How many hypertension medications are there

A diuretic removes excess water and sodium from your body, so there's less fluid flowing through your veins and arteries. This reduces pressure on the walls of your blood vessels. There are three types of diuretics: thiazide, loop and potassium-sparing. Examples of diuretics include chlorothiazide Diuril , bumetanide Bumex and amiloride Midamor. If diuretics aren't enough to lower your blood pressure, your doctor might recommend adding other blood pressure medications to your treatment. Angiotensin-converting enzyme ACE inhibitors.

These help relax blood vessels by preventing the formation of angiotensin, a chemical in your body that narrows blood vessels. There are several ACE inhibitors available. Calcium channel blockers. These medications prevent calcium from entering the cells of your heart and arteries, allowing your arteries to relax and open.

If you're unable to reach your blood pressure goal with one or more of the above medications, other drugs that lower blood pressure include:. Central-acting agents. These medications prevent your brain from sending signals to your nervous system to speed up your heart rate and narrow your blood vessels. As a result, your heart doesn't pump as hard and your blood flows more easily through your veins and arteries.

Examples of central-acting agents include clonidine Catapres, Kapvay , guanfacine Intuniv and methyldopa. How well a drug works for you can depend on your age, sex, race, blood pressure level and overall health.

Combining two drugs usually works better than a single drug to get your blood pressure under control. Sometimes additional medication is needed to achieve your blood pressure goal. High blood pressure often goes hand in hand with other health problems. High blood pressure increases your risk of having one of these conditions:. For example, if you have chest pain angina related to coronary artery disease, your doctor may recommend a beta blocker to lower blood pressure, prevent chest pain, reduce your heart rate and decrease your risk of death.

If you have diabetes and high blood pressure, taking a diuretic plus an ACE inhibitor can decrease your risk of a heart attack and stroke. If you have diabetes, high blood pressure and kidney disease, you may need an ACE inhibitor or an angiotensin II receptor blocker. In most cases, a combination of lifestyle changes and medication can help you successfully control your blood pressure.

However, it's not unusual to try several medications or doses before finding what works best for you. An important way for you and your doctor to know if your treatment is working is to monitor your blood pressure at home.

Home blood pressure monitors are widely available and inexpensive, and you don't need a prescription to buy one. Remember that home blood pressure monitoring isn't a substitute for visits to your doctor.

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This content does not have an Arabic version. See more conditions. Choosing blood pressure medications. Products and services. Blood Pressure Toolkit. Prescription blood pressure drugs come in many classes Many blood pressure medications, known as antihypertensives, are available by prescription to lower high blood pressure HBP or hypertension. Overviews of the classes of blood pressure medications Summaries of some of the major types of commonly prescribed cardiovascular medications are provided here.

However, this information does not signify a recommendation or endorsement from the American Heart Association. It's important to discuss all of the drugs you take with your doctor and understand their desired effects and possible side effects. Never stop taking a medication and never change your dose or frequency without first consulting your doctor.

Symptoms such as weakness, leg cramps or being tired may result. Eating foods containing potassium may help prevent significant potassium loss. If your doctor recommends it, you could prevent potassium loss by taking a liquid or tablet that has potassium along with the diuretic. They don't cause the body to lose potassium. They might be prescribed alone, but are usually used with another diuretic. Some people suffer from attacks of gout after prolonged treatment with diuretics.

This side effect isn't common and can be managed by other treatment. People with diabetes may find that diuretic drugs increase their blood sugar level. A change in medication, diet, insulin or oral anti-diabetic dosage corrects this in most cases. Impotence may occur. Beta-blockers Beta-blockers reduce the heart rate, the heart's workload and the heart's output of blood, which lowers blood pressure. If you have been prescribed beta-blockers, consult your healthcare provider prior to conception if you are considering pregnancy or if there is a chance you could become pregnant.

If you discover that you are pregnant consult your healthcare provider as soon as possible to determine the safest medication for you at this time. ACE inhibitors Angiotensin is a chemical that causes the arteries to become narrow, especially in the kidneys but also throughout the body. These drugs have been shown to be dangerous to both mother and baby during pregnancy.

They can cause low blood pressure, severe kidney failure, excess potassium hyperkalemia and even death of the newborn. Angiotensin II receptor blockers These drugs block the effects of angiotensin, a chemical that causes the arteries to become narrow. ARBs should not be used during pregnancy.

Medications that act directly on the renin-angiotensin system can cause injury or even death to a developing fetus. When pregnancy is detected, consult your healthcare professional as soon as possible.

Calcium channel blockers This drug prevents calcium from entering the smooth muscle cells of the heart and arteries. The medicine will not necessarily make you feel any different, but this does not mean it's not working. Medicines used to treat high blood pressure can have side effects, but most people do not get any. If you do get side effects, do not stop taking your medicine. Talk to your doctor, who may advise changing your medicine.

Angiotensin-converting enzyme ACE inhibitors reduce blood pressure by relaxing your blood vessels. Common examples are enalapril , lisinopril , perindopril and ramipril.

The most common side effect is a persistent dry cough. Other possible side effects include headaches , dizziness and a rash. They're often recommended if ACE inhibitors cause troublesome side effects. Common examples are candesartan , irbesartan , losartan , valsartan and olmesartan. Possible side effects include dizziness, headaches, and cold or flu-like symptoms.

If you have coronavirus COVID , or think you might have it, keep taking your blood pressure medicines as usual. There is no clear evidence that taking angiotensin-converting enzyme ACE inhibitors or angiotensin-2 receptor blockers ARBs will cause complications. Calcium channel blockers reduce blood pressure by widening your blood vessels. Common examples are amlodipine , felodipine and nifedipine. Other medicines, such as diltiazem and verapamil, are also available.

Drinking grapefruit juice while taking some calcium channel blockers can increase your risk of side effects.