One of the side effects of some tableted antihypertensive drugs is the ability to provoke the development of a persistent cough reflex. At the same time, modern pharmacology offers a wide range of antihypertensive drugs, from which you can choose blood pressure tablets that do not cause a dry chronic cough.
Cough as a side effect of taking antihypertensive drugs
Unproductive paroxysmal cough with systematic use of antihypertensive tablets is a common phenomenon. It does not appear immediately, but approximately three months after the start of treatment.
Statistics show that during treatment with drugs that lower blood pressure, a cough reflex develops in 15% of patients.
The cough is not accompanied by sputum production, may intensify when changing position, after physical activity, is intrusive, intermittent, and occurs regardless of the time of day.
The pathology is associated with irritation of the back wall of the pharynx; patients describe this condition as an uncomfortable “tickling in the throat.” What is characteristic is that with such a cough there are no signs of bronchial obstruction, there is no pain in the chest.
The likelihood of coughing when taking pills for high blood pressure is determined by:
- individual characteristics of the body;
- concomitant pathologies (for example, in patients with chronic heart failure, this risk increases);
- genetic predisposition.
It is believed that such a cough is harmless to the body. However, it is capable of fairly exhausting the patient before the cause of its development is found. Considering the fact that the cough reflex does not appear immediately after starting to take antihypertensive medications, a person considers many erroneous versions of its origin - from an ordinary cold to serious lung diseases.
Cough with pressure: attack due to hypertension or from pills
Coughing is a protective reflex of the body.
With its help, the airways are cleared of excess secretions or foreign particles. This happens as a deep breath, then exhale when the gap is briefly closed. In the first case, the pressure in the chest increases, which leads to a sharp release of air, trapping foreign particles in its path.
Symptoms of pathology
Patients suffering from hypertension often have a history of attacks of dry cough. This is usually observed after taking a specific medication to lower blood pressure.
The cough comes on suddenly. More often it begins with a tickling in the throat, which is provoked by a spasm.
The attack may be accompanied by nausea and even vomiting. Coughing without sputum is called nonproductive and may be due to pressure on the trachea.
In this case, the syndrome can manifest itself:
- High blood pressure.
- Irritation of the respiratory system and dry expectoration with no sputum.
- Unpleasant sensations in the chest.
- Increased heart rate.
- Swelling of the veins of the neck, up to the rupture of capillaries and the appearance of a vascular network.
- Dizziness or headache.
- Increased sweating.
- Pulsation of blood in the brain area.
- Shortness of breath, lack of oxygen.
- Nosebleeds.
In addition to the characteristic symptoms of hypertensive cough, there are signs of chest compression, rapid heartbeat, and frequent urination.
Causes of hypertensive cough
Arterial hypertension does not provoke cough attacks. They appear in the presence of some artificial causes and factors. For example, in complex treatment of the disease, ACE inhibitors are prescribed, the side effect of which is frequent dryness of the respiratory tract.
Smoking is a factor in the development of acute cough, accompanied by chest pain, migraine, shortness of breath, weakness and difficulty breathing.
Cough attacks can be triggered by problems in the body’s endocrine system and environmental influences. Problems with blood circulation and blood vessels can be a sign of stress, nervous exhaustion, and alcoholism.
With hypertension, the parasympathetic nerve can become inflamed. This is a consequence of irritation of certain receptors. This is one of the causes of cough. Attacks of high blood pressure lead to fear of death and nervousness. As a result, the gap narrows, and a dry cough occurs.
Risk factors
Cough can occur due to complications of hundreds of diseases. A common runny nose, inflammatory processes along the back wall of the pharynx, acute bronchitis, advanced pneumonia, tuberculosis can provoke its attacks. A sore, lump and burning sensation in the throat can occur as a result of an allergic reaction. It is important to treat the underlying disease that causes the cough.
Dry cough when taking blood pressure pills
Any drug that lowers a person's blood pressure has side effects. ACE inhibitors often provoke a cough without sputum discharge.
Many scientists have come to the conclusion that the occurrence of a dry cough when taking antihypertensive drugs occurs as a result of the accumulation of bradykinin in the bronchi.
