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Blocadren Uses
As a type of beta blocker medication, Blocadren can help treat several conditions affecting the heart and blood vessels. Specifically, Blocadren is used to help prevent migraine headaches, treat high blood pressure, and reduce the risk of future heart attacks in people who have previously had a heart attack. Some off-label uses of the drug include treating chest pain, arrhythmias, and anxiety.
from eMedTV.comWhat Is Blocadren Used For?
Blocadren® (timolol maleate) is a prescription beta blocker medication. It is approved for the following uses:- Preventing migraine headaches
- Treating high blood pressure (known medically as hypertension)
- Reducing the risk of future heart attacks and heart-related death in people who have had a heart attack.
In clinical studies, Blocadren has been shown to significantly lower both systolic and diastolic blood pressure. Studies have also shown that taking the medication after a heart attack reduces the risk of death (especially heart-related death) and repeat heart attacks. In addition, research has shown that Blocadren can help prevent migraine headaches. In studies, about 50 percent of people taking it reduced the frequency of their migraines by at least 50 percent.
How Does It Work?
Blocadren belongs to a group of drugs called beta-adrenergic blocking agents, more often known as beta blockers. As the name implies, these medications block beta receptors in the body. Beta receptors are located in a number of places, including the heart and blood vessels. Stress hormones such as adrenaline bind to these receptors and cause certain reactions in the body, such as:- Increased heart rate
- Increased force with which the heart pumps blood
- Higher blood pressure (both systolic blood pressure and diastolic blood pressure)
- Constricted blood vessels.
By blocking beta receptors, Blocadren causes the reverse effect of stress hormones. It decreases heart rate and both systolic and diastolic blood pressure.
It is not entirely clear how the medicine works to prevent migraines or to improve survival after a heart attack.
Written by/reviewed by: Kristi Monson, PharmD; Arthur Schoenstadt, MD
Last reviewed by: Kristi Monson, PharmD