Pindolol
Pindolol is a beta-blocker used to manage high blood pressure, either alone or with other blood pressure medicines.
🧬 Where this information comes from Click to expand
The clinical label records used on this page are FDA-filed Structured Product Labeling (SPL) retrieved through openFDA. We identified 12 clinical label sets within the page’s selected clinical scope after exact ingredient or ingredient-combination matching and applicable route/form matching. Forms, routes, brands, labelers, strengths, and NDC product-record counts are built separately from matching FDA National Drug Code Directory records. The linked DailyMed document is a representative official source for verification, not the page’s only clinical source. View the linked label on DailyMed →
Pindolol (Visken) is an older beta-blocker for high blood pressure, on the market since about 1982, available as a generic and rarely a first choice today; it blocks adrenaline's effect on the heart, but a mild built-in stimulating effect means it slows the resting pulse less than most other beta-blockers. Most people tolerate it reasonably well, and the side effects that come up most are tiredness, dizziness, trouble sleeping and vivid dreams. Never stop it suddenly, because that can worsen chest pain (angina) and in some cases trigger a heart attack, even in people taking it only for blood pressure.
Clinical pearls
- Asthma, active heart failure or a very slow heartbeat rule pindolol out, so your prescriber needs to know first.
- If you have diabetes, pindolol can hide the fast heartbeat that warns of low blood sugar, so check readings more carefully.
- Tell any surgeon or anesthesiologist you take pindolol before an operation, even a minor one.
- If you have had severe allergic reactions, usual epinephrine doses may work less well, so tell your allergist you take pindolol.
Patient information guide A plain-language walkthrough of Pindolol, written from its FDA label.
What Pindolol is used for
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Pindolol is used for one main condition.
- Pindolol tablets (oral) are used to manage high blood pressure.
- They may be used alone or with other blood pressure medicines, especially a thiazide-type diuretic.
How Pindolol works
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Pindolol is a nonselective beta-blocker. It blocks beta receptors that respond to adrenaline-type signals, which blunts rises in heart rate and blood pressure.
It also has partial stimulating activity (ISA), so it lowers resting heart rate and heart output less than beta-blockers without it. How beta-blockers lower blood pressure is not fully established.
Pindolol dosage
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Pindolol tablets are taken by mouth, usually twice a day to start. Your prescriber individualizes the dose and may adjust it over several weeks if blood pressure is not controlled.
- Blood pressure often starts to drop within the first week.
- The full effect can take 2 weeks or longer.
- Food does not significantly affect absorption.
- Do not stop suddenly; follow your prescriber's plan.
Dosing details from the FDA-approved label
From the Pindolol prescribing information (“Dosage and Administration”). Doses are set by your prescriber for your product, condition, kidney function and age — never change a dose on your own.
- Hypertension (dosage individualized)
- Initial dose 5 mg b.i.d., alone or in combination with other antihypertensive agents
- If a satisfactory reduction in blood pressure does not occur within 3 to 4 weeks, the dose may be adjusted in increments of 10 mg/day at these intervals
- Maximum: 60 mg/day
- Antihypertensive response usually occurs within the first week; maximal response may take as long as or occasionally longer than 2 weeks.
Read the label’s full dosing text
DOSAGE AND ADMINISTRATION The dosage of pindolol tablets should be individualized. The recommended initial dose of pindolol tablets is 5 mg b.i.d. alone or in combination with other antihypertensive agents. An antihypertensive response usually occurs within the first week of treatment. Maximal response, however, may take as long as or occasionally longer than 2 weeks. If a satisfactory reduction in blood pressure does not occur within 3 to 4 weeks, the dose may be adjusted in increments of 10 mg/day at these intervals up to a maximum of 60 mg/day.
Read the full Dosage and Administration section on DailyMed →
Pindolol side effects
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Most side effects were mild. Common ones include:
Common side effects
- Trouble sleeping (insomnia)
- Muscle pain
- Dizziness
- Fatigue
- Joint pain
- Nervousness
- Swelling (edema)
- Vivid or many dreams
- Nausea
When to get medical help
- Call your doctor if you have new or worsening shortness of breath, swelling, or signs of heart failure.