Beta blocker medications can also trigger a cough. These drugs affect receptors located in the blood vessels, heart and bronchi.
Medicines Side effects
Captopril | During drug therapy, a dry cough may occur. After stopping the medication, it goes away on its own. |
Enalapril | A dry cough, difficulty breathing, bronchospasm, and pharyngitis may occur. |
Blood pressure tablets that do not cause coughing
Some studies have shown that reducing the dosage of an antihypertensive drug eliminates coughing attacks.
Currently, calcium channel blockers are more often used as medications for hypertensive patients. Such drugs are capable of exerting a selective effect on organs and are also characterized by a small number of side effects.
It is recommended to choose medications with a mild effect that do not cause coughing attacks.
Adrenergic blockers and ACE inhibitors should be taken with caution and only after the recommendation of a doctor.
Currently, medical practice is such that angiotensin receptor blockers are prescribed instead of ACE inhibitors. These drugs do not affect the bradykinin system. As a result, there are no side effects in the form of dry cough, angioedema, which provoke precisely an increase in the presence of bradykinin in the body.
Drugs with fewer respiratory complications
Group of angiotensin receptor blockers | Losartan, Cardosal, Valsartan |
Calcium channel blockers | Amlodipine, Verapamil, Diltiazem, Nifedipine |
Diuretics | Spironolactone. Furosemide. Indapamide. |
Rilmenidine can be considered effective fast-acting drugs of the new generation . They are selective agonists of imidazoline receptors. The medications lower blood pressure well without causing side effects such as coughing attacks.
To begin a course of drug therapy, you should consult your primary care physician or cardiologist. It is important to remember that any drug is prescribed only after studying the medical history, including allergies, personal examination, testing and certain diagnostic procedures.
First aid
If coughing becomes a frequent companion or begins to cause increased blood pressure, you should immediately inform your general practitioner at your appointment.
If it turns out that the attack is caused by a specific drug, the doctor will replace it with another one.
As recommendations for coughing attacks, the main thing is not to panic. It must be remembered that stress, panic and fear only aggravate the situation and increase the pressure even higher.
Doctors usually recommend that smokers quit the habit or reduce the daily number of cigarettes consumed. To prevent and reduce coughing attacks, doctors advise spending more time in the fresh air, moving actively, eating a healthy diet, and also observing a work and rest schedule.
Coughing attacks that occur from taking the drug can be eliminated:
- reducing the dose of the drug
- replacing with another drug
- prescribing medications aimed at reducing side effects
- taking cough suppressant pills.
It is important to note the factor that pharmacies can still find such outdated drugs as Validol , Moxonidine and Clonidine . People buy them out of old habit, not knowing that there are products with less pronounced side effects.
If attacks of dry cough do not disappear for more than 2 days, you should immediately seek help from your doctor.
THERE ARE CONTRAINDICATIONS CONSULTATION WITH YOUR DOCTOR IS REQUIRED
Author of the article Svetlana Anatolyevna Ivanova, general practitioner
Source: https://giperton.com/kashel-davlenie.html
Antihypertensive drugs that cause cough
Blood pressure pills can cause chronic cough; this complication is typical for drugs from the group of angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors (ACE inhibitors). These drugs have proven to be highly effective, thanks to which they occupy one of the leading places in terms of frequency of prescription in the treatment of hypertension and chronic heart failure.
The action of ACE inhibitors is based on the ability to inhibit the activity of the enzyme that converts inactive angiotensin I into the active hormone angiotensin II. The latter has a pronounced vasoconstrictor property and, after release into the blood, rapidly increases blood pressure. ACE inhibitors prevent this increase and have cardioprotective, angioprotective, and antiatherosclerotic effects.
Cough while taking ACE inhibitors occurs as a result of excessive accumulation of bradykinin (a vasodilator peptide with a hypotensive effect) in the respiratory tract.
