Posts Tagged ‘medication’
Have you tried changing your lifestyle to help your blood pressure only to find it isn’t helping very much? Sometimes lifestyle changes alone aren’t as effective as when combined with blood pressure medication.
There are many different kinds of blood pressure medications out there today. Usually two different medications are used rather than one alone. Here are some of the main blood pressure medications:
Alpha-Blockers: This medicine reduces nerve impulses to your blood vessels allowing easier flowing of the blood making your blood pressure decrease.
Alpha-Beta-Blockers: These work just like the alpha-blockers but also slow your heart beat. This means less blood pumps through your vessels making your blood pressure decrease.
Nervous System Inhibitors: This medication relaxes your blood vessels by controlling the nerve impulses making your vessels wider and decreasing blood pressure.
Beta-Blockers: These reduce your nerve impulses to your heart and blood vessels, making your heart beat decrease while dropping your blood pressure.
Diuretics: These are also known as ‘water pills,’ a very common medication. These diuretics work in your kidney, flushing out all excess sodium along with water from your body.
Vasodilators: These open your blood vessels directly by relaxing the muscle in your vessel walls which then causes your blood pressure to decrease.
ACE Inhibitors: ACE stands for ‘Angiotensin converting enzyme.’ These inhibitors prevent a hormone called angiotensin II from forming, which will usually cause your blood vessels to narrow. They help the vessels relax which makes your blood pressure decrease.
Angiotensin Antagonists: These block your blood vessels from angiotensin II. When blocked these vessels can widen letting your blood pressure decrease.
Calcium Channel Blockers: These keep any calcium from entering your heart’s muscle cells and your blood vessels causing your blood pressure to decrease.
An alternate to taking any medication if possible is watching a few lifestyle habits. For instance a healthy diet can help control your blood pressure. Substitute salt for other seasonings and add lots of fresh fruits and vegetables to your diet.
Get at least thirty minutes of physical activity or exercise a day. That doesn’t mean you have to exercise thirty minutes all at once. Ten minutes here and there is just as effective.
Try to keep your stress level at a minimum. High stress can increase your blood pressure so find something that relaxes you and helps you de-stress. Do this whenever you find yourself stressed out beyond your means.
Try to cut back on tobacco use and alcohol consumption. Quitting altogether is more beneficial but isn’t always easy. Remember there are many resources and products available to help you quit either of these habits.
Sometimes these lifestyle changes will not work alone. Your doctor might prescribe you a blood pressure medication if not two. Just talk with your doctor to find out what would be better for you and your blood pressure. Ask any and all questions and if you are taking other medications tell your doctor. Certain medications including oral contraceptives and cold medicines can increase your blood pressure.
Find tips about what causes high blood pressure and foods that lower blood pressure at the Ideal Blood Pressure website.
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i was prescribe reboxetine, which is a noradrenaline reuptake inhibitor (like strattera / atomoxetine, which is the most known NRI used for treatment of ADHD). in this video, you can see possible side effects of the drug (sinus arrythmia) as well as the direct effects of the drug on my heart during peak plasma levels. also, we will take a look at how my body reacts to bisoprolol, a beta blocker i was prescribed against hypertension and sinustachycardia – and i will be drinking some very strong coffee with a lot of sugar to see what this substance does. 
i think the rather ‘odd’ effects of the reboxetine on my heart actually have to do with my mind. i was quite hyper and annoyed to have to lay down for 10 minutes before taking reboxetine, and afterwards, i was rather relaxed and was just idle and fine laying around on my bed. this relaxed feeling increased with the coffeine and sugar intake. so, that may have lead to the drop in heart frequency. conclusion: the drug does indeed make me calmer. but, it doesnt have any influence on concentration as of yet – i didnt edit the sound files, and you can clearly hear i sound like a broken LP at some times, grrr. same issues as usual, just unedited.
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I am a bit over weight and I am trying to get a regime to cut down my intake of food but my BP has been consistently been hovering on 120/100 or 115/95. Doc’s prescribed medication but the thought that it’s life long is depressing..Any suggestions
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Hartford Free Health Clinic, February 3, 2010
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I didn’t have issues with high blood pressure until I got married or gained 65 lbs. Im not sure which is causing it because it varies from day to day. Ive lost about 70 lbs and im starting to get lightheaded a lot more and my blood pressure is a lot lower than it used to be. Im afraid that it might be getting too low and I can definately live without the side effects.
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