It is important that people who are being treated for high blood pressure (hypertension) take their medications exactly as directed by their health care provider. Many times people who are taking these medications experience side effects. Side effects can be uncomfortable and sometimes painful, which may make a person want to stop taking their medication. However, it is very important for people to continue to take their medicine on their normal schedule until they can talk to a health care provider and find a medication that doesn't have these side effects.
Here is a list of some of the common side effects for each type of high blood pressure (hypertension) medication. If you think you may be experiencing any of these side effects, talk with your health care provider or pharmacist to see what you can do to eliminate them.
Types of medications used to treat high blood pressure | Common Side Effects |
Calcium channel blockers | Patients may experience the "first dose effect" the first time they take a calcium channel blocker. This means their heartbeat may slow down which can lead to low blood pressure, dizziness, and fainting. Usually these symptoms do not happen again even if a person continues to take the medication. Other side effects include:
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Diuretics | A common side effect of all diuretics is increased urination Specific diuretics also have their own side effects Side effects of Thiazide include:
Side effects of Loop Diuretics include:
Side effects of Potassium Sparing Diuretics include:
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Angiotensin-converting enzymes (ACE Inhibitors) | Common side effects include:
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Angiotensin receptor blockers (ARBs) | Common side effects include:
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Alpha Blockers | Patients may experience the "first dose effect" when taking an Alpha Blocker for the first time. This means their heartbeat may slow down which can lead to low blood pressure, dizziness, and fainting. Usually these symptoms do not happen again. Other side effects include:
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Beta Blockers | Potential side effects of beta-blockers include:
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Ask your doctor or pharmacist if you have any questions before you start, stop, or change your use of any medication.
8tr6675 July 27, 2011 - 10:36am
My father has hypertension and the medications his physician prescribed him resulted in some side effects, such as headache, stomach upset, etc. Consequently he stopped taking the prescribed medications for those reasons. This article points out the importance of continuing the medications even when having side effects. I should definitely ask my dad to reconsider his decision to discontinue his hypertension pills. One interesting fact I read in one of the magazines is that blood pressure lowers as we sleep, and rises when we wake up, which was new information to me. Here is the link that discusses major risk factors of high blood pressure. It's very interesting --- take a look! My father has hypertension and the medications his physician prescribed him resulted in some side effects, such as headache, stomach upset, etc. Consequently he stopped taking the prescribed medications for those reasons. This article points out the importance of continuing the medications even when having side effects. I should definitely ask my dad to reconsider his decision to discontinue his hypertension pills. One interesting fact I read in one of the magazines is that blood pressure lowers as we sleep, and rises when we wake up, which was new information to me. Here is the link that discusses major risk factors of high blood pressure. It's very interesting --- take a look! http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/dci/Diseases/Hbp/HBP_WhatIs.html