Visken is a prescription drug commonly used for treating high blood pressure. It is a type of beta blocker that works to lower blood pressure by blocking beta receptors in various places within the body. The medicine comes in tablet form and is usually taken by mouth twice a day. Potential side effects include muscle pain, fatigue, dizziness, and nervousness.
Visken® (pindolol) is a prescription medication approved to treat high blood pressure (known medically as hypertension). It can be used alone or in combination with other high blood pressure medications.
(Click Visken Uses for more information on what the medicine is used for, including possible off-label uses.)
Brand-name Visken was made by Novartis Pharmaceuticals Corporation but is no longer available. Generic versions of the medicine are still available.
Visken 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. In addition to blocking beta receptors, however, Visken also very slightly stimulates the beta receptors. Only a few beta blockers do this; this slightly stimulatory action is known as "intrinsic sympathomimetic activity," or ISA.
Beta receptors are located in a number of places within the body, 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 force with which the heart pumps blood
- Increased heart rate
- Higher blood pressure (both systolic blood pressure and diastolic blood pressure)
- Constricted blood vessels.
By blocking beta receptors, Visken causes the reverse effect of stress hormones and reduces blood pressure. It may have less effect on heart rate and the workload of the heart compared to most other beta blockers, due to the fact that it slightly stimulates the beta receptors.