Acetaminophen ; 

People who take acetaminophen (Tylenol, others) daily are more likely to develop high blood pressure than are those who don’t take acetaminophen. There’s no evidence that occasional use of acetaminophen causes any long-term increase in blood pressure.

Tell your doctor if you take acetaminophen regularly. Your doctor might recommend alternating between acetaminophen and other pain relievers. Because pain relievers affect blood pressure in different ways, alternating between them may give your body a break. Also consider other ways to control pain, such as warm or cold compresses, exercise or massage.

Certain pain and anti-inflammatory medications can cause you to retain water, creating kidney problems and increasing your blood pressure. Examples include: 

  • Indomethacin (Indocin, others)
  • Naproxen (Aleve, Naprosyn)
  • Naproxen Sodium (Anaprox)
  • Piroxicam (Feldene)
  • Ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin IB)
  • Meloxicam (Mobic)

Have your blood pressure checked regularly. Talk to your doctor about which pain medication is best for you. If you must continue taking a pain medication that increases your blood pressure, your doctor may recommend lifestyle changes or additional medication to control your blood pressure.

Antidepressants ;

 Antidepressants work by changing your body’s response to brain chemicals, including serotonin, norepinephrine and dopamine, that affect your mood. These chemicals may also cause your blood pressure to increase. Examples of antidepressants that can raise your blood pressure include:

  • Venlafaxine (Effexor)
  • Bupropion (Wellbutrin)
  • Desipramine (Norpramin)

If you take antidepressants, have your blood pressure checked regularly. If your blood pressure increases or isn’t well controlled, ask your doctor about alternatives to these medications. Your doctor may recommend lifestyle changes or additional medications to control your high blood pressure.

Hormonal birth control ; 

Birth control pills and other hormonal birth control devices contain hormones that may increase your blood pressure by narrowing smaller blood vessels. Virtually all birth control pills, patches and vaginal rings come with warnings that high blood pressure may be a side effect. The risk of high blood pressure is greater if you’re older than age 35, overweight or a smoker.

Not all women will have increased blood pressure from using hormonal birth control, but if you’re worried, have your blood pressure checked at least every six to 12 months. If you already have high blood pressure, consider using a different form of birth control. While nearly all birth control pills can raise your blood pressure, your blood pressure may be less likely to increase if you use a birth control pill or device that contains a lower dose of estrogen.

Caffeine

The role caffeine plays in blood pressure is still debatable. Consuming 200 to 300 milligrams of caffeine can temporarily cause a spike in your blood pressure, but it’s unclear whether the effect is temporary or long lasting.

Caffeine may temporarily increase your blood pressure by blocking a hormone that keeps your blood vessels widened, allowing blood to easily flow through them. In addition, caffeine may cause you to produce more cortisol and adrenaline, which makes your blood flow faster, thus increasing your blood pressure. There isn’t enough evidence to prove that caffeine raises your blood pressure long term.

Examples of caffeine-containing medications and products include:

  • Caffeine pills (Vivarin, others)
  • Coffee, energy drinks and other beverages

Some studies suggest that coffee may contain a substance that lowers blood pressure, thus counteracting any effects from caffeine. In addition, the caffeine content of coffee can vary widely, so it’s difficult to say how many cups of coffee you can drink a day.

Blood types in earth.Many researchers showed that different types can have specific type of disease more than other types , including blood pressure .

 

To see if caffeine raises your blood pressure, check your pressure within 30 minutes of drinking a cup of coffee or another caffeinated beverage you regularly drink. If your blood pressure increases by five to 10 points, you may be sensitive to the blood pressure raising effects of caffeine.

NSAID ; include both prescription and over-the-counter medication. They are often used to relieve pain or reduce inflammation from conditions such as arthritis. However, NSAIDs can make your body retain fluid and decrease the function of your Kidneys. This may cause your blood pressure to rise even higher, putting greater stress on your heart and kidneys .

  • You may also find NSAIDs in over-the-counter medication for other health problems. Cold medicine, for example, often contains NSAIDs. It’s a good idea whenever you purchase an over-the-counter drug to check the label for NSAIDs. Ask your doctor if any NSAID is okay for you to use. Your doctor may be able to recommend alternatives, such as using acetaminophen instead of ibuprofen.

Cough and Cold Medications

Many cough and cold medications contain NSAIDs to relieve pain. As mentioned above, NSAIDs may increase your  blood pressure.Cough and cold medications also frequently contain decongestant. Decongestant can make blood pressure worse in two ways:

  • Decongestants may increase your blood pressure and heart rate.
  • Decongestants may prevent your blood pressure medication from working properly.
  • Pseudo ephedrine (Sudafed) is a specific decongestant that can increase blood pressure.

 Ask your doctor for suggestions about other ways to ease congestion symptoms, such as antihistamines or nasal sprays.

Migraine Headache Medications

Some migraine medications work by tightening blood vessels in your head. This relieves migraine pain. However, they also constrict blood vessels throughout your body. This makes your blood pressure rise, perhaps to dangerous levels. If you have high blood pressure or any other type of heart disease , talk with your doctor before taking a drug for migraines or severe headache .

Thank you for reading

Steve Ramsey, PhD.

Calgary- Canada.