After taking dihydropyridine antihypertensive drugs, I experience palpitations, headaches, and flushing. Is this normal?

A friend told Huazi that he was taking antihypertensive drugs such as dihydrotestosterone. After taking the drugs, he experienced palpitations, headaches, and flushing. He was a little worried. Are these reactions normal? What should he do? Does he need to stop taking the drugs?

Huazi said that what he encountered was a common adverse reaction of dihydropyridine drugs, which usually only occurs in the early stage of medication. Most people can tolerate it after continuous medication, so it is not recommended to stop taking the drug. If the reaction is too severe, it can be used in combination with other antihypertensive drugs under the guidance of a doctor to reduce adverse reactions.

1. The antihypertensive mechanism of dihydropyridine drugs Human blood pressure is related to the degree of contraction of human arteries and the contractility of myocardial cells. The contraction of arterial smooth muscle and myocardial cells is related to calcium ions. When a large amount of calcium ions enter the cells, the potential inside and outside the cells changes, making the cells excited and contracting.

Dihydrotestosterone drugs act on calcium ion channels on cell membranes, producing an inhibitory effect that prevents calcium ions from entering cells, thereby reducing the excitability of vascular smooth muscle, vasodilation, reduced contractility of myocardial cells, and lowering blood pressure. Dihydrotestosterone drugs are more selective for blood vessels than for the heart, and their blood pressure-lowering mechanism is mainly to dilate blood vessels and reduce vascular resistance.

2. Neural feedback regulation mechanism of blood pressure When dihydropyridine drugs lower blood pressure, adverse reactions such as facial flushing, headache, and palpitations are common. This is related to the decrease in blood pressure and the activation of the human body's neural feedback regulation. The expansion of facial blood vessels will cause flushing and fever; the expansion of head blood vessels will stimulate the meninges and cause headaches.

When the human body is in a state of hypertension for a long time, it has become accustomed to the higher blood pressure values. After the blood pressure drops, the pressure receptors in the arteries will activate the sympathetic nerves through neural feedback, reflexively causing the heart rate to increase, so adverse reactions such as panic and palpitations will occur.

3. Most adverse reactions can disappear on their own. In the process of using dihydropyridine drugs, flushing, headache, and palpitations are common adverse reactions, and the stronger and faster the antihypertensive effect of the drug, the more obvious the adverse reactions. However, most people's adverse reactions only appear in the early stage of medication. And with continued medication, they will gradually tolerate it. Most people's adverse reactions will gradually decrease or disappear within 1 to 4 weeks. Therefore, when using dihydropyridine drugs, if adverse reactions occur, as long as they are not serious, continue to take the medicine.

When choosing dihydrotestosterone drugs, it is recommended to choose long-acting drugs and start with a low dose to reduce the degree of adverse reactions. It can also be used in combination with loral antihypertensive drugs that inhibit sympathetic nerves and reduce heart rate under the guidance of a doctor. While increasing the antihypertensive effect, it can also reduce the adverse reactions of palpitations and panic.

4. It is not recommended to stop taking the medicine without authorization. Some patients with hypertension who experience adverse reactions such as headaches and palpitations while taking dihydropyridine drugs stop taking the drugs without authorization or switch to other antihypertensive drugs. This is actually not recommended. Because dihydropyridine drugs can not only lower blood pressure, but also have a strong effect on dilating blood vessels. They can be used in patients with hypertension and coronary heart disease to relieve the occurrence of angina pectoris. Dihydropyridine drugs can also improve renal blood flow and have a certain kidney protection effect.

Dihydropyridines are also very safe and suitable for various types of hypertension. They are the basic medications in many treatment plans. Therefore, when using dihydropyridines, as long as the adverse reactions are not serious, it is not recommended to stop taking the medication without authorization.

In summary, flushing, headache, and palpitations after taking dihydropyridine are common adverse reactions to drugs, and usually continued medication can gradually tolerate them. If the reaction is severe, you can use loral drugs under the guidance of a doctor, or switch to other antihypertensive drugs. It is not recommended to stop taking the drug on your own. If you have any questions about medication, please consult a doctor or pharmacist in time. I am pharmacist Huazi. Welcome to follow me and share more health knowledge.