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Medications for High Blood Pressure

Can Medicine Really Lower Your Blood Pressure?

High Blood Pressure is often treated with a daily medicine regimen, which is given to you by a healthcare provider. There are several types of medications that can lower your blood pressure and ask your doctor which is best for you. Some people may have to take more than one medication to help control their blood pressure.

The medicine does not cure high blood pressure, it can control it. You will likely have to take medicine to control your blood pressure permanently. Be sure to talk to your doctor about your experiences with taking blood pressure medications.

What Blood Pressure Medications Are There?

Access this resource for a comprehensive list of blood pressure medications, including their generic names and valuable insights. The table displays drug names using their generic terminology. If your prescribed medication is not listed, it might be under its brand name. Please note that this list exclusively features generic names.

To identify the generic name of your medication, refer to the label on the medication bottle or consult the information provided with your prescription.

What Happens If You Miss A Dose?

It is very important that you take you medication exactly as your doctor said you should. Not taking your medication because you missed a dose or skipped a pill can make the treatment ineffective.

Take action to help you remember to take your medicine

  1. Think about the time of day you should be taking your medicine and write it down somewhere visible.
  2. Try to take you medicine as part of something you do every day.

Potential Side Effects of Medication

New medications for high blood pressure have less side-effects than the older blood pressure medicines. The majority of side-effects occur shortly after starting the drug, not years later. Some side-effects actually get better when your body gets ‘used to’ the medication; the dosage may also be decreased to lessen side effects.

Although there are a lot of possible side-effects listed on medication information you may receive from the pharmacy, most of the side-effects are not likely to happen to you. Your healthcare provider is aware of possible side-effects and chooses your medication in order to reduce the risk of experiencing side-effects. If you are currently experiencing possible side-effects from you blood pressure medication, contact your healtcare provider before you stop taking your medication.

Sources:

Food and Drug Administration. Medicines to help you, high blood pressure. http://www.fda.gov/downloads/ForConsumers/ByAudience/ForWomen/FreePublications/UCM282311.pdf

National Heart Lung Blood Institute. How is high blood pressure treated. https://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/health-topics/topics/hbp/treatment#Medicines

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