There are several medicines that can make blood pressure rise above normal levels leading to hypertension. Hypertension is extremely dangerous and can lead to a variety of life threatening conditions including heart attack, stroke, and kidney disease.  Those that already have high blood pressure are at greater risk than those with normal blood pressure from medicines that can increase blood pressure.  The most common medicines that are known to raise blood pressure include Non-steroidal Anti-inflammatory Drugs (NSAIDS), cough medicines, migraine tablets and some weight loss drugs.

NSAIDs such as Ibuprofen, used to treat conditions such as arthritis are available over the counter and can raise blood pressure. Ibuprofen increases blood pressure by causing water retention.  A study produced by the Journal Hypertension, showed that women who took 400mg of Ibuprofen daily had between 60-80% increased risk of developing high blood pressure compared to those who did not take Ibuprofen.

The same study demonstrated that women who took 500mg of acetaminophen each day were twice as likely to suffer from high blood pressure compared to those who never took acetaminophen. 

Cough and cold medicines are also known to increase blood pressure. The majority of these medications contain NSAIDs to help ease flu like symptoms as well as decongestants to help unblock sinuses.  Both the NSAIDs and decongestants such as Sudafed contained in cough and cold medicines contribute to increasing blood pressure.  Sudafed can inhibit the action of your blood pressure medication and cause a dramatic rise in blood pressure. If you have hypertension and have a blocked nose, it is important you speak to your doctor about alternative medicines to unblock your sinuses.

Tablets to ease migraines and headaches also have the potential to increase blood pressure as a result of their action on constricting blood vessels. Narrower blood vessels means the heart has to increase blood pressure to push large volumes of blood through the smaller vessels.

Finally many common weight loss drugs have a negative effect on blood pressure.  Drugs such as Sibutramine put extra pressure on the heart and increase blood pressure levels. Drugs which take away food pangs are also known to increase heart rate and blood pressure. If you suffer from high blood pressure and wish to use weight it is important to employ a healthy diet and regular exercise instead of weight loss drugs.

Knowledge of the medicines which increase blood pressure enables individuals to reduce the consumption of or avoid taking these particular drugs.  If in doubt it is important to check the labels on medications before purchasing.  Individuals on high blood pressure medication should seek advice from their physicians regarding the use of other medications. 

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by Marie Bywater
Helium -Health & Fitness: