Question

I am a 40-year-old overweight woman with high blood pressure on medications. Recently my EKG wasn't too good, and my doctor sent me to hospital for 3 days. After lots of tests of tests (stress test, xrays of the heart with dye) they couldn't fine anything wrong. They put me on Coreg 3.125mg twice a day. I'm still getting tired all the time. Could this be pre-menopause causing some of my problems?

Answer

Coreg (carvedilol) is in a class of antihypertensive medications called "beta-blockers". Studies have demonstrated that not only does Coreg decrease the blood pressure but it's also a cardio-protective agent. In other words it can help prevent or slow the onset of heart disease.

One of the most common side effects of a beta-blocker is tiredness. This may be what is causing you to be tired. (Of course high blood pressure as well can increase the feeling of tiredness.) The longer you take the medication the less severe the side effects become. Also as your pressure comes back to a normal level your level of activity should increase. Don't be surprised if your doctor increases your dose of Coreg at a later date. Usually this medication is started at a low dose and gradually increased.

Your physician did tests to rule out any other causes of hypertension such as kidney disease, high lipids, heart problems, etc. Obviously all checked out OK as all you are taking now is Coreg.

Next you should consult your physician for an exercise program and a diet to obtain your ideal weight. Sometimes these two factors alone can be enough to reduce your pressure. If you are smoking you should stop, as well as reduce the amount of caffeine you intake daily, if any. Caffeine and smoking are stimulants that can increase your blood pressure.