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.
If you consistently skip doses of your medication or stop it abruptly, you can experience higher blood pressure, anxiety, chest pain, fast heartbeat, and swelling of your hands, legs, or feet. Most importantly, it could also raise your risk of heart attack and stroke.
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.
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 a blood pressure medicine brings your blood pressure to normal, it's wonderful; unfortunately though, it doesn't correct it permanently -- so you have to continue the medication.
There is an average survival rate of only ten months in these cases. There are also increased odds of developing fatal heart disease (such as heart attack or arrhythmias) and kidney diseases if you go untreated for a long time. These can also contribute to an early death.
Not taking your medication can cause your blood pressure to go out of control. This can cause a large number of problems, including: Permanent damage to your arteries. Increased risk of aneurysm, which most often form in the aorta, but can develop anywhere.
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.
Adults—At first, 5 milligrams (mg) once a day. Some patients may be started on 2.5 mg once a day. Your doctor may adjust your dose as needed. However, the dose is usually not more than 10 mg per day.
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.
High blood pressure and common mental health problems can often be attributed, at least in part, to the same unhealthy lifestyle factors, such as overwhelming stress, poor diet, and a lack of exercise. Changing your lifestyle to address high blood pressure can help to improve your mental health—and vice versa.
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.
If you have high blood pressure, you should avoid physical activity that requires sudden bursts of activity or strain as these may increase the risk of arterial rupture, heart attack, or stroke. Activities to avoid include weight lifting, playing squash, and sprinting, as well as skydiving and SCUBA diving.
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. In some cases, a phenomenon known as rebound hypertension may occur.
If you forget to take a dose, take it as soon as you remember. However, if it is almost time for your next dose, skip the missed dose and go back to your regular dosing schedule. Do not take two doses to make up for the dose you missed. Regularly fill prescriptions and ask the pharmacist any questions you have.
“It may take a month to six weeks to bring your blood pressure down by slowly raising your medication doses,” Durso notes.
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.
Safe medications to use include methyldopa and potentially some diuretics and beta-blockers, including labetalol.
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.
Most of the time, blood pressure medicines do not cause side effects. Some people have mild side effects, including dizziness, headaches, swelling in the legs or feet, or stomach problems.
Moderate or severe headaches, anxiety, shortness of breath, nosebleeds, palpitations, or feeling of pulsations in the neck are some signs of high blood pressure. Often, these are late signs that high blood pressure has existed for some time, therefore annual checks are recommended for all adults.
Anyone can have high blood pressure. Some medical conditions, such as metabolic syndrome, kidney disease, and thyroid problems, can cause high blood pressure. Some people have a greater chance of having it because of things they can't change.