Common Substances that affect Blood Pressure Control

For some individuals control can be a challenge. It maybe ok today but then out of the blue it goes array. Both you and your doctor is left wandering what’s going on . Why this sudden increase? This can be tricky because your physician has to now decide whether to change your treatment plan or not.

Even so, physicians usually don’t adjust medication based on just one reading or one office visit but the cause of the sudden increase needs to be explored further.

Studies show that most people do not have their blood pressure within the normal range even though they take blood pressure medication. One reason can be due to the recent changes made by the American Heart Association.

Another reason might be related to the substance, chemical  or drug you are ingesting, smoking sniffing or injecting. Even prescribed medication can cause an increase in blood pressure.

Back in 2017 AHA adjusted the ranges for blood pressure. The new normal blood pressure is a systolic blood pressure of less than 120 and diastolic blood pressure less than 80. Some experts say this is too low. But as of now they have not changed their recommendation.

Because of this change, it some can take up to 3 medications to meet this new goal. But it is worth every effort. If it takes 3 pills to save your brain and your kidneys , then you should take it.

Just in case you did not know, high blood pressure kills and disables individuals. It is the leading causes of stroke and the leading cause of cardiovascular related death worldwide. So even if you live Timbuktu, this applies to you.

Besides lifestyle modification and taking your prescribed blood pressure medication another way you can help control your blood pressure is by examining and limiting  some of your other recreational habits that might be interfering with you reaching the target blood pressure goal set by your physician.

Many of the substances that we indulge in on a regular basis can be harmful to us. We know recreational drugs and alcohol is bad for us but too much coffee can worsen your blood pressure. This can make it seems like the blood pressure medications are not working.

Do you drink coffee everyday ? How much coffee do you drink daily? Do you know how much caffeine is in a cup of coffee? You should keep track of this information. Cut back. Skip a few days and see what happens to your blood pressure.

In addition, some prescribe medication might also be affecting your blood pressure causing it to be high. The goal of this post is to bring awareness and make you think about the possible causes of your persistent high blood pressure. However, do not stop taking your medication without first talking to your doctor. I make a strong assumption that if you are taking any prescribed medication you are doing so under the supervision of a doctor.

If you do not have any of the risk factors associated with high blood pressure, this information may still apply to you. You can also control your blood pressure by paying attention to substances that you put in your body.

Drugs And Substances That Can cause High Blood Pressure or Interfere with Blood Pressure Control

Unfortunately, some prescription drugs that are known to cause hypertension must be taken in order to keep the conditions that they are treating under control. These medications that are known to cause drug-induced hypertension are as follows:

✔ Systemic corticosteroids – This class of prescription medications are use to treat auto immune conditions, inflammatory conditions and sometimes allergic reaction. Some examples are prednisone, prednisolone, methylprednisolone, dexamethasone, or fludrocortisone.

✔ Ketoconazole -This class of prescription medication use to treat fungal skin infections. An example is Nioral

✔ Erythropoietin -This class of prescription medication is use to treat anemia. An example is Procrit or Epogen.

✔ Antiemtics -This class of prescription medication is use to treat nausea. Example are Reglan and Litican

✔ Angiogenesis inhibitors – This class of prescription medication are prescribed by physician to shrink tumors. Example are bevacizumab.

✔ Tyrosine kinase inhibitors – This class of prescription medication also fights tumors. Two examples are Sunitinib and sorafenib.

✔ Immunosuppresants – This class of prescribed medication is use to suppress the immune system and is given to patient had an organ transplant. It can use to treat Rhuematoid Arthritis. An example is cyclosporine.

✔ NSAIDs – This class of the  drug can be purchase with or without a prescription. It can be use to treat pain,fever or prevent blood clot. Non prescription examples are aspirin and Ibuprofen Prescription option are Celebrex, . Check out the enter list here.

✔ Antidepressants – This class of medication is prescribed to treat depress. Examples are Monoamine oxidase inhibitors (Marplan) and Tricyclic Antidepressants (Doxepin)

✔ Atypical antipsychotics -This class of prescription medication is use to treat psychosis. Examples are Clozapine and Olanzapine.

✔ Amphetamines – Conditions like ADHD and narcolepsy are often treated by amphetamines such as dextroamphetamine, methylphenidate or dextroamphetamine

✔ Recreational drugs – This class of drug is used recreationally. Examples are MDPV which is known as bath salts, methamphetamine, and cocaine

✔ Caffeine – This substance is found in coffee and chocolate.   Amount over 300mg /day can cause high blood pressure

✔ Alcohol – This substance is also consumed socially and found in beer, wine, rum , vodka

✔ Herbal supplements – This substance can be plant or herb based and found in many food, drinks and pills .Examples are  Ma Huang and St John’s Worth.

✔ Decongestants – These substances can be purchased without a prescription and are use to treat sinus congestion. Examples are pseudoephine and phenylphrine .

✔ Oral contraceptives – this class of medication is prescribed to women to prevent pregnancy.

This list is not all inclusive.
It only list the most common substances that most of us tend to use or consume from time to time and sometimes regularly. Review the list  then select the  over the counter items you can eliminate or use sparingly.  Ask the pharmacist for an alternative.

Do not forget to always keep a current medication list of all prescription, over the counter and herbal supplements and make it available to your doctor.