Among the representatives of the IACE pharmaceutical group:
- captopril (Capoten, Captopril-AKOS, Captopril Sandoz);
- enalapril (Berlipril, Renipril, Enalapril Hexal, Enap, Ednit);
- lisinopril (Lisinoton, Irumed, Lisinopril Organica, Diroton);
- perindopril (Perindopril-Richter, Perineva, Parnavel, Prestarium);
- ramipril (Hartil, Pyramil, Amprilan);
- fosinopril (Fosicard, Monopril);
- zofenopril (Zocardis).
It has been noted that not all ACE inhibitors have this side effect to the same extent. Most often, cough syndrome develops when taking the drugs enalapril and captopril, less often - fosinopril and perindopril.
Which blood pressure pills do not cause coughing in patients - GlavVrach
Why do blood pressure pills cause coughing, is it dangerous? It should be said that hypertension is a serious pathological condition that requires long-term complex therapy, since surges in blood pressure negatively affect the performance of the kidneys, blood vessels and heart. For this purpose, medications of various groups are prescribed, some of them can provoke such a negative symptom as cough syndrome.
Let's look at what medications help cough, what to do if it occurs, how dangerous it is, and what medications are available that do not have such a negative effect.
Causes of cough during drug treatment of hypertension
Coughing when taking blood pressure pills is one of the adverse reactions of some antihypertensive drugs. This symptom is observed relatively often, but not in all patients.
According to doctors, cough syndrome, as a complication after taking antihypertensive drugs, is diagnosed in 15% of hypertensive patients, while in patients with long-term heart diseases this figure is much higher and amounts to 26%.
The reason for the manifestation of a dry cough, as a complicated consequence of the use of medications for manifestations of hypertension, is explained by:
- Undergoing treatment with ACE inhibitors.
- Use of drugs from the beta-blocker group.
- A cough can also be caused by the excessive presence of the peptide bradykinin in the body, which can linger in the upper parts of the respiratory system.
- Often, painful coughing from taking pills occurs in patients who have a genetic predisposition to such an anomaly. With this clinic, inflammation occurs in the back of the pharynx, which provokes a cough.
You should know that modern medications for high blood pressure are classified according to their medicinal characteristics.
Type of drugs | Main characteristics | Name |
Diuretics are divided into the following types: loop, thiazide, potassium-sparing. | They lower blood pressure by removing excess fluid and salt from tissues. | Furosemide.Indapamide. Hydrochlorothiazide. |
Calcium antagonists | Stops the penetration of calcium into muscle tissue cells. When calcium levels are low, muscles are unable to contract, which causes the arteries to dilate. | Diltiazem.Verapramil. Amlodipine. |
Adrenergic blockers There are two types: alpha-blockers and beta-blockers. | They help lower blood pressure by blocking hormone receptors such as adrenaline and norepinephrine. | Alfuzosin. Metoprolol. Atenolol. Bisoprolol. |
Angiotensin receptor blockers | The therapeutic effect is similar to ACE inhibitors, but the drug effect is much longer and stronger. | Moxonidine. Losartan. Cardosal. |
ACE inhibitors | They reduce the synthesis of renin, thereby achieving a vasodilating effect and reducing the load on the heart muscle. They normalize blood pressure in diabetes mellitus. | Ramipril.Captopril. Enarapril. |
Neurotropic | Calms the central nervous system when hypertension is caused by prolonged stress. | Physiotens.Moxogamma. Rilmenidine. |
Typically, when treating hypertension, cardiologists prescribe at least two drugs, which minimizes possible harm from the dosage, thereby preventing possible side symptoms.
Symptoms of medication cough
- Dryness.
- Curtness.
- Long presence.
- Periods of exacerbation.
In addition, after taking medications for blood pressure, the cough reflex may become stronger in the morning, during lying down, body movement and physical stress.
A prolonged cough can lead to other associated symptoms:
- Hoarseness.
- Vomit.
- Decreased appetite.
- Urinary incontinence.
It should be emphasized that with a medicated cough there are no signs of renal failure, allergic manifestations or bronchial obstruction.
Although it is not contagious to other people, it causes unpleasant discomfort to hypertensive patients and can cause depression, so it must be cured.
What medications provoke the syndrome?
Types of medicines | Names of drugs as an example |
Beta blockers | Bisoprolol. Nebivolol. Atenolol. |
Angiotensin receptor blockers | Eprosartan.Valsartan.Cardosal.Telmisartan. Losartan. |
ACE inhibitors | Elanapril.Ramipril.Captopril. Perindopril. |
As experts note, a strong cough reflex is most often stimulated by medications that belong to the enalapril class of ACE inhibitors.
What medications do not help cough?
Many hypertensive patients who have had to deal with medicinal cough are interested in what alternative medications are available that do not contribute to its development.
In this situation, cardiologists advise taking medications that do not cause a dry cough:
- Calcium antagonists.
- Diuretics.
- Combined impact.
Let us consider in more detail the medicinal properties of drugs from these groups.
Calcium antagonists
- They have a minimal list of possible side effects.
- Significantly improve the well-being of a person with hypertension.
- Suppresses excessive excitability.
- Increases the activity of heart contractions.
- Steadily normalize hypertensive blood pressure levels.
- They are well tolerated, including by elderly patients.
- Have a beneficial effect on the kidneys.
- Stabilizes the metabolic processes of carbohydrates.
- Improves oxygen supply to cardiac tissues.
- They do not have the ability to provoke depression.
- They have absolutely no effect on the tone of the bronchi.
- Prevents excessive activity of the left ventricle.
- Reduce the risk of coronary artery disease.
Among calcium antagonists that are not capable of causing cough syndrome, the following should be noted:
- Riodipine.
- Isradipin.
- Nicardipine.
- Lacidipine.
- Nimodipine.
- Riodipine.
- Felodipine.
- Nitrendipine.
- Amlodipine.
Despite their positive medicinal aspects, it is necessary to check with your doctor about their dosage and other nuances of taking them.
Diuretic medications
- Excess fluid is quickly removed.
- Relieves symptoms of edema.
- They do not provoke a cough.
- Prevents the accumulation of phlegm in the lungs.
Among the diuretics prescribed for hypertension, which are not capable of causing cough, it should be noted:
- Furosemide.
- Diuver.
- Arifon.
- Triampur.
- Spironolactone.
- Veroshpiron.
- Indapamide.
- Hydrochlorothiazide.
It is recommended to take diuretics in short courses. Short-term use is due to the fact that this drug group, although it cannot provoke cough syndrome, often leads to an imbalance of water and salt indicators, which is manifested by such symptoms as nausea, weakness, dizziness, decreased blood pressure, and cardiac dysfunction.
In addition, potassium-containing drugs, for example, Panangin, are prescribed in parallel with diuretics. This medication regimen helps prevent excessive excretion of potassium from the body, which is typical for diuretics.
To achieve a high effect, it is necessary to combine medications from the above groups.
Combined action medications
- Effectively lowers high blood pressure.
- Suitable for hypertensive patients of different age groups.
- They are easily tolerated, and possible side effects are minimized.
The main difference between these drugs is that they contain medicinal substances from different drug groups.
This table shows their effective combinations, which can be recommended to a patient with hypertension if he has a drug-induced cough.
Options | Combination of drugs |
First | Calcium antagonists + ACE inhibitors |
Second | Diuretics + Beta blockers |
Third | Diuretics + ACE inhibitors |
Fourth | Calcium channel blockers + Diuretics |
In addition, the pharmacy also offers ready-made combination drugs of the latest developments, which contain at least three active components:
- Equator.
- Tarka.
- Coaprovel.
- Phosicard N.
- Logimax.
- Atakand Plus.
- Mikardis Plus.
- Korenitek.
- Noliprel Fort.
These medications have a prolonged effect, are highly effective, and exhibit minimal negative effects.
Many experts emphasize the high characteristics of the third generation medicine - Physiotensa, which does not exhibit negative complications such as cough, excessive drowsiness and noticeable dry mouth.
When taking any recommended medications, it is important not to forget that there are no absolutely harmless drugs; every medicine can cause side effects to one degree or another. Also, you should not drink them without a doctor’s permission, as this can lead to a sharp deterioration in your health. The advisability of using any medications for hypertension should be checked with a specialist.
Is it necessary to stop taking the medication that causes the syndrome?
