How is High Blood Pressure Treated

Drug Treatments For High Blood Pressure

Most doctors would prefer that patients manage high blood pressure with lifestyle modifications and herbal supplements. This will stop the high blood pressure getting worse over time.

If treatment with drugs is needed then you will usually have to go through a trial and error process to find the best combination for you. You will usually end up on a combination of drugs with side effects to put up with.

Ace Inhibitors

These work to relax (or dilate) your blood vessels. They do this by stopping the formation of chemicals which narrows blood vessels. This allows the blood to flow more freely, so the heart has less work to do. They can also help to protect the kidneys from diabetes and hypertension.

There are some nasty side effects to watch out for – kidney failure and high potassium. So it is important to have regular blood tests when on ACE inhibitors to make sure that neither of these are happening.

Contact your doctor right away if you have any of these side effects:

* Severe vomiting or diarrhoea
* Swelling of neck face and tongue
* Numbness or tingling in lips, feet or hands
* Difficulty breathing or shortness of breath
* Irregular heartbeat

These symptoms could indicate a serious complication – and an emergency.

Common side effects

* Cough
* Skin rash
* Salty taste
* Metallic taste
* Dizziness
If you get a cough then check with your doctor about which cough medicines you can take as some of them can raise blood pressure.  If you get a rash then once again contact your doctor for appropriate medications.

Common drugs of this type:

Drug Name
Brand Names
Catopril
Capoten
Zofenopril

Enalapril
Vasotec
Renitec
Ramipril
Altace
Tritace
Ramace
Ramiwin
Quinapril
Accupril
Perindopril
Coversyl
Aceon
Lisinopril
Lisodur
Lopril
Novatec
Prinivil
Zestril
Benazepril
Lotensin
Fosinopril
Monopril

Angiotensin II receptor Blockers

If you can’t take ACE inhibitors then you may be prescribed an Angiotensin II receptor blocker. They do the same thing as ACE inhibitors, relax the blood vessels. They do it in a different way.

You will need to have regular blood tests while on this medication to make sure that dangerous side effects are not occurring. You must also allow a few weeks for these drugs to take full effect.

Contact your doctor right away if you have any of these side effects:

* Confusion

Common side effects:

* Dizziness or lightheadedness – especially when rising
* Diarrhoea and/or vomiting
* Weakness or muscle cramps in the back or legs
* Insomnia
* Fast, slow or irregular heartbeat
* Upper respiratory infections
* Sinusitis
* Cough

Common drugs of this type:

Drug Name
Brand Names
Candesartan
Atacand
Eprosartan
Teveten
Irbesartan
Avapro
Losartan
Cozaar
Olmesartan
Benicar
Telmisartan
Micardis
Valsartan
Diovan

Diuretics

Diuretics are also commonly called water pills. They help to control high blood pressure by getting your body to put more salt in your urine. This in turn makes you pass water more. This all means that there is less water in your blood – and so less fluid flowing through your blood vessels. So your heart has less to pump and there is less pressure on your blood vessels.

There are a number of different types of diuretics, and some brands will have more then one type contained in the same pill.

You will need regular blood tests if you are taking these drugs as the drugs may mean your body is getting rid of things it needs as well as things it doesn’t.

Contact your doctor right away if you have any of these side effects:

* Fever
* Sore throat
* Cough
* Ringing in the ears
* Unusual bleeding or bruising
* Rapid and excessive weight loss
* Skin rash

Common side effects:

* Frequent urination
* Abnormal heart beat
* Tiredness
* Weakness
* Muscle cramps
* Dizziness and lightheadedness
* Dehydration
* Extreme thirst
* Dry mouth
* constipation
* Loss of appetite
* Nausea and vomiting

Common drugs of this type:

Drug Name
Brand Names
Chlorothiazide
Diuril
Hydrochlorothiazide

Metolazone
Zaroxolyn
Bumetandine
Bumex
Ethacrynic Acid
Edecrin
Furosemide
Lasix
Torsemide
Demadex
Amiloride

Triamterene
Dyrenium
Eplerenone
Inspra
Sprinonolactone
Aldactone

For high blood pressure you are most likely to be prescribed these:

Drug Name
Brand Names
Chlorothiazide
Diuril
Hydrochlorothiazide

Metolazone
Zaroxolyn

Beta Blockers

These work by blocking some of the signals to the heart. This means that your heart will beat a little slower and with less force. Which means that your blood pressure will fall.

It can be very dangerous to stop taking these drugs. You must only stop or reduce the dosage of beta blockers under medical supervision.

