timolol maleate and placebo in hypertensive patients, the following adverse reactions were reported spontaneously and considered to be causally related to timolol maleate:

	Timolol Maleate (n = 176) %	Placebo (n = 168) %
BODY AS A WHOLE
fatigue/tiredness	3.4	0.6
headache	1.7	1.8
chest pain	0.6	0
asthenia	0.6	0
CARDIOVASCULAR
bradycardia	9.1	0
arrhythmia	1.1	0.6
syncope	0.6	0
edema	0.6	1.2
DIGESTIVE
dyspepsia	0.6	0.6
nausea	0.6	0
SKIN
pruritus	1.1	0
NERVOUS SYSTEM
dizziness	2.3	1.2
vertigo	0.6	0
paresthesia	0.6	0
PSYCHIATRIC
decreased libido	0.6	0
RESPIRATORY
dyspnea	1.7	0.6
bronchial spasm	0.6	0
rales	0.6	0
SPECIAL SENSES
eye irritation	1.1	0.6
tinnitus	0.6	0

These data are representative of the incidence of adverse effects that may be observed in properly selected patients treated with BLOCADREN (timolol) , i.e., excluding patients with bronchospastic disease, congestive heart failure or other contraindications to beta blocker therapy.

In patients with migraine the incidence of bradycardia was 5 percent.

In a coronary artery disease population studied in the Norwegian multi-center trial (see CLINICAL PHARMACOLOGY), the frequency of the principal adverse reactions and the frequency with which these resulted in discontinuation of therapy in the timolol and placebo groups were

	Adverse Reaction***		Withdrawal^†
	Timolol (n=945) %	Placebo (n=939) %	Timolol (n=945) %	Placebo (n=939) %
Asthenia or Fatigue	5	1	<1	<1
Heart Rate <40 beats/minute	5	<1	4	<1
Cardiac Failure-Nonfatal	8	7	3	2
Hypotension	3	2	3	1
Pulmonary Edema-Nonfatal	2	<1	<1	<1
Claudication	3	3	1	<1
AV Block - 2nd or 3rd degree	<1	<1	<1	<1
Sinoatrial Block	<1	<1	<1	<1
Cold Hands and Feet	8	<1	<1	0
Nausea or Digestive Disorders	8	6	1	<1
Dizziness	6	4	1	0
Bronchial Obstruction	2	<1	1	<1
*** When an adverse reaction recurred in a patient, it is listed only once. ^†Only principal reason for withdrawal in each patient is listed. These adverse reactions can also occur in patients treated for hypertension.

The following additional adverse effects have been reported in clinical experience with the drug: Body as a Whole: anaphylaxis, extremity pain, decreased exercise tolerance, weight loss, fever; Cardiovascular: cardiac arrest, cardiac failure, cerebral vascular accident, worsening of angina pectoris, worsening of arterial insufficiency, Raynaud's phenomenon, palpitations, vasodilatation; Digestive: gastrointestinal pain, hepatomegaly, vomiting, diarrhea, dyspepsia; Hematologic: nonthrombocytopenic purpura; Endocrine: hyperglycemia, hypoglycemia; Skin: rash, skin irritation, increased pigmentation, sweating, alopecia; Musculoskeletal: arthralgia; Nervous System: local weakness, increase in signs and symptoms of myasthenia gravis; Psychiatric: depression, nightmares, somnolence, insomnia, nervousness, diminished concentration, hallucinations; Respiratory: cough; Special Senses: visual disturbances, diplopia, ptosis, dry eyes; Urogenital: impotence, urination difficulties.

There have been reports of retroperitoneal fibrosis in patients receiving timolol maleate and in patients receiving other beta-adrenergic blocking agents. A causal relationship between this condition and therapy with beta-adrenergic blocking agents has not been established.

Potential Adverse Effects: In addition, a variety of adverse effects not observed in clinical trials with BLOCADREN (timolol) , but reported with other beta-adrenergic blocking agents, should be considered potential adverse effects of BLOCADREN (timolol) : Nervous System: Reversible mental depression progressing to catatonia; an acute reversible syndrome characterized by disorientation for time and place, short-term memory loss, emotional lability, slightly clouded sensorium, and decreased performance on neuropsychometrics; Cardiovascular: Intensification of AV block (see CONTRAINDICATIONS); Digestive: Mesenteric arterial thrombosis, ischemic colitis; Hematologic: Agranulocytosis, thrombocytopenic purpura; Allergic: Erythematous rash, fever combined with aching and sore throat, laryngospasm with respiratory distress; Miscellaneous: Peyronie's disease.

There have been reports of a syndrome comprising psoriasiform skin rash, conjunctivitis sicca, otitis, and sclerosing serositis attributed to the beta-adrenergic receptor blocking agent, practolol. This syndrome has not been reported with BLOCADREN (timolol) .

Clinical Laboratory Test Findings: Clinically important changes in standard laboratory parameters were rarely associated with the administration of BLOCADREN (timolol) . Slight increases in blood urea nitrogen, serum potassium, uric acid, and triglycerides, and slight decreases in hemoglobin, hematocrit and HDL cholesterol occurred, but were not progressive or associated with clinical manifestations. Increases in liver function tests have been reported.

Read the entire FDA prescribing information for Blocadren (Timolol)

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