Judi asked
What time of day is best time to take Bystolic? Thanks!
At a glance
- Bystolic should be taken at the same time, every day.
- While Bystolic can be taken in the morning or evening, studies show that nighttime administration of blood pressure medication may be more effective in redcuing morning blood pressure can help to reduce the severity of side effects (e.g. sedation).
Answer
According to the prescribing information for Bystolic (nebivolol), it is recommended to be taken:
- Once-daily, at the same time every day, with or without food.
- There is no specific recommendation regarding the time of day.
Bystolic Administration Time
You can feel safe taking Bystolic at any time during the day, as long as you are able to take it at the same time every day.
However, there may be several why taking Bystolic in the evening is advantageous over morning dosing:
- Reduced "pre-awakening" blood pressure
- Reduced severity of side effects
- Reduced cardiovascular risk (inconclusive)
Reduced "Pre-awakening" Blood Pressure Surge
Although the manufacturer of Bystolic doesn't state a specific administration time, there have been studies that indicate evening dosing may be more effective than morning dosing in preventing a "pre-awakening" blood pressure surge. Per the study:
"Both morning and evening dosed nebivolol [Bystolic] significantly lowered daytime, nighttime, and 24-hour BP after 3 weeks of treatment. Evening (but not morning) dosing significantly reduced prewaking systolic BP from baseline. Nebivolol [Bystolic] given in the morning or the evening significantly reduces 24-hour BP parameters. Evening dosed nebivolol [Bystolic] may confer some advantage over morning dosing in reducing prewaking systolic BP."
Reduced Cardiovascular Risk
A variety of studies have suggested that evening dosing of blood pressure medication not only lowers blood pressure more effectively than morning dosing but also lower cardiovascular risk (e.g. heart attack, stroke, etc...).
Unfortunately, there isn't enough evidence to give a conclusive recommendation one way or the other regarding the optimal administration time and there could potentially be risks of hypotension (low blood pressure) in certain individuals when dosing in the evening.
If your doctor has recommended you to take Bystolic at a specific time, it is important to take the medication as prescribed.
Side Effects
Lastly, some common side effects of blood pressure medications (like Bystolic) are sedation, dizziness, and orthostatic hypotension. Therefore, taking these medications at nighttime can help to mitigate some of these adverse reactions.
Final Words
Bystolic should be taken once daily, at the same time every day, with or without food. There is no specific recommendation regarding the optimal time of day and you should choose a time that is most convenient for you.
As described above, however, there are several reasons why the evening administration of Bystolic may advantageous, and you should discuss dosing with your doctor.
References
- Evening versus morning dosing of antihypertensive drugs in hypertensive patients with sleep apnoea: a cross-over study. PubMed
- Efficacy and Safety of Nighttime Dosing of Antihypertensives: Review of the Literature and Design of a Pragmatic Clinical Trial. PubMed
- Taking blood pressure–lowering medications at night. PubMed
- Both morning and evening dosing of nebivolol reduces trough mean blood pressure surge in hypertensive patients. PubMed
