Blocadren

Blocadren is used to treat high blood pressure, reduce the risk of future heart attacks in people who have had a heart attack, and prevent migraine headaches. This prescription medicine comes in tablet form and is typically taken once or twice a day. Although most people have no problems with it, side effects are possible and may include nausea, a slow heart rate, and heart failure.

Blocadren Drug Information

What Is Blocadren?

Blocadren^® (timolol maleate) is a prescription medication approved for the following uses:

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
Preventing migraine headaches.

(Click Blocadren Uses for more information, including possible off-label uses.)

Who Makes This Medication?

Brand-name Blocadren was made by Merck & Co., Inc., but is no longer being manufactured. A generic version, which is still available, is made by Mylan Pharmaceuticals.

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.

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