Labetalol is a beta blocker medicine, used to treat high blood pressure (hypertension), including high blood pressure in pregnancy.
If you have high blood pressure, taking labetalol helps to prevent future heart disease, heart attacks and strokes.
It can also be used to prevent chest pain caused by angina.
Labetalol works by slowing down your heart rate and making it easier for your heart to pump blood around your body.
This medicine is only available on prescription. It comes as tablets. It can also be given as an injection in hospital.
Key facts
- You'll usually take labetalol twice a day. Some people take it 3 or 4 times a day.
- The most common side effects of labetalol are feeling dizzy, sleepy or weak, headaches, cold fingers and toes, and feeling or being sick (nausea and vomiting). These usually happen at the start of treatment and do not last long.
- Labetalol is one of the first choice medicines for treating high blood pressure during pregnancy.
- Do not stop taking labetalol suddenly, especially if you have heart disease. This can make your condition worse.
- If you're taking labetalol for high blood pressure or angina, treatment is usually long term. You may take it for the rest of your life.