Amlokind-AT Tablet: Uses, Composition, Side Effects & FAQs

Amlokind-AT is a tablet for high blood pressure that puts two heart medicines in one pill. It is a prescription-only medicine in India, so you cannot buy it without a valid doctor's prescription. Amlodipine relaxes and widens your blood vessels, while atenolol slows your heart and reduces the work it does with each beat.

Amlokind-AT is a fixed-dose combination tablet, so you take one tablet instead of two. The "AT" in the name stands for atenolol, the second medicine added to amlodipine.

Its variants - plain Amlokind, Amlokind-H, Amlokind-L and Amlokind-Beta — pair amlodipine with other medicines, so they are not swaps for each other.

Check the exact strength printed on your pack, because it may vary between variants and pack sizes.

Think of it as easing the strain on a pump from both sides:

1. Widen the pipes: Amlodipine stops calcium from getting into the muscle cells of your artery walls. The walls relax, the vessels open wider, and blood flows with less push behind it.
2. Slow the pump: Atenolol blocks the adrenaline signals that tell your heart to beat fast and hard. Your heart beats slower and with less force, so it needs less oxygen.

The overall result is lower pressure in your arteries and less strain on your heart - the two medicines also balance each other, because amlodipine's tendency to speed the heart up is offset by atenolol.

Doctors usually prescribe Amlokind-AT for:

• High blood pressure (hypertension), where blood pushes too hard against your artery walls
• Angina, chest pain that comes on when your heart muscle is short of blood
• Angina that one medicine alone cannot control, especially alongside high blood pressure
• After a heart attack, once your doctor decides it is safe for you - the atenolol in it helps a healing heart work less hard

It keeps high blood pressure under control but does not remove the condition, and it is not a blood thinner. It will not open a blocked artery during a heart attack.

1. Swallow the tablet whole with a glass of water. Do not crush, chew or split it unless your doctor says so.
2. You can take it with or without food.
3. Keep taking it on days when you feel completely fine.
4. Do not stop it suddenly on your own; stopping a beta blocker all at once can make chest pain worse.

Your doctor decides how much and how often, based on your age, weight, symptoms and other health conditions.

Never increase the dose on your own. A higher dose does not bring blood pressure down faster, but it does make a slow pulse, dizziness and ankle swelling more likely.

This tablet is made for adults. Children with high blood pressure are treated by a paediatrician, who chooses the medicine and the dose.

If someone takes too many tablets, get to the nearest hospital emergency department straight away, and carry the strip or bottle with you.

If you remember, take the missed tablet as soon as you remember — unless your next dose is nearly due. In that case skip the missed one and carry on as usual. Never take two tablets to make up for one you missed.

You will probably not feel anything happen, and that is normal with blood pressure medicines. Your doctor will check your blood pressure after two to four weeks - go back sooner if you feel dizzy, very tired or unwell.

Keep the strip in its box at room temperature, away from sunlight, damp and heat. Keep it out of reach of children, and do not use tablets past the expiry date on the pack.

Most people take Amlokind-AT without any trouble. When side effects do happen, they are usually mild and often settle after the first week or two.

Common and mild:

• Swelling in your ankles, feet or legs
• Headache
• Dizziness or light-headedness, especially when you stand up quickly
• Feeling tired or weak
• Cold, numb or tingling hands and feet
• A slower heartbeat than usual
• Feeling sick or having loose motions

Rare but serious (get medical help right away):

• Fainting, or a pulse that is very slow or uneven
• Sudden breathlessness or wheezing
• Chest pain that is worse, lasts longer, or comes more often
• Swelling of your face, lips or tongue, or a rash with breathing trouble
• Yellowing of your eyes or skin, or dark urine

Do not stop the tablet yourself for chest pain; call 112 or your doctor.

The ankle swelling and headaches come from amlodipine; the slow pulse, tiredness and cold hands come from atenolol.

• You are allergic to amlodipine, atenolol or any ingredient
• Your resting pulse is very slow or uneven
• You have poorly controlled heart failure
• You have very low blood pressure
• You have had a serious reaction to another beta blocker

Tell your doctor before taking Amlokind-AT if you have:

• Asthma or any ongoing breathing problem (atenolol can tighten the airways)
• Diabetes (atenolol can hide the early warning signs of low blood sugar)
• Kidney or liver disease (atenolol is cleared by the kidneys; amlodipine builds up if the liver is slow)
• An overactive thyroid (the tablet can mask the warning signs)
• Poor circulation, with cold or cramping hands and feet
• Surgery or dental treatment planned (tell the surgeon and dentist you take it)
• Pregnancy, a plan to become pregnant, or breastfeeding
• Being over 65 (dizziness and falls are more likely)

Always tell your doctor about every medicine, supplement or home remedy you are using. Limit alcohol, because it can drop your blood pressure further and add to dizziness. Do not eat grapefruit or drink grapefruit juice — it raises amlodipine levels and adds to side effects.

This tablet controls blood pressure but does not fix what is causing it. Get help quickly if you have:

• Chest pain that lasts more than a few minutes, or spreads to your arm, jaw or back — call 112
• Fainting, or a pulse that feels very slow or uneven
• Sudden breathlessness, or wheezing that is new for you
• Swelling of your face, lips or tongue, or a rash with trouble breathing
• Yellowing of your eyes or skin, or dark urine
• Blood pressure that stays high with a severe headache or blurred vision

Amlokind-AT is a two-in-one tablet for high blood pressure and angina, and it works best when you take it exactly as prescribed. The part most people get wrong is stopping it once their readings look normal — that is exactly when it is doing its job. Ankle swelling, headache and tiredness are the usual complaints, and they often ease with time.