An Introduction to Sectral Side Effects
As with any medicine, side effects are possible with
Sectral® (
acebutolol hydrochloride). However, not everyone who takes the medication will have problems. In fact, most people tolerate it quite well. If side effects do occur, in most cases, they are minor and either require no treatment or can easily be treated by you or your healthcare provider.
(This article covers many, but not all, of the possible side effects with Sectral. Your healthcare provider can discuss a more complete list of Sectral side effects with you.)
Common Side Effects of Sectral
Sectral has been studied thoroughly in clinical trials.
In these studies, the side effects that occur in a group of people taking the drug are documented and are then compared to side effects that occur in another group of people taking either a placebo (a "sugar pill" with no active ingredients) or a different
blood pressure medication. This way, it is possible to see what side effects occur, how often they appear, and how they compare to the groups not taking the medicine.
In these studies, the most common Sectral side effects (that occurred more frequently with Sectral than with the placebo) included:
- Fatigue -- in up to 11 percent of people
- Dizziness -- up to 6 percent
- Headache -- up to 6 percent
- Constipation -- up to 4 percent
- Diarrhea -- up to 4 percent
- Nausea -- up to 4 percent
- Indigestion or heartburn -- up to 4 percent.
Other common side effects (occurring in 1 to 3 percent of people) include, but are not limited to:
- Chest pain
- Water retention and swelling in the hands or feet
- Depression
- Insomnia
- Abnormal dreams
- Rash
- Gas
- Frequent urination
- Muscle pain
- Cough
- Stuffy or runny nose.
