Question

What can happen if raised blood pressure doesn't improve with prescribed medication? Is there any benefit to taking a medicine if there is no change in the blood pressure readings?

Answer

There are virtually a hundred medications that will reduce your blood pressure. They can work in different ways, including:

1. Decreasing the amount of fluid you have in your circulatory system

2. Slowing the heart rate

3. Dilating the arteries

4. Blocking the production of enzymes that increase blood pressure

So you can see that if your hypertension is caused by hardening of the arteries, giving you a diuretic (fluid pill) will not affect your pressure. It's up to your doctor to define the cause of your high blood pressure and treat this cause.

If you are given a blood pressure medication and it doesn't work it may not be the right drug for you. Other factors could include too low a dose, not enough time to allow the drug to metabolize in your system, taking the medication at the wrong time or taking the medication with foods that may interfere with it's absorption. Your doctor should know what to do if you are not responding to the medication.

There is a fuller account of high blood pressure, it's diagnosis, cause(s) and treatment, at the link given below.

Links

• What's Your Blood Pressure and How Do Blood Pressure Medications Work?