The drug generically named labetalol is marketed within the United States under the trade names of Trandate and Normodyne. It is categorized as a beta-blocker and is prescribed in the treatment of hypertension, also called high blood pressure. It works by helping slow down the heart to reduce blood pressure. Labetalol may be used in conjunction with other medications for therapeutic effect. Diuretics, commonly called water pills, are sometimes used with this drug. The Mayo Clinic reports that there are no common serious side effects of labetalol.
Indigestion
Dyspepsia, commonly known as indigestion, is a sensation of the food a person eats not being digested properly. It may feel like a burning sensation in the stomach and chest, or it may be experienced as pain in the stomach. It may be accompanied by belching. Labetalol may cause patients to feel indigestion when treatment is first initiated. The side effect is not serious and relatively mild in most people who take labetalol, and should cease in a few days.
Abnormal Tiredness
Labetalol also may cause unusual drowsiness at the start of its use. This problem may occur despite the patient being well-rested. She may have slept well, yet still be tired in the middle of her day for a short time after beginning labetalol use. This feeling passes without medical aid in most circumstances, but a physician should be consulted if it is severe and does not end.
Dizziness
Upon starting labetalol, patients may feel an uncommon sense of motion even while stationary, such as a feeling of spinning. This occurs because labetalol may affect the internal sense of balance when it is new in the system. Dizziness can cause stumbling and unsteadiness, as well as have effects on the stomach, causing nausea and, in some cases, vomiting. Dizziness may occur alongside light-headedness. These temporary, non-serious side effects frequently end without help from a doctor after several days of using the medicine.
Scalp and Sinus Problems
As the pressure of the blood coursing through the body lessens, a patient may feel tingling on the scalp. It also can induce temporary sinus congestion. Annoying as these problems may be, they are not serious, and should pass after being on the medication for a short time.
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