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How Long Does It Take for Blood Pressure Medication to Work ?
Key Points
– Time taken by several blood pressure medications depends on key ingredients and patients’ condition. Certain drugs start working within a few hours – from the first dose while others take a few weeks or more
– Few research studies indicate it takes ~1week’s time to achieve 50% reduction in blood pressure. However, this initial response can vary depending on the type of medication and dosage strength
– Drugs such as Empagliflozin and Ramipril start functioning in much shorter time span. Others such as Trandolapril and Indapamide may take an entire month or perhaps, even more. In most cases, you can achieve long-term control and significant reduction in your blood pressure in 6 to 8 weeks, with continued doses
– Vitamins A through E and K tend to lower blood pressure levels. However, certain supplements can pose risks of hypertension
Patients suffering from hypertension i.e. high blood pressure may see favorable outcomes as a result of multiple factors. A few select drugs start to work efficiently in 1 to 2 hours from the time of your last dose.
Some medications that lower your blood pressure within a stipulated timeframe are:
- Metoprolol tartrate – a beta-blocker; starts working within an hour of taking a pill. Effects last about 6 to 12 hours. This drug however reduces your blood pressure over time
- Empagliflozin – an SGLT2 inhibitor; significantly reduces your night-time systolic pressure in first 4 weeks of dosing. Patients who are diabetic and are old may get better results. People with not-so-severe obese conditions, and those who have uncontrolled nocturnal-hypertension without substantial reduction in glucose levels can take Empagliflozin
- Indapamide – a diuretic; proven as an efficient med to reduce both day-time and night-time blood pressure within a month into your treatment plan
- Trandolapril – an ACE inhibitor; helps reduce 24-hour mean blood pressure after a period of 6 weeks of action. This vastly helps patients with a mild-to-moderate spells of hypertension
- Isradipine – a slow-release formulation. For diastolic blood pressure of 100 to 120 mm Hg – supine mode; dosage strengths of 2.5 mg to 5 mg once per day controls your blood pressure effectively throughout the day. Timing of doses of antihypertensives did not disturb the mean 24-hour blood pressure levels though
- Bisoprolol – this is another drug that provides a more persistent and sizable reduction in pressure levels, with 86 – 93% residual effects after 24 hours – especially of exercise blood pressure and heart rate, as compared to metoprolol
- Aliskiren too works well in patients with mild-to-moderate hypertension. It is a well-tolerated drug, and provides a continued control of pressure all through 24-hours
- After taking the first dose, drugs like Ramipril – Angiotensin-Converting Enzyme (ACE) inhibitor effectively reduces your blood pressure from the very first hour of administration. In a matter of about 4 hours, this drug tends to attain its maximum potential.
Vitamins to Avoid with High Blood Pressure
Research has not established counterproductive connection between vitamins and blood pressure levels. There is also no proof of vitamins directly increasing your blood pressure readings. Vitamins A, B, C, D, E and K are known to lower your blood pressure levels i.e., more than many other forms of vitamins.
You are advised to stay away from avoid select set of supplements, if you blood pressure level is persistently on the higher side. These supplements include evening primrose, ginkgo biloba, ginseng, ephedra, Coenzyme Q10, licorice root, hawthorn, arnica, guarana – to name a few supplements.
Although some vitamins and supplements play a key role in managing your blood pressure, they are not a direct-replacement to medications or changes made to daily habits.
There are studies done to explore links between D-vitamin and hypertension; an association seems to exist between these two. Supplements of vitamin D are beneficial – especially to older adults, living with obesity. However, the evidence stands inconclusive, as there is not much research done to evidence this information.
Multivitamins i.e. dietary supplements are considered harmless for hypertension. These do not contribute to the development of high blood pressure or increase risks – regardless of your age and your Body Mass Index (BMI).
However, you cannot consider multivitamins as a preventive measure to contain pressure level. They are unlikely to reduce risks of hypertension or stop a cardiovascular condition from developing.