- Get help right away if chest pain (angina) gets worse, especially after missing doses or stopping.
- Tell your doctor about a very slow heartbeat, fainting, or severe dizziness.
- Report wheezing or breathing trouble, especially if you have asthma, chronic bronchitis, or emphysema.
- Seek care for hallucinations, confusion, memory loss, or worsening depression.
- Call right away for fever with aching and sore throat, or signs of a serious allergic reaction.
Pindolol warnings and precautions
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- Stopping suddenly can worsen angina and may cause a heart attack.
- It can worsen heart failure in some people.
- It can trigger breathing problems in people with bronchospastic disease.
- It can hide signs of low blood sugar and an overactive thyroid.
- It can raise risks with surgery and anesthesia; tell your surgical team.
- Weight gain and swelling can occur.
Pindolol interactions
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Some medicines and conditions need extra care with pindolol.
- Reserpine-type drugs: added effect can cause low blood pressure or a slow heartbeat.
- Thioridazine: levels of one or both drugs may rise.
- Digoxin: both slow the heart, raising slow heartbeat risk.
- Diabetes medicines: low blood sugar signs may be hidden.
- Epinephrine: may work less well for severe allergic reactions.
Interactions listed in the FDA-approved label
From the Pindolol prescribing information (“Drug Interactions”): what the manufacturer studied or reported to the FDA.
- Catecholamine-depleting drugs (e.g., reserpine): May have an additive effect when given with beta-blocking agents, with possible hypotension and/or marked bradycardia which may produce vertigo, syncope, or postural hypotension. Patients receiving pindolol plus a catecholamine-depleting agent should be closely observed for evidence of hypotension and/or marked bradycardia.
- Hydrochlorothiazide, hydralazine, and guanethidine (antihypertensive agents): Pindolol has been used with a variety of antihypertensive agents, including these, without unexpected adverse interactions.
- Thioridazine: Pindolol has been shown to increase serum thioridazine levels when both drugs are coadministered; pindolol levels may also be increased with this combination.
- Allergens / epinephrine (risk of anaphylactic reaction): While taking beta-blockers, patients with a history of severe anaphylactic reaction to a variety of allergens may be more reactive to repeated challenge, and may be unresponsive to the usual doses of epinephrine used to treat allergic reactions.
Read the label’s full interactions text
Drug Interactions Catecholamine-depleting drugs (e.g., reserpine) may have an additive effect when given with beta-blocking agents. Patients receiving pindolol tablets plus a catecholamine-depleting agent should, therefore, be closely observed for evidence of hypotension and/or marked bradycardia which may produce vertigo, syncope, or postural hypotension. Pindolol tablets have been used with a variety of antihypertensive agents, including hydrochlorothiazide, hydralazine, and guanethidine without unexpected adverse interactions. Pindolol tablets have been shown to increase serum thioridazine levels when both drugs are coadministered. Pindolol levels may also be increased with this combination. Risk of Anaphylactic Reaction While taking beta-blockers, patients with a history of severe anaphylactic reaction to a variety of allergens may be more reactive to repeated challenge, either accidental, diagnostic, or therapeutic. Such patients may be unresponsive to the usual doses of epinephrine used to treat allergic reactions.
Not a complete list. The label covers the interactions the manufacturer studied or reported, and our own interaction database does not cover every medicine either. Bring your full medication list, including vitamins and herbal products, to your pharmacist.
Before taking Pindolol
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- Do not use with bronchial asthma, overt cardiac failure, cardiogenic shock, second- or third-degree heart block, or severe bradycardia.
- Use caution with heart failure history, coronary artery disease, chronic bronchitis, emphysema, diabetes, or thyroid disease.
- Older adults may clear it more slowly and variably.
- Severe kidney disease reduces how much is cleared unchanged.
- Liver cirrhosis can slow clearance a lot, so dose changes need care.
