Everything You Know About Meds For Low Blood Pressure

Hypotension's a huge one. Men, you know about it! It's when your blood pressure is often 90/60 or lower. Many, many things cause this one, like blood loss, septicemia, and dehydration. Not getting enough of certain vitamins is another one! Some of the vitamin deficiencies that trigger it are in vitamin B12 and iron. Men, you're at a high, high risk when you've got diabetes or are a senior. Low blood pressure causes many, many issues when you're not treated. Some of them are fainting and dizziness. Heart and brain damage are huge when your pressure's very, very low.

Men, you've got to get hypotension treatment! Yes, start by drinking lots more water. Lots more! You're going to have to stop eating as much salt too. Yes, wearing compression socks is very, very helpful also. That said, meds for low blood pressure are a huge option. Men, you've got to understand the common hypotension meds first!

Fludrocortisone

Fludrocortisone's a corticosteroid. Yes, it's a strong, strong prescription for hypotension. Men, it's also great for Addison's disease treatment! Win. This med helps reduce the amount of salt you get rid of through your pee. Hold your horses, though. There are precautions! You can't take it when you've got a fungal infection. It's also so, so important to go over your health history first. Yes! Points of note include a history of glaucoma, diabetes, stomach ulcers, and heart problems. There are others, though, so talk to your doc! The med's often not safe for you when you've got one of these conditions.

Yes. This one's got some side effects too. Common side effects are things like easy bruising, stomach ulcers, and wounds that are so slow to heal. You'll also retain a lot more salt and water too! Men, some side effects your doc's got to know about right away. This includes things like lower limb swelling, blurry vision, eye pain, severe pain in your upper abdomen, and seizures. You've got to call your doc when you show signs of low potassium too. These signs include fluttering in your chest, muscle weakness, and leg cramps.

Midodrine

Midodrine's another huge med. Men, this one helps with orthostatic hypotension. Yes, you know what that is! It's when your blood pressure drops a lot when you stand up. Wow. This drug's an alpha-adrenergic agonist. It's going to stimulate the nerve endings of your blood vessels. Yes, you already know what's coming. It's going to make your vessels tighten and your blood pressure increase! Obviously, this med has side effects. Men, the common ones are skin tingling, frequent peeing, chills, and yes, stomach pain! Not fun. Less common side effects are dry mouth, leg cramps, insomnia, dizziness, and drowsiness.

Men, lots of you need this med 3 times a day. You've got to take each dose at least 3 hours apart. There's more too. You've got to take your last dose before 6 p.m! Men, you know this one isn't right before naps or bedtime. Yes, it's because it'll make your blood pressure rise when you're lying down. That's why your docs will say you need to raise the head of your bed! Of course, this med has many interactions. Two are with beta-blockers and alpha-blockers. Yes, men, this means you've got to tell your doc about all your current meds before adding this one.

Norepinephrine

Norepinephrine's so strong. So strong. It handles low blood pressure when it's life-threatening! Yes, you'll get it in an IV in the ER or ICU. Men, it's also a part of CPR in some cases! Many, many of you get it for sepsis and when your low blood pressure is from hemodialysis. That said, you've got to think about your health history first whenever possible. Huge, huge issues to consider include a history of diabetes, sulfite allergies, asthma, and coronary artery disease.

Docs watch your vitals when you get this med. Two of the huge, huge examples here are your respiration and, yes, your blood pressure. This med triggers tissue damage when it leaks from your veins. Men, tell your doc and nurse right away when you see certain side effects. The ones to watch for include pain, irritation, cold skin, and cold veins around the injection site.

Droxidopa

Droxidopa's a great med for neurogenic orthostatic hypotension! It's when your autonomic system can't keep control over your blood pressure properly. Men, you get this from many things, like Parkinson's disease and multiple system atrophy! You'll take it by mouth. Yes, it comes as a capsule! Men, this med works by narrowing your blood vessels. This is what drives your blood pressure up. Men, your doc's going to start you on a low dose and increase it gradually. You guessed it. That's what helps you avoid side effects! Many, many of your need 3 doses a day. You've got to take the last dose at least 3 hours before going to bed. Men, you're also limited to 2 weeks on this med. After that, you've got to find another solution with your doc!

Yes, this drug has some side effects. You know what's coming. The most common are dizziness, nausea, and headaches! Tell your doc when these are severe, so severe, or persistent. Men, some side effects mean you've got to call your doc right away. They are lower back pain, painful peeing, cloudy pee, and bladder pain! Men, keep watch on your blood pressure at home when you're on this med. Tell your doc about your results. This helps your doc when they take your blood pressure during your appointments! Yes, they're fighting for you very well. As always, raise the head of your bed when you're sleeping. This helps since droxidopa makes your pressure rise when you're lying down.

Phenylephrine

Men, you're going to get phenylephrine when your blood pressure drops during surgery. Docs give it to you through an IV! You know what's coming. Keep your guard up! You need close monitoring on this med, including blood tests. Men, part of this is because of necrosis. This is talking about a depression under your skin around the injection site! This side effect is serious and permanent. Sad. Men, tell your doc if you think you've got this! Tell them right away about side effects like peeling skin, pain, and redness around the injection site. Do it for black and blue-green skin discoloration too!

There are more side effects of this med too. So much more! Examples are stomach pain, anxiety, headaches, nausea, reduced pee output, and excess fluid in your lungs. Tell your doc or nurse about these right away. Men, you'll also want to talk about your current meds first. This drug interacts with many, many others. So many others! Two of them are linezolid and procarbazine.