Should antihypertensives be taken for life? Doctors say this popular misconception has no scientific basis. Once blood pressure normalizes with the help of lifestyle changes and drugs, you can live without the latter afterwards. This is true provided lifestyle changes are continued even without drug therapy.
In others, drug therapy may have to be continued after a year or more. Even then, the fact that these patients didn’t use drugs for that period of time spells immense savings and freedom from side effects for a while.
But don’t stop using your prescribed drugs without your doctor’s knowledge. He or she is in a much better position to evaluate your condition and properly advice you if it’s time to quit. The important thing to remember is that taking drugs for hypertension doesn’t have to be forever.
“Although most antihypertensive drugs are usually continued for a lifetime, I often stop them after a year to see if the patient can do without them. Not infrequently they can. And even after drugs have been prescribed, don’t give up trying to lose weight because the thinner you are, the fewer pills you’ll need. Side effects from any drug, no matter how slight, are dose-related. The less you take of any medication, the better you’ll feel. It’s also a good idea to join an exercise program (if you’ve been cleared by your doctor to do so). Although exercise alone won’t lower your blood pressure significantly – neither will relaxation techniques at least not in my experience – all these steps when taken together, make medication work more effectively and in smaller doses,” according to Dr. Isadore Rosenfeld of the New York Hospital – Memorial Sloan – Kettering Cancer Center in “The Best Treatment.”
Since their introduction in the 1950s, the sale of antihypertensives has been picking up. Americans spend billions yearly on these drugs and there are more than 200 different medications to choose from. All belong to four major classes: diuretics, beta-blockers, calcium-channel blockers and angiotensin converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitors.
The choice of drug depends on several factors: the patient’s age, sex, health, race and physical condition. Side effects should also be considered. If the patient is uncomfortable with one drug, the doctor may either substitute it with a similar drug or change the medication entirely.
In treating hypertension, the physician may prescribe one drug or a combination of drugs depending on how well the patient responds to them. Make sure you tell your doctor what other ailments you have and the other medications you’re taking to avoid unfavorable drug interactions.
“Before starting any blood pressure medication, always ask your doctor about possible side effects – impotence, diarrhea, constipation, frequent urination, fatigue, rash, dizziness, worsening of asthma, a slow pulse and so on. But don’t let this litany scare you off. It’s all potential, not inevitable, and very much a matter of individual response. One person will tolerate a drug in large amounts, while another reacts badly to a tiny dose. Also, if you’re being treated by more than one doctor because you have several different conditions, make sure each of them knows what medications the others are prescribing. Drug interaction during the treatment of hypertension can be dangerous,” Rosenfeld said. (Next: Diuretics for hypertension.)
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