Pindolol overdose
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Overdose can cause a very slow heartbeat, heart failure, low blood pressure, and bronchospasm (airway tightening). There is no specific emergency treatment; care targets each problem, such as atropine for a slow heartbeat. Get emergency help right away if too much is taken.
What Pindolol does in the body
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Pindolol blunts increases in heart rate, systolic blood pressure, and heart output during exercise. It lowers resting heart rate slightly less (about 4 to 8 beats per minute) than beta-blockers without ISA. Its blood pressure effect is the same lying down or standing, and it held up in studies up to 4 years. An average 3-pound weight gain and more edema were seen.
How your body processes Pindolol
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Pindolol is well absorbed (over 95%) and peaks within 1 hour. About 35% to 40% leaves unchanged in urine, and the rest is metabolized. Half-life is about 3 to 4 hours in healthy adults and averages about 7 hours in older adults. It clears more slowly and variably in liver cirrhosis.
How to store Pindolol
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Store at 20° to 25°C (68° to 77°F). Protect from light. Dispense in a tight, light-resistant container as defined in the USP using a child-resistant closure.
Written from the FDA-approved label with AI and reviewed by our pharmacy team. How we use AI →
Supplements & herbs that interact with Pindolol
183 supplements and herbal products have documented interactions with Pindolol in the licensed clinical database we use. Most are manageable — but your pharmacist should know about everything you take, including vitamins and herbals.
- Major · 5
- Moderate · 151
- Minor · 27
Educational information from a licensed clinical database (Natural Medicines) — see our data sources & update cadence. Not medical advice: an interaction being documented does not mean it will happen to you; do not start or stop medications or supplements without professional guidance.
Nutrient depletion considerations
Pindolol has been associated with lower levels of 1 nutrient in the clinical literature. This does not mean a deficiency will occur — it means these may be worth discussing with your pharmacist or healthcare provider, especially with long-term use.
Educational information from a licensed clinical database (Natural Medicines) — not medical advice. Do not start or stop medications or supplements without professional guidance.
Pindolol: pharmacist answers to common questions
Quick, plain-English answers to the questions patients ask most about Pindolol — the kind of thing our pharmacy team would talk through with you at the counter.
What is pindolol for?
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How quickly will it work?
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Can I stop taking it if I feel fine?
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What side effects should I expect?
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Do I need to tell anyone I take it?
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Who shouldn't take pindolol?
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Is Pindolol available over the counter?
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When was Pindolol first available?
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Who makes Pindolol?
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Answers drafted from the FDA-approved label with AI and reviewed by our pharmacy team. How we use AI →
More about Pindolol on HelloPharmacist
Pindolol forms and strengths (how it comes)
Pindolol is available in 1 form. Different forms and brands can have different approved uses, doses, schedules, and directions. Follow the instructions for your exact product, and do not switch forms without guidance from your prescriber or pharmacist.
Tablet
How this form is used
- Pindolol tablets are used to manage high blood pressure, alone or with other blood pressure medicines.
- Pindolol tablets are taken by mouth, with the dose individualized by your prescriber.
- Pindolol tablets usually start twice a day, and the dose may be adjusted over several weeks.
- Pindolol tablets should not be stopped suddenly; the dose is lowered gradually.
Pindolol on the U.S. market: products, makers and brands
How Pindolol appears in the FDA’s National Drug Code Directory — including its dosage forms, strengths, brand names, manufacturers, and FDA-listed product records. These are directory records, not sales or prescription volume.
8 companies list 19 Pindolol product records with the FDA, mostly as tablet; the earliest marketing or approval year on record is 1982. Brand names on the directory include Visken; the rest are generics.
Also listed with the FDA, not a patient dose form: Powder (2) — bulk drug substance sold to compounders/manufacturers and multi-item kits. These aren’t counted in the dose-form total above.
Share of FDA-listed product records by manufacturer — FDA National Drug Code Directory. Record counts are not sales or prescription volume.
