| Decongestants can pose a dangerous risk to people with hypertension. Try these other steps to safely treat a cold or allergies. Show
 Cold medicines are not off-limits if you have heart disease, but patients with high blood pressure, or hypertension, should check the label carefully when choosing a cold or allergy medicine. LISTEN UP: Add the new Michigan Medicine News Break to your Alexa-enabled device, or subscribe to our daily audio updates on iTunes, Google Play and Stitcher. That’s because decongestants such as pseudoephedrine, ephedrine, phenylephrine, naphazoline and oxymetazoline can increase your blood pressure and heart rate. Make sure the cold or allergy medication you plan to take is free of those ingredients. Decongestants can also prevent your blood pressure medication from working properly. And always check the active and inactive ingredient lists, because many medications are high in sodium, which also raises blood pressure. For allergy sufferers with heart disease, medicines such as Allegra, Zyrtec or Claritin should be safe. However, medicines containing decongestants — including Allegra-D, Zyrtec-D and Claritin-D — could increase your blood pressure and heart rate or interfere with your heart medication. Managing a cold with hypertensionIf you can’t take a decongestant because of high blood pressure, there are other ways to reduce your cold or allergy symptoms:
Before taking any new medicationAlways check with your pharmacist before you take a new medication, whether it’s for a cold, allergies or something else, to find out if it is compatible with certain medical conditions and your current drug therapy. SEE ALSO: Millions More People Now Have High Blood Pressure. Why That’s a Good Thing If you have a heart condition, be sure to discuss all medication choices with your cardiologist before taking anything. Are you all stuffed up and sneezing away because of a cold? Decongestants and antihistamines can help. They come in different forms, and they're often mixed into combination drugs that you can buy without a prescription. It pays to do a little homework to make sure you're picking the right medicine for your symptoms. How Do Decongestants Work?They help reduce swelling in the passageways of your nose, which relieves the feeling of pressure and improves the flow of air. You'll be able to breathe a whole lot better. Decongestants come in pill form or nasal sprays. Don't use the sprays for more than 3 days, or you may get more stuffed up. How Do Antihistamines Work?Some types of them can help relieve your runny nose and sneezing when you have a cold. They block a chemical your body makes called histamine that makes the tissues in your nose itch and swell. Most experts say that histamine isn't the major cause of a runny nose when you have a cold. Even so, some of the older antihistamines, such as brompheniramine and chlorpheniramine, can bring relief. Newer antihistamines like fexofenadine (Allegra) and loratidine (Claritin) have not been shown to work for cold symptoms. Are Decongestants and Antihistamines Safe?A decongestant called phenylpropanolamine (PPA) was used for years as an ingredient in many cold drugs to clear up a stuffy nose. In 2000, researchers found it was linked to an increased risk of stroke, especially in women ages 18 to 49. The FDA then banned it from use in all prescription and over-the-counter medications. Today's medicines don’t have PPA, but make sure you don't have any old cold meds in your house that might contain the ingredient. What Are the Side Effects?The main one for antihistamines is drowsiness, so it can be tough to take during the day. That's why they're often included in nighttime cold medicines. Other common side effects include dry mouth, dizziness, and headache. Decongestants may keep you awake and are usually taken during the day. Nasal sprays are less likely to have that side effect and may be helpful at night for congestion. Decongestants can also raise blood pressure. So if your BP is high already, or you've got heart disease, check with your doctor before you use them. They may be able to suggest cold medicines that don't have decongestants in them. There are many over-the-counter decongestants and antihistamines that can help treat your symptoms. They're sold separately or as part of a combo with other cold and pain drugs. If you choose a combination medicine, make sure you know everything that's in it. Check to see if it has acetaminophen. If so, follow the directions on the label carefully, and don't take acetaminophen along with it, because it could cause serious liver damage. |
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