Key takeaways

  • Carvedilol can cause side effects that range from mild to serious. More common side effects include diarrhea, dizziness, fatigue (low energy), low blood pressure, and weight gain.
  • If carvedilol side effects become difficult to tolerate, talk with your doctor about coping tips or other treatment options.

Carvedilol is a generic prescription drug used to treat the following conditions in adults:

Carvedilol comes as a tablet that you swallow. It also comes as an extended-release capsule, but this form is not covered in this article. (“Extended-release” means the drug is slowly released into your body over a long period of time.)

This article describes carvedilol’s side effects. For more information about carvedilol, including details about its uses, see this in-depth article.

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Some people may experience mild to serious side effects during their carvedilol treatment. Examples of carvedilol’s commonly reported side effects include:

Some people may have mild side effects while taking carvedilol. Examples of mild side effects that have been reported with carvedilol include:

In most cases, these side effects should be temporary. And some may be easily managed. But if you have any symptoms that are ongoing or bother you, talk with your doctor or pharmacist. And do not stop taking carvedilol unless your doctor recommends it.

Carvedilol may cause mild side effects other than the ones listed above. See the drug’s prescribing information for details.

For more information about some of these side effects, see “Tips for managing side effects.”

Serious side effects are possible with carvedilol. These include:

If you develop serious side effects while taking carvedilol, call your doctor right away. If the side effects seem life threatening or you think you’re having a medical emergency, immediately call 911 or your local emergency number.

Note: After the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approves a drug, it tracks and reviews side effects of the medication. Sharing your experience helps make medication safer for everyone by giving doctors and researchers more information about how the drug works in real life. If you develop a side effect during treatment with carvedilol and want to tell the FDA about it, visit MedWatch or call 800-FDA-1088.

Allergic reaction

For some people, carvedilol can cause an allergic reaction. But this side effect wasn’t reported in the drug’s studies.

In general, symptoms of an allergic reaction can be mild or serious.

What might help

If you have mild symptoms of an allergic reaction, such as a mild rash, call your doctor right away. They may suggest a treatment to manage your symptoms and can determine whether you should continue carvedilol treatment.

If you have symptoms of a severe allergic reaction, such as swelling or difficulty breathing, call 911 or your local emergency number right away. These symptoms could be life threatening and require immediate medical care.

If your doctor confirms you’ve had a serious allergic reaction to carvedilol, they may have you switch to a different treatment.

Get answers to some frequently asked questions about carvedilol’s side effects.

Yes, it’s possible that older adults (people ages 65 years and older) may have a higher risk of certain side effects from carvedilol.

Specifically, studies of carvedilol for high blood pressure have shown a higher risk of dizziness in older adults than in younger adults.

To learn more about how your age may affect your risk of side effects from carvedilol, talk with your doctor.

Possibly, but this hasn’t been shown in studies of carvedilol.

Carvedilol is available in four strengths: 3.125 milligrams (mg), 6.25 mg, 12.5 mg, and 25 mg. The side effects of carvedilol are generally expected to be the same regardless of the strength you take.

If you have questions about side effects of carvedilol, talk with your doctor or pharmacist.

No, it’s not. Muscle pain was not reported as a side effect in studies of carvedilol.

But muscle cramps have been reported since the drug became available for use. And muscle pain can be a symptom of muscle cramps. So it’s possible you could have pain related to muscle cramps while taking the drug.

If you have bothersome muscle pain while taking carvedilol, talk with your doctor. They can find out whether this is due to carvedilol or another cause. Your doctor can recommend ways to help ease any muscle pain you may have.

Constipation was not reported as a side effect in studies of carvedilol.

With constipation, you may have hard, lumpy, or dry stools that cause pain or straining during a bowel movement.

If you have constipation during carvedilol treatment, talk with your doctor. They can look for the cause of this condition and recommend ways to treat it.

There may be things you can do to help make certain carvedilol side effects more manageable. If you have ongoing, worsening, or bothersome side effects, talk with your doctor or pharmacist. They can suggest tips for managing them or recommend other available treatment options for your condition.

Weight gain

Weight gain may occur with carvedilol. This side effect was common in studies of people taking the drug for heart failure or left ventricular dysfunction (a heart condition affecting the left ventricle of your heart). But weight gain was not reported in studies of people taking the drug for high blood pressure.

Keep in mind that sudden weight gain can be a symptom of worsening heart failure. This can happen because of fluid buildup in your body.

What might help

If you have weight gain while taking carvedilol, talk with your doctor. They can look into whether this may be caused by the drug, your condition, or something else. They can also suggest ways to help you manage your weight during treatment.

If your weight gain is due to worsening heart failure, your doctor may switch you to a different treatment.

Joint pain

You may have joint pain as a side effect of carvedilol. Joint pain was not a common side effect in studies of people taking the drug for heart failure or left ventricular dysfunction (a heart condition affecting the left ventricle of your heart). This side effect was not reported in studies of people taking carvedilol to treat high blood pressure.

With joint pain, you may notice swelling, discoloration, or tenderness around the affected area.

What might help

If you have bothersome or long lasting joint pain while taking carvedilol, talk with your doctor. They can suggest ways to ease your symptoms. For example, they may recommend an over-the-counter pain reliever such as Tylenol (acetaminophen).

Fainting episodes

Fainting episodes were a less common side effect in studies of carvedilol. Before a fainting episode occurs, you may notice dizziness, lightheadedness, and vision changes.

Your risk of this side effect may be greater in the first hour after you take the drug. For this reason, it’s recommended that you avoid driving or performing tasks that could be dangerous during this time.

Your risk of this side effect may also increase if you take carvedilol with an angiotensin converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitor. Like carvedilol, ACE inhibitors are used to treat heart failure and high blood pressure. Examples include lisinopril (Qbrelis, Zestril) and benazepril (Lotensin).

What might help

If you have fainting episodes while taking carvedilol, talk with your doctor. They can suggest ways to ease this side effect.

For example, if you take an ACE inhibitor, they may recommend that you take carvedilol at a different time than the ACE inhibitor. This can help reduce your risk of fainting episodes.

Before taking carvedilol, discuss your health history with your doctor. Carvedilol may not be right for you if you have certain medical conditions or other factors affecting your health. Be sure to talk with your doctor if any of the following apply to you:

Like most drugs, carvedilol can cause side effects. In most cases these are mild, but serious side effects are possible. If you have questions about side effects this drug may cause, talk with your doctor.

You may want to ask your doctor a few questions to help decide if this treatment is right for you, such as:

  • Am I taking any other drugs that could increase my risk of side effects with carvedilol?
  • How can I manage side effects I may have with carvedilol?
  • Are there any side effects of carvedilol that I should tell you about right away?

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Disclaimer: Healthline has made every effort to make certain that all information is factually correct, comprehensive, and up to date. However, this article should not be used as a substitute for the knowledge and expertise of a licensed healthcare professional. You should always consult your doctor or another healthcare professional before taking any medication. The drug information contained herein is subject to change and is not intended to cover all possible uses, directions, precautions, warnings, drug interactions, allergic reactions, or adverse effects. The absence of warnings or other information for a given drug does not indicate that the drug or drug combination is safe, effective, or appropriate for all patients or all specific uses.