HIGH BLOOD PRESSURE: SERIES II
About High blood pressure
Blood pressure is the force of your blood pushing against the walls of your arteries. Each time your heart beats, it pumps blood into the arteries. Your blood pressure is highest when your heart beats, pumping the blood. This is called systolic pressure. When your heart is at rest, between beats, your blood pressure falls. This is called diastolic pressure. Your blood pressure reading uses these two numbers. Usually the systolic number comes before or above the diastolic number. A reading of119/79 or lower is normal blood pressure140/90 or higher is high blood pressure Between 120 and 139 for the top number, or between 80 and 89 for the bottom number is called prehypertension.
Prehypertension means you may end up with high blood pressure, unless you take steps to prevent it.High blood pressure usually has no symptoms, but it can cause serious problems such as stroke, heart failure, heart attack and kidney failure.You can control high blood pressure through healthy lifestyle habits and taking medicines, if needed. NIH: National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute
Are there other issues with high blood pressure medication?
It can be hard to predict which drugs will work for you, but we know some are less effective in older people or those of African Caribbean background. Most people will need more than one drug to control their blood pressure.
It is estimated that more than half of patients do not take their medications as prescribed. This contributes to poor blood pressure control and increased risk of stroke and heart attack.
Part of the problem is that with hypertension, the condition itself usually does not cause symptoms that remind you to take medications. Asking your doctor for once-a-day tablets and building it into your daily routine can help. A dosette box (pill box with compartments for each day, and times of the day if necessary) may help. You can get them at most pharmacies
Norvasc (Amlodipine)
Prescription only
Lowers blood pressure.
Norvasc (Amlodipine) works well to lower blood pressure and prevent chest pain. You can’t miss doses, and you might get persistent swelling.
Norvasc (Amlodipine) is a calcium channel blocker. It lowers blood pressure by slowing your heart rate and relaxing your blood vessels. Your heart gets more oxygen and doesn’t have to work as hard to pump, which can relieve chest pain.
- Drug class: Cardiovascular
- Rx status: Prescription only
- Generic status: Lower-cost generic available (amlodipine)
UPSIDE:
- A first-choice blood pressure treatment for many people.
- Calcium channel blockers work especially well for African Americans to lower blood pressure.
- Lowers the risk of heart attack and stroke.
- Prevents heart-related chest pain (angina) if you take it regularly.
- Each dose lasts longer than other calcium channel blockers, which keeps blood pressure consistent without big ups and downs.
- Particularly good at lowering systolic blood pressure (the top number), so it’s a good option for older people who can commonly get high blood pressure only in the top number.
DOWNSIDE:
- Calcium channel blockers can cause swelling in your limbs. If this happens for you, it probably won’t get better over time, so talk to your doctor about alternatives if it bothers you.
- Women are more likely to have side effects (especially swelling) from Amlodipine than men.
- Some people might experience flushing with this medication.
- You can’t miss doses. Stopping Amlodipine suddenly can cause your blood pressure to go up suddenly, which raises the risk of heart attack and stroke.
- If you have severe heart disease, using Amlodipine might increase your risk of chest pain or heart attack during the time right after starting the medication or raising the dosage.
- Might not be a good choice if you have liver disease.
USED FOR:
- High blood pressure
- Chest pain
- Heart failure
- Diabetic kidney disease
- Kidney disease
- Enlarged heart
- Silent heart attack
- Raynaud’s phenomenon
DOSAGE FORMS:
PillLowest price
-
Fatigue 5%
-
Nausea 3%
-
Abdominal pain 2%
-
Low blood pressure
- Age 65 years or older
-
Heart attack
- History of heart problems
-
Special dosing requirements
- Liver disease
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Foot and leg swelling (edema)
- History of blood vessel disease
- History of heart failure
- History of kidney disease
- Obesity