How widely Pindolol is used (Medicaid data)
A general measure of how commonly Pindolol is prescribed, based on Medicaid — one of the largest public drug programs. The figure below is prescriptions filled in Q1–Q4 2025, summed across every form and brand of the drug.
Think of this as a proxy for how widely Pindolol is used, drawn from freely available public data. Medicaid is just one program — these numbers don’t include Medicare, other government coverage, or commercial and cash-pay prescriptions, so real-world use is higher than what’s shown here.
How commonly is Pindolol prescribed? Of the 1,601 medications we measure, Pindolol ranks #1,124 by Medicaid prescriptions — more than 30% of them.
Utilization by Pindolol product
Pick a product to see its own Medicaid numbers. Each chip is one clinical product — a specific strength & dosage form as defined by RxNorm — with brand-name and generic versions combined.
pindolol 5 MG Oral Tablet Most dispensed
Summed across the 3 of 13 listed NDC products with Medicaid activity — every brand and generic of this exact strength & form. RxNorm 198105
pindolol 10 MG Oral Tablet
Summed across the 3 of 12 listed NDC products with Medicaid activity — every brand and generic of this exact strength & form. RxNorm 198104
Shares are of the Medicaid prescriptions shown here. Product grouping follows RxNorm (the National Library of Medicine’s drug terminology), so “one product” means one strength & dosage form regardless of manufacturer. Dollar figures are gross Medicaid reimbursement before mandatory rebates — rebates (often large, especially for brand-name drugs) are confidential, so actual net cost to Medicaid is lower than shown.
Source: Medicaid State Drug Utilization Data (CMS), aggregated by generic ingredient — summed across every NDC (all brands, strengths, salt forms and dosage forms) of Pindolol, and across all states and both fee-for-service and managed-care claims. A general popularity signal; it excludes Medicare, commercial insurance and cash prescriptions, so it is not total U.S. use. Based on the 6 of 25 listed Pindolol NDCs with Medicaid activity.
Compare Pindolol products
A representative set of FDA-listed product records for Pindolol — across manufacturers, strengths, and dosage forms, grouped by form with each product’s manufacturer and how the FDA approved it. The same medicine may be made and packaged by different companies, so a single drug can have many directory entries. (It’s also why a refill can look different — a new shape, color, or box — even though it contains the same medication.)
| Strength | Route | Manufacturer / Labeler | Category ⓘ | Details |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 💊Tablet | ||||
| 5 mg | Oral | ANI Pharmaceuticals, Inc. | ANDA | View NDC → |
| 10 mg | Oral | ANI Pharmaceuticals, Inc. | ANDA | View NDC → |
| 5 mg | Oral | Bryant Ranch Prepack × 2 listings | ANDA | View NDC → |
| 10 mg | Oral | Bryant Ranch Prepack | ANDA | View NDC → |
| 5 mg | Oral | Marlex Pharmaceuticals, Inc. | ANDA | View NDC → |
| 10 mg | Oral | Marlex Pharmaceuticals, Inc. | ANDA | View NDC → |
| 5 mg | Oral | PD-Rx Pharmaceuticals, Inc. × 2 listings | ANDA | View NDC → |
| 10 mg | Oral | PD-Rx Pharmaceuticals, Inc. × 2 listings | ANDA | View NDC → |
| 5 mg | Oral | Proficient Rx LP | ANDA | View NDC → |
| 10 mg | Oral | Proficient Rx LP | ANDA | View NDC → |
| 5 mg | Oral | Sun Pharmaceutical Industries, Inc. | ANDA | View NDC → |
| 10 mg | Oral | Sun Pharmaceutical Industries, Inc. | ANDA | View NDC → |
| 5 mg | Oral | Unichem Pharmaceuticals (USA), Inc. | ANDA | View NDC → |
| 10 mg | Oral | Unichem Pharmaceuticals (USA), Inc. | ANDA | View NDC → |
| 5 mg | Oral | Westminster Pharmaceuticals, LLC | ANDA | View NDC → |
| 10 mg | Oral | Westminster Pharmaceuticals, LLC | ANDA | View NDC → |
Showing 19 of 19 products — FDA National Drug Code Directory. See every product, package size and price: browse all 19 Pindolol NDCs →
Pindolol side effects reported to the FDA (FAERS)
After a medicine reaches the market, patients, doctors and drugmakers can send the FDA reports of problems they think may be linked to it. Here’s what’s been reported for Pindolol — a signal of what to watch for, not proof the drug caused it.
