Is it possible to go off blood pressure meds

Antihypertensives can cause dangerous side effects, such as dizziness and fatigue which might lead to falls. Older people are at greater risk of medication side effects compared to younger people. It is unclear whether the benefits of antihypertensive medications outweigh the harms in older people. Our search to April found six studies, including 1, older adults in total. People in the studies had an average age of 58 to 82 years.

In three of the studies, the dose of the antihypertensive was slowly lowered before stopping. We found that stopping antihypertensive medications is possible in older adults. Most of the older people in the discontinuation groups did not need to restart their medication. We found low certainty of evidence that stopping antihypertensive medication increased blood pressure by a small amount.

We found low or very low certainty of evidence that stopping blood pressure medications did not increase the risk of having a heart attack, stroke, hospitalisation or death. We found very low certainty of evidence that stopping blood pressure medications did not increase the risk of adverse events and may resolve side effects, but this was not reported well, and so we were unable to draw conclusions. We rated the certainty of the evidence using four levels: very low, low, moderate, or high.

High certainty evidence means that we are very confident in the results. Very low certainty evidence means that we are very uncertain about the results. We judged the certainty of evidence as very low and low. It may be safe to stop antihypertensive medications in older people who are taking the medication for high blood pressure or primary prevention of heart disease. If the medication is stopped, your blood pressure will once again rise to unhealthy levels and the risk for related health problems will rise.

If you make diet and lifestyle that lower your blood pressure, you may be able to reduce or stop medications. Similarly, if you increase the percentage of fiber from fruits and vegetables in your diet, you may have a big impact on your heart health. It is important to consult with your physician in these cases. While you may be healthier in some respects, this does not guarantee your high blood pressure is gone. Never stop taking medications simply because your readings are normal.

Continue to track your blood pressure through daily monitoring and check in with your physician to see about trying to reduce it. With this in mind, it can be argued that one should only use medications if it truly reduces the risk of these diseases. Does it? It depends on the individual. Those with mild high blood pressure and low cardiovascular risk benefit from medications.

However, those with low overall cardiovascular risk may not benefit from this treatment. For example, high blood pressure contributes to atherosclerosis, or hardening of the blood vessels. The medication does not remove the plaque lining your vessels.

It simply controls the symptoms of this condition. Leave a Reply Cancel reply You must be logged in to post a comment. Schedule an Appointment Schedule Now. Why Choose Us? Experienced Physicians With a variety of backgrounds and specialties. State-of-the-Art Technology Non-invasive methods whenever possible.

Prevention Education Nutrition information to get and stay healthy. Patient Reviews The staff made a stressful appt. Prompt waiting time. And a reassuring follow up. Ronald Silverstein in Tampa, FL. Santos Rodriguez in Tampa, FL. Participants took their daily dose either upon waking or before going to bed.

Everyone's blood pressure was checked over 48 hours once a year for six years. Earlier research suggests that elevated blood pressure during sleep may impair cardiovascular health more than daytime high blood pressure. That may explain why bedtime dosing could be helpful.

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