Cold Medicine For High Blood Pressure: Is It Safe?

Which Decongestants Are Safe For High Blood Pressure:

Taking a decongestant can temporarily ease congestion, but it can also create a slight increase in your blood pressure. If you already have high blood pressure, especially if it’s not controlled, this may be a concern. Decongestants also can interfere with the effectiveness of certain blood pressure medications.

We’re empowering you to make wise decisions about your own health, by providing you with essential health information about both medical and alternative treatment options. You can find out more about safe treatments for colds and other upper respiratory infections from our eGuide to Colds, Coughs & the Flu. Other uses, including educational products or services sold for profit, must comply with the American Heart Association’s Copyright Permission Guidelines.

With the drug take-back program, you can deposit expired or unwanted medication. Although there haven’t been studies measuring the effects of phenylephrine on blood pressure, experts believe it has less super fast reply of an impact than pseudoephedrine. But be sure to read the list of active ingredients on the back of the packaging. They may be in smaller print, but they can come with unexpected side effects.

Home treatments may also help to alleviate cold symptoms and aid recovery. Cold medicines are not off-limits if you have heart disease, but patients with high blood pressure, or hypertension, should check the label carefully when choosing a cold or allergy medicine. Inhaling steam from a vaporizer, pan of hot water or hot shower can help moisten the lining of the nose so any secretions that are present become more watery and easier to remove. Increasing fluid intake may also produce nasal secretions that are less thick and more watery.

Your local pharmacist can also help manage nasal congestion symptoms, provide valuable information regarding safer alternatives, and ensure optimal drug selection in patients with high blood pressure. The American Heart Association recommends that you always read the labels of any over-the-counter medications if you have high blood pressure, even if your pressure is controlled with medications. The labels of most medicines containing decongestants include a Food and Drug Administration (FDA)-required warning to consult with a doctor before using the medicine if you have high blood pressure.

A person should see a doctor if these products do not result in significant improvement or if additional symptoms develop. Usually, over-the-counter pain relievers cause less severe side effects than prescription versions. People can use nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) such as aspirin, ibuprofen, and acetaminophen to alleviate the aches, pains, and headaches that may accompany congestion.

By blocking the action of histamine, antihistamines can reduce secretions and decrease nasal congestion. Common over-the-counter antihistamines include chlorpheniramine (Chlor-Trimeton), loratadine (Claritin) and cetirizine (Zyrtec). Coricidin HBP and Nyquil HBP are product lines of cold and flu combination medicines marketed specifically for people with hypertension. High blood pressure, known medically as hypertension, is page extremely common, affecting about half of American adults. People with high blood pressure or heart disease should be aware that common over-the-counter (OTC) medications, including cold medicine and decongestants, can raise blood pressure. People with high blood pressure should be aware that the use of decongestants may raise blood pressure or interfere with the effectiveness of some prescribed blood pressure medications.

If your last doctor’s visit revealed that you have high blood pressure, the good news is that bringing it down is often well within your control. Your health care team will tell you if you need medicine for high blood pressure, based on your see blood pressure readings over a period of time. If you use a home blood pressure monitor, record or write down your readings. Do not stop taking your current medicine without talking to your doctor or health care professional first.

Nasal congestion occurs because of swelling of tissues lining the nose or the accumulation of secretions within the nose. Decongestants reduce congestion by acting directly on blood vessels in the nasal lining, causing the vessels to become narrower. But decongestants may affect blood vessels outside the nose as well. When blood vessels are narrowed in other parts of the body, the blood pressure can increase.

The pharmacist or doctor will then outline which medications are safe for the person to take. They are available to buy on their own or as an ingredient in multi-symptom cold and flu medications. People who buy medicines to target multiple symptoms should, therefore, read medication labels carefully. It’s the season for respiratory viruses and the cough, congestion and sore throats they bring. There are many options for over-the-counter (OTC) remedies and relief, but if you have high blood pressure, you may want to take a closer look at the label. Some may contain warnings that advise against taking if you have high blood pressure.