Source: openFDA, from the FDA Adverse Event Reporting System (FAERS). These are voluntary reports — they don’t prove the drug caused the effect, and counts reflect how often something was reported, not how often it actually happens. Reports also often name the very problem the medicine is taken for — a common reason to file one is that the drug didn’t help — so for a pain reliever you may see “pain” high on the list; that points to why the report was filed, not to the drug causing the symptom. This counts every report that lists Pindolol in any role, so the total runs higher than the FDA’s official dashboard, which counts only cases where the drug is the suspect. For the authoritative figures, see the FDA FAERS Public Dashboard. Always talk to your pharmacist or doctor.
Pindolol FDA approval history
How Pindolol went from FDA review to the pharmacy shelf — the key milestones in its regulatory journey.
Source: Drugs@FDA.
Pindolol recall history
A recall is when a specific batch of a medicine is pulled from the market — usually a manufacturing issue, not a problem with the drug itself. Class I is most serious, Class III least.
The FDA’s enforcement reports list no Pindolol recalls since July 2021.
✅No Pindolol recalls on record since July 2021Source: FDA enforcement (recall) reports, via openFDA; our copy was last updated Sep 24, 2026.
RxNorm Concept Web — From Ingredient to Every Form and Strength
This page starts with one ingredient concept (IN). The branches below show its dose-form concepts (SCDF), then the available clinical drug and strength concepts (SCD). Combination products remain separate concepts with their own pages.
RxCUI 8332 1 dose form · 3 strengths
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Dose form (SCDF) Oral Tablet RxCUI 373460In current FDA listings
Look up RxCUI 8332 in the RxCUI Atlas →
RxNorm is the U.S. National Library of Medicine’s normalized drug vocabulary. Its concept hierarchy can include forms that are not currently marketed; the status on each branch compares that concept with current FDA listings. RxCUIs identify vocabulary concepts, not individual packages or manufacturers.
Pindolol supply and shortage status
Whether Pindolol is in short supply in the U.S. right now, plus any shortage history the FDA has on record. A shortage usually reflects a manufacturing or demand issue — not a safety problem with the drug.
Source: openFDA, from the FDA Drug Shortages database.
Pindolol brand names
Pindolol is sold under one brand name in the FDA directory — Visken. A brand and its generic contain the same active ingredient; the brand name belongs to one company's product.
Who makes Pindolol: manufacturers and labelers
8 companies list Pindolol products with the FDA. By number of product records, the largest are PD-Rx Pharmaceuticals, Inc., Bryant Ranch Prepack, ANI Pharmaceuticals, Inc.. Labelers include manufacturers and repackagers; the product in your bottle depends on which one your pharmacy stocks.
Pindolol drug class (RxNorm)
Pindolol belongs to the beta-Adrenergic Blocker class.
Classified by RxNorm RxClass — the U.S. National Library of Medicine's standardized drug-classification service (Established Pharmacologic Class from the FDA, the ATC drug family from the WHO, and mechanism of action). Reference only, not medical advice.
Sources for this Pindolol page
Core label, product, RxNorm, safety, and utilization data on this page come from the sources identified below. AI-written, editorial, and licensed sections are labeled separately.
How this page is built
HelloPharmacist combines public FDA and NLM records and does not author the underlying clinical facts. The plain-language sections are written with AI from the FDA-approved label text and reviewed by our pharmacy team before publication. Sun Pharmaceutical Industries, Inc. is the representative DailyMed label linked for verification and dates. This is general education, not medical advice: always talk to your doctor or pharmacist about your own medicines. How we build and review drug pages →