Can Supplements Lower Your Blood Pressure?
Most supplements may not help in lowering your blood pressure. In general, caregivers do not prescribe dietary supplements for hypertension. Drug certifying agencies rarely / never have approved use of supplements as an alternative to regular antihypertensive medications.
Thus, supplements are never an alternative to changes made to your lifestyle changes or intake of blood pressure medications. Consult your caregiver prior to using a supplement. This is because odds of a raise in your blood pressure are high when supplements interact with other medications you are currently taking.
Many commonly used herbal supplements can also interact adversely with blood pressure meds.
You need to consult with your healthcare provider if you plan to take herbal supplements or dietary aids / fortified-foods to control your hypertension. While consulting with caregiving teams , you also need to inform them of other meds you are using / treatment plans you are presently pursuing.
It is a safe thing to share information of already existing ailments as well as your clinical history for caregivers to gain added inputs on your overall health condition. Such practices help your caregiver obtain needful background information about your ongoing dosage plans. It helps caregivers prescribe meds that do not interact adversely with each other.
EDITORIAL SOURCES
Global Discount Drugs follows sourcing guidelines to ensure the accuracy of its content. We use only trustworthy sources, including peer-reviewed studies and information from top institutions.
URLs Referred
High Blood Pressure | High Blood Pressure | CDC
Overview | Hypertension in adults: diagnosis and management | Guidance | NICE
Choosing blood pressure medications – Mayo Clinic
High Blood Pressure – Medicines to Help You rev. May 2011b
Blood Pressure Medicines | MedlinePlus
Blood pressure medicines: Types and side-effects
High blood pressure medications: MedlinePlus Medical Encyclopedia
Mike is a licensed pharmacist with over 10 years of experience in community pharmacy management. He is dedicated to helping people understand their medications and improve their overall health. Mike enjoys reading medical journals and sharing practical health tips. Connect with him on LinkedIn for the latest in pharmacy practices."
Key Points
– Time taken by several blood pressure medications depends on key ingredients and patients’ condition. Certain drugs start working within a few hours – from the first dose while others take a few weeks or more
– Few research studies indicate it takes ~1week’s time to achieve 50% reduction in blood pressure. However, this initial response can vary depending on the type of medication and dosage strength
– Drugs such as Empagliflozin and Ramipril start functioning in much shorter time span. Others such as Trandolapril and Indapamide may take an entire month or perhaps, even more. In most cases, you can achieve long-term control and significant reduction in your blood pressure in 6 to 8 weeks, with continued doses
– Vitamins A through E and K tend to lower blood pressure levels. However, certain supplements can pose risks of hypertension
Patients suffering from hypertension i.e. high blood pressure may see favorable outcomes as a result of multiple factors. A few select drugs start to work efficiently in 1 to 2 hours from the time of your last dose.
Some medications that lower your blood pressure within a stipulated timeframe are:
- Metoprolol tartrate – a beta-blocker; starts working within an hour of taking a pill. Effects last about 6 to 12 hours. This drug however reduces your blood pressure over time
- Empagliflozin – an SGLT2 inhibitor; significantly reduces your night-time systolic pressure in first 4 weeks of dosing. Patients who are diabetic and are old may get better results. People with not-so-severe obese conditions, and those who have uncontrolled nocturnal-hypertension without substantial reduction in glucose levels can take Empagliflozin
- Indapamide – a diuretic; proven as an efficient med to reduce both day-time and night-time blood pressure within a month into your treatment plan
- Trandolapril – an ACE inhibitor; helps reduce 24-hour mean blood pressure after a period of 6 weeks of action. This vastly helps patients with a mild-to-moderate spells of hypertension
- Isradipine – a slow-release formulation. For diastolic blood pressure of 100 to 120 mm Hg – supine mode; dosage strengths of 2.5 mg to 5 mg once per day controls your blood pressure effectively throughout the day. Timing of doses of antihypertensives did not disturb the mean 24-hour blood pressure levels though
- Bisoprolol – this is another drug that provides a more persistent and sizable reduction in pressure levels, with 86 – 93% residual effects after 24 hours – especially of exercise blood pressure and heart rate, as compared to metoprolol
- Aliskiren too works well in patients with mild-to-moderate hypertension. It is a well-tolerated drug, and provides a continued control of pressure all through 24-hours
- After taking the first dose, drugs like Ramipril – Angiotensin-Converting Enzyme (ACE) inhibitor effectively reduces your blood pressure from the very first hour of administration. In a matter of about 4 hours, this drug tends to attain its maximum potential.
