High Blood Pressure Meds

[tabsmom]

My mother who is 65 yrs old has high blood pressure and her dr has her on 5 different medications for it. This seems like a lot of medicine to me. Does anyone else have to take that many different meds?

[va_tony]

Combination therapies for high BP control are currently popular....for example, an ACE inhibitor and a calcium channel blocker.  One is more effective during the day and the other at night.  I'm 65 also and I'm prescribed 3 meds for BP; a calcium channel blocker (cardizem), and ACE inhibitor (altace) and a diuretic (HCTZ).

Five meds does sound high.  Perhaps if she has diabetes, high blood pressure or kidney disease, she may need additional BP medications to achieve a ballance between BP control and the risk to vital organs like the kidneys.

[tabsmom]

She has congestive heart failure. I'm not sure what all her meds are supposed to do, but the ones she takes are Diovan, Toprol XL, Catapres, Zestril, and Procardia.

[va_tony]

All the drugs prescribed are BP drugs.. but Toprol XL (a beta blocker) is also prescribed for heart failure and procardia (a calcium channel blocker) is prescribed for angina (chest pain). Diovan is an angiotension II receptor antagonist. Catapres is an alpha agonist hypotensive agent and zestril (also called lisinopril) is an ACE inhibitor. No doubt her cardiologist has a logical reason for this combo of drugs.

[anacyde]

For heart failure and high blood pressure, as va_tony noted, it's a very reasonable regimen and probably a very good one.  I know that many pills may seem overwhelming, but it isn't really that many.  Many, many people, even without congestive heart failure, are on a combination of at least two medications to contol their high blood pressure.  I know of very few who can get the job done with just one pill.

[tabsmom]

Thank you all for your comments. I feel very reassured! :)