Common side effects

* Depression
* Breathing difficulties (symptoms similar to asthma)
* Swelling for feet, ankles or legs
* Cold hands or feet
* Slow heartbeat
* Tiredness
* Sleeping difficulties and drowsiness
* Dizziness or lightheadedness
* Sexual dysfunction

Common drugs of this type:

Drug Name
Brand names
Acebutol
Spectral
Atenolol
Tenormin
Bisoprolol
Zebeta
Carvedilol
Coreg
Metoprolol
Lopressor
Toprol xl
Nadol
Cogard
Nebivolol
Bystolic
Propranolol
Inderal LA

Calcium channel blockers

These drugs work by making it easier for the heart to pump and widening blood vessels.

You must avoid alcohol when taking calcium channel blockers as it will increase the side effects. You might also need to avoid grapefruit and grapefruit juice as this can affect the medication.

Common Side Effects:

* Headaches
* Nausea
* Tiredness
* Skin rash
* Diarrhea or constipation
* Heartburn and possible reflux disease
* Dizziness or lightheadedness
* Dry mouth
* Swelling in feet, legs and ankles
* Problems with heart rhythm.

Common drugs of this type:

Drug Name
Brand Name
Amlodipine
 Norvasc
 Azor
Aranidipine
 Sapresta
Azelnidipine
 Calblock
Barnidipine
 HypoCa
Benidipine
 Coniel
Cilnidipine
 Atelec
 Cinalong
 Siscard
Clevidipine
 Cleviprex
Efonidipine
 Landel
Felodipine
 Plendil
Lacidipine
 Motens
 Lacipil
Lercanidipine
 Zanidip
Manidipine
 Calslot
 Madipine
Nicardipine
 Cardene
 Carden SR
Nifedipine
 Procardia
 Adalat
Nilvadipine
 Nivadil
Nimodipine (Nimotop)

Nisoldipine
 Baymycard
 Sular
 Syscor
Nitrendipine
 Cardif
 Nitrepin
 Baylotensin
Pranidipine
 Acalas

Other Drugs

The drugs already covered are the usual drugs that doctors will try first. If you hypertension still does not respond then they may try more aggressive drugs. These will come with more side effects!

Stopping drugs

If you are already taking blood pressure drugs then you must not stop taking them or reduce the dosage without talking to your doctor first. This is because of a potentially deadly effect of “rebound hypertension”. This is where you blood pressure will suddenly shoot up to higher levels than when you first started taking the drugs. In addition there may be many more distressing side effects.

If you make lifestyle changes and start taking herbal supplements then your blood pressure may start to fall. Discuss this with your doctor and if your blood pressure drops to acceptable levels then you doctor will be able to help you make a supervised withdrawal from the drugs.

A high blood pressure reading is a wake up call to change some habits and re-think your life. It means your heart has to work harder, which puts you at risk for stroke, heart attack, and diseases of all the other organs.

After the initial shock of the diagnosis has worn off, a cool look at what brought you to this moment in your life, assessment of changes to be made, and some serious research are in order. You may have been told only prescription medicines can help reduce your blood pressure, but, in fact, there are many small and some larger changes that will greatly reduce the need for medications.

Weighing more than the average for height and age is a common factor many sufferers share. A diet sheet from the doctor who made the diagnosis looks rather boring, no fun food and lots of vegetables. Before you make a half-hearted attempt at it, try some online research, and visit your local library and health food store to review options; they are much more interesting than you might imagine. Popular diets include the Zone system, which balances carbohydrates with proteins, fiber rich diets like the F-Plan Diet (which allows you to eat beans and baked potatoes, and offers a kind of muesli for breakfast), the possibilities are endless

Exercise is the next big topic to tackle, and if your life has no slot for hours at a gym, or aerobic classes, which work well for those with the time and inclination, try to steal one or two 20 minutes sessions, each day, to walk at a fast rate, dance around the office break room, or chase the dog around when he gets his exercise. Serious exercise needs to be regular, raising the heart rate enough to produce a mild sweat, and done often enough that weight slowly drops, the positive benefits are felt, and you can honestly say you have a plan to get fit, without crossing your fingers behind your back.

Look long and hard at the life style you have chosen. Overtime every week, stressful workplaces and multiple jobs may not be the best options for you. Partying hard at weekends gives a body no chance for rest. Is it worth the extra income? If you are unsure about the answer, then it is probably time to make a change. Staying in a job that affects your health could mean you will not have the same chances, later on, if your blood pressure readings do not improve.

Losing bad habits, particularly smoking and having more than one alcoholic drink a day may be the hardest bullet to bite, when making changes. You do not have to join a 12 step program (but if you want to, by all means try it out, success rates are very good) to get help, encouragement and find others trying to do the same. All the above can be found by joining free online forums, and social networking communities, so shop around a little and see what feels like a good fit for you.

next... Monitoring your Blood Pressure at Home