Vitamins to Avoid with High Blood Pressure
Research has not established counterproductive connection between vitamins and blood pressure levels. There is also no proof of vitamins directly increasing your blood pressure readings. Vitamins A, B, C, D, E and K are known to lower your blood pressure levels i.e., more than many other forms of vitamins.
You are advised to stay away from avoid select set of supplements, if you blood pressure level is persistently on the higher side. These supplements include evening primrose, ginkgo biloba, ginseng, ephedra, Coenzyme Q10, licorice root, hawthorn, arnica, guarana – to name a few supplements.
Although some vitamins and supplements play a key role in managing your blood pressure, they are not a direct-replacement to medications or changes made to daily habits.
There are studies done to explore links between D-vitamin and hypertension; an association seems to exist between these two. Supplements of vitamin D are beneficial – especially to older adults, living with obesity. However, the evidence stands inconclusive, as there is not much research done to evidence this information.
Multivitamins i.e. dietary supplements are considered harmless for hypertension. These do not contribute to the development of high blood pressure or increase risks – regardless of your age and your Body Mass Index (BMI).
However, you cannot consider multivitamins as a preventive measure to contain pressure level. They are unlikely to reduce risks of hypertension or stop a cardiovascular condition from developing.
Can Supplements Lower Your Blood Pressure?
Most supplements may not help in lowering your blood pressure. In general, caregivers do not prescribe dietary supplements for hypertension. Drug certifying agencies rarely / never have approved use of supplements as an alternative to regular antihypertensive medications.
Thus, supplements are never an alternative to changes made to your lifestyle changes or intake of blood pressure medications. Consult your caregiver prior to using a supplement. This is because odds of a raise in your blood pressure are high when supplements interact with other medications you are currently taking.
Many commonly used herbal supplements can also interact adversely with blood pressure meds.
You need to consult with your healthcare provider if you plan to take herbal supplements or dietary aids / fortified-foods to control your hypertension. While consulting with caregiving teams , you also need to inform them of other meds you are using / treatment plans you are presently pursuing.
It is a safe thing to share information of already existing ailments as well as your clinical history for caregivers to gain added inputs on your overall health condition. Such practices help your caregiver obtain needful background information about your ongoing dosage plans. It helps caregivers prescribe meds that do not interact adversely with each other.
EDITORIAL SOURCES
Global Discount Drugs follows sourcing guidelines to ensure the accuracy of its content. We use only trustworthy sources, including peer-reviewed studies and information from top institutions.
URLs Referred
High Blood Pressure | High Blood Pressure | CDC
Overview | Hypertension in adults: diagnosis and management | Guidance | NICE
Choosing blood pressure medications – Mayo Clinic
High Blood Pressure – Medicines to Help You rev. May 2011b
Blood Pressure Medicines | MedlinePlus
Blood pressure medicines: Types and side-effects
High blood pressure medications: MedlinePlus Medical Encyclopedia
Mike is a licensed pharmacist with over 10 years of experience in community pharmacy management. He is dedicated to helping people understand their medications and improve their overall health. Mike enjoys reading medical journals and sharing practical health tips. Connect with him on LinkedIn for the latest in pharmacy practices."
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