Aginal AT is a combination product that contains two medicines: amlodipine and atenolol. Side effects of the two medicines get added up. They are as follows:
Amlodipine: Headache, swelling of feet and legs, fatigue, rash, nausea, flushing, dizziness, drowsiness, palpitations, abdominal pain, gum swelling. Rarely, loss of scalp hair, rash, breathlessness, back pain, stomach disorders, muscle cramps, muscle pain, joints pain, mood changes, dry mouth, increased urination, high blood glucose levels, sweating, visual disturbances.
Atenolol: Low pulse rate, cold hands and feet, headaches, dizziness, dreams, angina, fatigue, constipation, indigestion, wheezing, heart failure, heart block., sleep and central nervous system disturbances. Skin reactions; withdraw if unexplained dry eyes or rash. Nerve disorders, bone pain, muscle pain and development and/or worsening of diabetes.
Atenolol must not be given to diabetics and those with high sugar levels. All the side effects may not appear in all patients.
It is also better to avoid combination products, particularly in the elderly. Medicines are discovered individually and are supposed to be taken separately. A huge number of irrational, illegal combinations of drugs are being sold in India; quite a few without mandatory approval of the Drugs Controller General, India (DCGI). Except in a few cases (such as TB medicines), it is always better to take medicines separately so that dosage can be adjusted and side effects monitored.