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Medicines for high blood pressure
You must carefully read the "Consumer Information Use and Disclaimer" below in order to understand and correctly use this information
Why do I need medicines to treat high blood pressure?
Having high blood pressure puts you at risk for heart attack, stroke, kidney damage, and other serious problems. The medicines your doctor prescribes to treat high blood pressure can help lower the risk of these problems and even help you live longer.
It's very important to take your blood pressure medicines every day as instructed. High blood pressure doesn't usually cause symptoms, so people sometimes don't take it seriously. Also, blood pressure medicines can cause side effects and be expensive, so it's easy to understand why people don't like to take them. But if you are tempted to skip your medicines, remember, they can save your life!
If your medicines cause unpleasant side effects, or if you can't afford your medicines, talk to your doctor or nurse. There are often ways to deal with these problems. The first step is to tell your doctor or nurse.
Which medicines might I need?
There are lots of different medicines to treat high blood pressure. Some of them have other health benefits besides lowering blood pressure.
Your doctor or nurse will decide which medicine is best for you. This depends on:
How high your blood pressure is
Your other health problems, if you have any
How well you do on the medicines you try
If you are pregnant or plan to get pregnant
Your doctor or nurse might need to change your medicine or its dose a few times. The goal is to find the medicine and dose that work best and cause the fewest side effects.
You might need to take more than 1 medicine to get your blood pressure under control. Whatever your doctor or nurse prescribes, take your medicines exactly as prescribed (table 1). But always tell your doctor or nurse if you have any problems with the medicines. That way, they can make changes so you are as comfortable as possible and also get the most benefit.
Never stop or change how you take your medicines without talking to your doctor or nurse first.
The most common types of medicines to treat high blood pressure are:
Diuretics
ACE inhibitors or angiotensin receptor blockers ("ARBs")
Calcium channel blockers
Beta blockers
This article only has only basic information about these medicines. For more detailed information about your medicines, ask your doctor or nurse for the patient drug information handout from UpToDate. It explains how to use each medicine, describes its possible side effects, and lists other medicines or foods that can affect how it works.
Diuretics
These are sometimes called "water pills," because they make you urinate more than usual. Some examples include chlorthalidone, indapamide, hydrochlorothiazide ("HCTZ"), and furosemide (brand name: Lasix).
ACE inhibitors and ARBs
These are often grouped together, because they work in similar ways. They can help slow or prevent kidney disease in some people. They also help people with heart failure live longer.
Some examples of ACE inhibitors include enalapril, captopril, and lisinopril.
Some examples of ARBs include candesartan (brand name: Atacand) and valsartan (brand name: Diovan).
Calcium channel blockers
Examples include amlodipine (brand name: Norvasc), felodipine (brand name: Plendil), and diltiazem (brand name: Cardizem). Calcium channel blockers also help prevent chest pain caused by heart disease.
Beta blockers
Besides lowering blood pressure, beta blockers help reduce how much work the heart has to do. Studies show people who take a beta blocker after a heart attack are less likely to have another heart attack or die than people who don't take a beta blocker. Studies also show people with heart failure who take beta blockers live longer than people with heart failure who don't.
When people first start taking beta blockers, they sometimes feel tired. This is just while the body gets used to the medicine and usually goes away. If your doctor prescribes a beta blocker, give it a little time to start working.
Some examples of beta blockers include atenolol (brand name: Tenormin), metoprolol (brand names: Lopressor, Toprol-XL), and carvedilol (brand name: Coreg).
Should I avoid any medicines?
Some medicines can "interact" with other medicines. Taking certain medicines can change how your blood pressure medicines work or make them work less well.
Your doctor or nurse will talk to you about whether you need to avoid certain prescription or over-the-counter medicines, herbs, or supplements. If you have any questions about whether it is safe to take a medicine, ask your doctor, nurse, or pharmacist.
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Take your medicines exactly as your doctor, nurse, or pharmacist tells you to. |
Use a daily or weekly pill box to organize your medicines. |
Store your medicines in a safe spot you will see every day. Choose a place away from children and pets. |
Create reminders for yourself to take your medicines. You can use a calendar, a smartphone app, a digital watch, or whatever works to help you remember. |
Read the prescription label and printed patient information that comes with each medicine. |
Do not skip pills, change doses, or take extra pills unless your doctor tells you to. The dose your doctor prescribes is based on your age, weight, health problems, and other medicines you take. It can be dangerous to take different amounts. |
Learn the names of each of your medicines, how it works, and why you take it. |
Learn what each of your medicines looks like (shape, size, and color). When you get a refill, you might get a new generic version that looks different from the last time. That is OK as long as the new medicine has the same ingredient as the one it is replacing. If you are worried about a refill looking different, talk to your pharmacist. |
Tell your doctor or nurse about any side effects you have. They might have ways to reduce or get rid of the side effects. |
Tell your doctor, nurse, or pharmacist if you can't afford your medicines. There are often ways to lower costs. |
Make a list of all the medicines you take, plus any medicines you are allergic to or had problems with in the past. Keep 1 copy at home and 1 in your wallet. |
Bring a bag with all your medicines to your doctor's office every time you go. If you can't do this, bring the list of your medicines. Have your doctor or nurse go over your medicines or list with you. |
Talk to your doctor, nurse, or pharmacist before you take any cough, cold, allergy, pain, or other extra medicines. The same goes for supplements and herbal medicines. Over-the-counter and herbal medicines can affect how some prescription medicines work. |
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