Everything You Know About Meds & Supplements That Increase Blood Pressure

Blood pressure's the force of your blood pushing against your vessel walls! Men, you've got to have a healthy reading. That means it needs to be at least 90/60 mm Hg and up to 120/80 mm Hg. Many, many men have their lowest reading in the morning. It'll be at it's highest mid-afternoon! Men, your pressure will likely drop again in the early evening. Many things, so many things, influence your blood pressure. Examples are sleep, stress, exercise, and medications. Shift work and anxiety do as well! Get your pressure checked regularly when it's borderline high.

Men, supplements for high blood pressure help a lot. So much! That said, high blood pressure pills are only for you when your reading is 140/90 mm Hg or higher. Otherwise, you'll rely on natural remedies for high blood pressure. A huge, huge option is a healthy, low-sodium diet! That said, you've got to be careful about the general meds and supplements you take. Some of them will actually increase your blood pressure!

Caffeine

Men, many of you drink lots and lots of caffeine. There are even caffeine supplements out there! They're great for energy, but there's a problem. Caffeine increases your blood pressure! When you drink a lot regularly, you're going to have a higher than average reading. You'll only become tolerant to caffeine and see no changes if you're really, really lucky. Men, when you drink 200 to 300 mg of caffeine, you'll see at least a temporary increase in your blood pressure! That's the case when you take it as a supplement too.

Men, that's why you'll have to limit how much caffeine you get every day. Keep it to 200 mg or less, drinks and supplements included! And men? When you've already got high blood pressure? Don't have any caffeine before exercise! Ask your doc about what's safe for you on a regular basis too.

Decongestants

Decongestants make your blood vessels narrow. That's what makes your blood pressure increase, men. It is! Sadly, these meds also make hypertension meds less effective, so much less effective. That's why you have to be careful. Many, many of you will see OTC decongestants. They're in cold and flu remedies! Men, when you don't have hypertension, you'll be able to safely take most decongestants. Hold your horses, though. Some of them aren't safe when you've got hypertension! Examples include ephedrine, phenylephrine, and pseudoephedrine.

There's some good news, men. Many cold and cough meds have no effect on your blood pressure. Ask your pharmacist about them! You'll want to try saline nasal sprays and antihistamines. They're great, so great, especially when you've got hypertension already. Drinking tea is awesome too, and don't forget about gargling some saltwater!

Ginseng

Men, there's research saying ginseng supplements increase your blood pressure. So much research is saying it! They say it's so, so common when you're taking them for the first time. That's why many, many docs recommend avoiding these supplements when you've got hypertension. Hold up, though. There's conflicting evidence! A review done in 2016 says something different, very different. It says ginseng has no significant impact on your systolic, diastolic, or mean arterial pressure. Men, the review also says you'll see a mild improvement in your systolic pressure when you've got diabetes! But there's more. This review says that ginseng has a neutral effect on your vascular system. That's why they ultimately say you can have these supplements safely.

Hold your horses. Men, the research's still not conclusive when you've got hypertension. They need more evidence on how ginseng impacts you! What's clear, though, is that you've got to be careful when you also have heart disease. Also, you already know to never, ever, combine ginseng with caffeine. Never, ever! The result is a dangerous increase in your blood pressure. Men, you know what's needed. Talk to your doc before taking any ginseng supplements!

St. John's Wort

St. John's wort very, very common. Men, you'll see it in an herbal supplement. Many, many people take it to treat mild depression. There's a huge problem, though. So huge. St. John's wort also increases your blood pressure by a lot. A lot! This makes it unsafe when you've already got high blood pressure. Hold up, though. There's more! Men, St. John's wort also triggers dangerous increases in your blood pressure even when you don't have hypertension! There's lots of research on this. One case was of a 41-year-old man. He had a hypertensive crisis and delirium after taking St. John's wort for 7 days. Men, his blood pressure was 210/140 mm Hg! He followed all the directions on the bottle. Yes, all of them! He wasn't taking any other meds, either.

Many, many of you will want a natural antidepressant. Men, some of you will be successful with this! But keep your guard up. The blood pressure problems are why your doc's going to recommend a prescription antidepressant first. They'll also consider the many, many med interactions linked to St. John's wort!

Antidepressants

Men! Some antidepressants carry high blood pressure as a side effect. The examples? They include MAOIs, tricyclic antidepressants, and fluoxetine, obviously. Sadly, it's not clear exactly why they have his side effect. Some say it's because they make your nervous system a little more active. That means signals are amplified to the rest of your body. Yes, including the ones that control your blood pressure!

Men, the good news is most of you can still take antidepressants. Win. Yes, even when you've got high blood pressure! Your doc will prescribe other antidepressants without this side effect first. If you do need the ones that can trigger high blood pressure, well, there's still hope! Your doc will give you a lower dose. They'll also watch your blood pressure really, really closely too.