Hypertensive Medications Unravelled

Dear Mom,

In my nursing classes we are learning about all of the different approaches that might be used to help treat a person's high blood pressure.  I know that you have told me in the past that your doctor keeps changing your blood pressure medications and you were wondering why.  As a child, you taught me that everyone is different.  And this principle applies to how we respond to medicine as well.  The doctors know approximately how people will respond to blood pressure medications.  So they start with the general type or types of medication that will work for your specific issues.  Such as a person with high blood pressure alone would have different medication options than a person with high blood pressure and kidney disease.

Once the doctor has selected a medication(s) for the person, they then follow how the patient is doing on the medication(s).  Do the medications work -- is their blood pressure coming down?  How does the patient feel on the medication -- are they having undesirable side effects?  Then they do fine tuning for each patient based upon their response.  You can click on the link below to check out how your drugs help manage your high blood pressure and the following list of side effects of two of the more common drugs.

As always, give me a call if you have any questions on this information.  I hope it answers your questions, but let me know if I have just added a bunch of new questions to your list!

Mary


Types of Blood Pressure Medications and what they do in our bodies

Blood-Pressure Medications Chart

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Two of the main therapies of treating hypertension are diuretics such as Lasix (Furosemide) and ACE Inhibitors such as Lisinopril and Vasotec.1  Side effects that people normally see are:

Lasix (common side effects)2

• High uric acid or low magnesium
• Loss of appetite
• Spasm of the bladder

Lasix (serious side effects)2

• Blood pressure that changes dramatically when you sit or stand up
• Drug hypersensitivity syndrome, Erythema multiforme, Erythroderma, Stevens-Johnson syndrome, Toxic epidermal necrolysis due to drug
• Inflammation of the Pancreas
• Agranulocytosis, Aplastic anemia, Thrombocytopenia
• Anaphylactoid reaction, Anaphylaxis

Lisinopril (common side effects)2

• Chest pain, Low blood pressure (up to 11% ), dizziness (5% to 7% )
• Dizziness (12% to 19% ), Headache
• Cough

Lisinopril (serious side effects)2

• Low blood pressure (Severe) (9% )
• Stevens-Johnson syndrome (1% or more ), Toxic epidermal necrolysis (1% or more )
• High potassium levels (2.2% to 6% )
• Intestinal swelling
• Allergic reaction due to insect stings or Dialysis
• Acute kidney failure, Kidney impairment (2.4% )
• Painful swelling of the Head and Neck

1 Madhur, MD, PhD, M. (2014, September 30). Hypertension Medication (D. Maron, MD, FACC, FAHA, Ed.). Retrieved February 14, 2015, from http://emedicine.medscape.com/article/241381-medication#2

2 Retrieved from  http://www.micromedexsolutions.com.offcampus.lib.washington.edu/micromedex2/librarian/PFDefaultActionId/evidencexpert.DoIntegratedSearch

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