High Blood Pressure Medicine: How Can It Help You?

If you've been diagnosed with high blood pressure, then it's likely you and your doctor have discussed a plan to lower your blood pressure. For most people, medication is a major part of that plan. High blood pressure medicine is also called "anti-hypertensive" medicine.

Your doctor has hundreds of different high blood pressure medicines to choose from. These high blood pressure medicines work in a variety of ways to lower blood pressure. Remember, though, that they do not cure high blood pressure. Rather, the goal of high blood pressure medicine is to control your blood pressure, bringing it back down to a normal level.

What are the different types of high blood pressure medicines? How do they control high blood pressure? Let's take a closer look at each group.

Diuretics

This type of high blood pressure medicine helps your kidneys remove sodium and water from your body. One of the results is that you have less blood volume circulating in your blood vessels. Less volume in the vessels leads to lower blood pressure.

Diuretics are often called "water pills." They are usually the first type of high blood pressure medicine that your doctor will try. Here are some examples:

• Aldactone (spironolactone)
• Dyrenium (triamterene)
• Esidrix, Hydrodiuril, and Microzide (hydrochlorothiazide or HCTZ)
• Hygroton and Thalitone (chlorthalidone)
• Lasix (furosemide)
• Lozol (indapamide)
• Midamor (amiloride hydrochloride)
• Mykrox and Zaroxolyn (metolazone)

Your doctor may ask you to take one or even two diuretics at once. Here are some examples of combination diuretics:

• Aldactazide (spironolactone and hydrochlorothiazide)
• Dyazide and Maxzide (hydrochlorothiazide and triamterene)
• Moduretic (amiloride hydrochloride and hydrochlorothiazide)

Beta-Blockers

This type of high blood pressure medicine makes the heartbeat slow down. Beta-blockers also keep your heart from pumping so hard. This makes blood go through your vessels with less force. The pressure inside your blood vessels goes down.

Here are some examples of beta-blockers:

• Blocadren (timolol)
• Cartrol (carteolol hydrochloride)
• Coreg (carvedilol)
• Corgard (nadolol)
• Inderal (propranolol)
• Kerlone (betaxolol)
• Levatol (penbutolol sulfate)
• Lopressor and Toprol XL (metoprolol)
• Sectral (acebutolol)
• Tenormin (atenolol)
• Visken (pindolol)
• Zebeta (bisoprolol fumarate)
• Normodyne and Trandate (labetolol)

Alpha-Blockers

This type of high blood pressure medicine reduces nerve impulses that tell your vessels to tighten. Your blood vessels remain relaxed, lowering your overall blood pressure.

Here are some examples of alpha-blockers:

• Cardura (doxazosin)
• Hytrin (terazosin)
• Minipress (prazosin)

Angiotensin-Converting Enzyme (ACE) Inhibitors

This type of high blood pressure medicine prevents your body from making angiotensin II. Angiotensin II is a hormone that makes blood vessels tighten. Because ACE inhibitors lower the amount of this hormone in your body, your blood vessels remain relaxed. Blood flows more easily through the vessels, lowering your overall blood pressure.

Here are examples of ACE inhibitors:

• Accupril (quinapril)
• Altace (ramipril)
• Capoten (captopril)
• Mavik (trandolapril)
• Lotensin (benazepril)
• Monopril (fosinopril)
• Prinivil and Zestril (lisinopril)
• Univasc (moexipril)
• Vasotec (enalapril)