Blood Pressure
Check my reading

A reading of 180/120 or higher with chest pain, shortness of breath, back pain, numbness, weakness, vision change or trouble speaking: call 911 now. If someone may have taken too much medicine or the wrong one, call Poison Help.

Call 911Call Poison HelpCall 988

Source: HRSA Poison Help This page cannot see or answer an emergency.

Español: señales de emergencia y pasos clave

Bring every pill bottle

Common pain relievers, cold medicines, supplements and other prescriptions can push blood pressure up or keep blood pressure medicine from working as well. Put every bottle in one bag and ask a pharmacist or clinician to look at all of them together. This page makes the sheet you bring.

What this page is

1. Fill the bag

The review only works if it sees everything.

  1. Every prescription, from every doctor. Tell your doctor and pharmacist about all the drugs you take. Source: NIA
  2. Over-the-counter medicines, vitamins, and supplements too. Don't forget pain relievers, cold and sinus medicines, vitamins, and herbal products: they may affect your blood pressure and can change how well your blood pressure medicine works. Source: NIA Source: ACC/AHA
  3. Check for the same active ingredient in two bottles. Learn which active ingredients are in the prescription drugs, over-the-counter medicines, and supplements you take so you do not take more than one with the same active ingredient. Source: NIA
  4. Get up slowly when starting or changing a blood pressure medicine. Rise slowly from a seated or lying position and stand for a bit before walking so your blood pressure can adjust and prevent lightheadedness and falls. Source: NIA
  5. Take blood pressure medicine at the same time each day, and refill before you run out. If another doctor asks whether you have high blood pressure and your numbers are down on medicine, the answer is "Yes, but it is being treated." Source: NIA

2. Tick the groups you know about

These are the medicine and supplement groups the 2017 ACC/AHA high blood pressure guideline lists as able to raise blood pressure, plus one from NIA. The guideline says its list is not complete. Not sure which group a bottle belongs to? Leave it unticked and bring the bottle anyway.

Over-the-counter pain, cold, herbal and caffeine items that can raise blood pressure

The 2017 ACC/AHA guideline's table of medicines and other substances that may raise blood pressure names NSAIDs, decongestants, herbal supplements and caffeine. Source: ACC/AHA

Prescription medicines to review with your blood pressure in mind

The first five are in the same 2017 ACC/AHA table; the last comes from NIA guidance for older adults on getting up slowly. Source: ACC/AHA Source: NIA

A ticked group does not mean a medicine is wrong for you. It means the group is worth asking about. Only the pharmacist or clinician can say.

3. Write what is on each bottle (optional)

The name on the label and what it is for, if you know. Bring the list and your bottles to your doctor or pharmacist. Source: NIA

    4. Questions to ask

    Tick the ones you want on the sheet.

    6. After a blood pressure medicine change: before and after

    Type home readings from before the change and since, one per line, like 142/88. The page averages each set. Nothing is stored or sent. Do not stop or change a medicine without asking the prescriber.

    Type readings above to see the averages.

    How to measure: 2 readings 1 minute apart, morning before medicine and evening before bed, for 7 days if you can (at least 3 days, 12 readings). Source: AHA/AMA 2020 A home average of 135/85 or higher matches 140/90 in a clinic. Source: AHA/AMA 2020 Low blood pressure is lower than 90/60; medicines for high blood pressure are one cause, and older adults have a higher risk of dizziness on standing. Source: NHLBI At 180/120 or higher without symptoms, wait 5 minutes and check again; high again with a sudden severe headache, trouble breathing, sudden severe pain in the belly, chest or back, numbness or weakness, a sudden change in vision or problems talking: call 911. Source: NHLBI

    Next stops

    Make the visit sheetTurn a week of home readings into a one-page sheet for your clinician.The seven-day weekLog morning and evening readings and check lying-then-standing blood pressure.Find the saltRead the sodium line on a food label in 10 seconds.A page to hand outOne printed page for a senior center, congregation or food bank to copy.Medicines and falls: fallprevention.helpA brown-bag medicine sheet focused on dizziness, sleepiness and fall risk.

    Sources