Most side effects of β2-adrenergic receptor agonists result from their concurrent β1-adrenergic receptor agonistic activity, and include increase in heart rate, rise in systolic blood pressure, decrease in diastolic blood pressure, chest pain secondary to myocardial infarction, and arrhythmia.

β-Adrenergic receptor agonists may also cause fluid retention secondary to decrease in water clearance, which when added to the tachycardia and increased myocardial work, may result in heart failure.

The passage of β-adrenergic receptor agonists through the placenta does occur and may be responsible for fetal tachycardia, as well as hypoglycemia or hyperglycemia at birth.

[citation needed] Ritodrine has been reported rarely to cause serious side effects including rhabdomyolysis, hepatotoxicity, leukopenia, pulmonary edema, and psychiatric symptoms, among others.

[6][7][8][9][10] Ritodrine is a short-acting β2-adrenoreceptor agonist — a class of medication used for smooth muscle relaxation (other similar drugs are used in asthma or other pulmonary diseases such as salbutamol (albuterol)).