The bottom line. In general, you shouldn't stop taking blood pressure medications suddenly. If you do, they can cause potentially dangerous side effects that can lead to withdrawal symptoms. Blood pressure medications are often stopped more gradually, utilizing a strategy such as tapering.
You may need to take blood pressure medicine for the rest of your life. But your doctor might be able to reduce or stop your treatment if your blood pressure stays under control for several years. It's really important to take your medicine as directed. If you miss doses, it will not work as well.
A Word From Verywell. Even if lifestyle changes have improved your blood pressure, never stop taking your medication without talking to your healthcare provider.
Not taking prescribed meds means blood pressure levels are uncontrolled, which could increase the risk of heart attack or stroke. “If you're thinking about stopping your medication because you're experiencing side effects, make sure you talk to your GP.
While there is no cure for high blood pressure, it is important for patients to take steps that matter, such as making effective lifestyle changes and taking BP-lowering medications as prescribed by their physicians.
It takes about 1 to 3 months for regular exercise to have an impact on blood pressure. The benefits last only as long as you continue to exercise.
If you stop taking your high blood pressure medication, you may experience a temporary increase in blood pressure. It also puts you at risk for heart attack and stroke. It's important to consult with your doctor before stopping any medication.
If you forget to take one or more doses: take your next dose at the normal time and in the normal amount. Do not take any more than your doctor prescribed. If you miss one dose, skip it and continue with your normal schedule.
Being overweight or obese increases your risk of developing high blood pressure. In fact, your blood pressure rises as your body weight increases. Losing even 10 pounds can lower your blood pressure—and losing weight has the biggest effect on those who are overweight and already have hypertension.
High blood pressure medications that can be cut in half
Many medications that help lower blood pressure can also be cut in half. Examples include: Amlodipine (Norvasc) Hydrochlorothiazide.
While the class of blood pressure-lowering medicines called angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitors may be prescribed more commonly, angiotensin receptor blockers (ARBs) work just as well and may cause fewer side effects.
What if I stop taking them for a few days? It's important not to stop taking your pills, even for a few days, without consulting your doctor. In some cases, they may ask you to discontinue your meds for a short period so they can assess what your blood pressure (BP) would be without them.
If you miss one dose, chances are that nothing will happen. You might feel a little 'buzz' or you may feel 'high'. If you miss more than one dose, you might experience headaches, nausea, nervousness, increased heart rate, etc. This usually occurs between 1.5 to 3 days after the last dose, but it may occur earlier.
You might face serious complications.
If you don't take your blood pressure pills for your heart as prescribed, it could raise your chances of a heart attack, a stroke, kidney failure, or other complications. Even OTC drugs can be dangerous to skip.
Like all medicines, high blood pressure medicines can sometimes cause side effects. You may have common problems like headaches, dizziness, or an upset stomach. These can be bothersome to how you feel every day but often lessen after the first few weeks of taking the medicine.
"We don't always need to consider medications right away," says Dr. Thomas. "In certain cases, making significant modifications to your lifestyle is sufficient for lowering high blood pressure, even reversing it altogether."
Ten minutes of brisk or moderate walking three times a day
Exercise lowers blood pressure by reducing blood vessel stiffness so blood can flow more easily.
Usually, blood pressure starts to rise a few hours before a person wakes up. It continues to rise during the day, peaking in midday. Blood pressure typically drops in the late afternoon and evening. Blood pressure is usually lower at night while sleeping.
It's important to remember that high blood pressure is not usually a death sentence. As long as you're regularly working with your doctor on treatment and managing your blood pressure levels, you will likely live a long life.
“There is some evidence that we may be able to delay or even prevent a heart attack by aggressively treating high blood pressure and high cholesterol,” says Dr. Nissen. “However, once a heart attack occurs and heart muscle dies, we can't regenerate those cells.”
A new drug called Baxdrostat has been shown to significantly reduce high blood pressure (hypertension) in patients who may not respond to current treatments for the condition, according to results from a phase II trial led jointly by a Queen Mary University of London researcher and colleagues at CinCor Pharma, USA.