After this you need:
- Consult with a specialist who will develop a new dosage of the drug in the direction of reducing it or prescribe another medication.
- Take medicine that can eliminate this complication.
- Try drinking an antitussive drug.
Usually, after adjusting the dosage of the drug taken, the cough no longer appears. However, a reduced dose may not provide adequate antihypertensive therapy. In this case, the doctor prescribes additional antitussives, for example, Ambroxol.
Regarding whether, after stopping the cough reflex, one should continue to take medications that cause a dry cough in the treatment of hypertension, experts believe that their repeated use in order to complete the course can lead to a deterioration in well-being. Therefore, it is better not to take risks, but to immediately switch to another drug.
What to do if you develop a cough
How to treat cough from blood pressure pills, is it necessary to take any other medications besides the recommendations above? In some cases, the doctor may prescribe symptomatic treatment with the following drugs:
- Theophylline.
- Sulindak.
- Baclofen.
- Medicines with iron.
- Sodium chromoglycate.
This approach is relevant only in situations where antihypertensive drugs are well tolerated by the patient, and there is no reason to replace them with others.
Conclusion
The manifestation of a dry cough as a side reaction from tablets to stabilize blood pressure is quite common. This symptom is mainly provoked by medications included in the group of beta blockers and ACE inhibitors.
This phenomenon does not pose a clear threat to human health, but causes some temporary inconvenience, but it should not be ignored; it must be treated.
It is better to notify a doctor about this, who will select the best option for a medicine that does not cause a cough, because the pharmacy has a sufficient list of effective drugs for hypertension that are not capable of provoking this symptom.
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Source:
Blood pressure tablets that do not cause dry cough: 5 best - kardiobit.ru
Hypertension requires an individual approach to the prescription of medications for high blood pressure.
It is very important to select for the patient those medications that will effectively help eliminate the underlying problem, and at the same time will not provoke new health problems.
Unfortunately, many effective blood pressure medications have a serious side effect - they cause coughing. Taking this into account, doctors try to make do with other medications and prescribe blood pressure pills that do not cause coughing.
Features of the treatment of hypertension
Hypertension is by no means a problem for older people. As is known, signs of hypertension have recently begun to be increasingly recorded in young patients. The first stage of hypertension is characterized by an increase of 20/10 units, the second stage is a pressure above 180 to 100, and the third stage goes beyond 200/115.
Doctors warn that therapy must be started already at the first stage, when pressure readings have just exceeded the permissible limits.
When using medications that provoke coughing after taking pills, patients often quit treatment because suffering from coughing brings them significant discomfort. At the same time, imaginary improvements in blood pressure lead patients to the false conclusion that hypertension has been defeated.
This is by no means true, because increased pressure can be disguised as other symptoms that patients cannot distinguish, which means that the problem itself has not been eliminated.
Ways to solve the problem
Options for what to do if you develop a cough after taking medications for high blood pressure:
- Reduce the dose of the active substance. In some patients, after this measure, the manifestations of the cough reflex actually decrease, but at the same time there is an insufficient therapeutic effect of the drug.
- Change medicine. The selection of antihypertensive drugs is carried out individually, based on gender, age, weight, and concomitant diseases. The doctor will help you choose a medication from another pharmacological group that does not have the property of causing a cough, for example sartans.
- Continue taking the drug, but use antitussives at the same time. A dubious option, however, is sometimes the only way out of the current situation.
First steps to getting rid of medication cough
It happens that a patient, for some reason, cannot immediately visit a doctor. And a medicated cough significantly worsens his life. In this case, he can take some steps on his own. But it is important to understand: these will be temporary measures, and the final decision is made only in the medical office.
- You can stop taking your blood pressure medication for one day. If the cough disappears after this or significantly weakens, its cause has been correctly identified.
- Chronic hypertensive patients should not give up antihypertensive medications for a long time. But if you are sure that the cough is caused by the medicine, you can try to reduce the dose. If the cough disappears and no significant changes in pressure occur, the optimal option has been found.
- There is also something you shouldn’t do when you have a medicated cough - try to relieve the irritation with antibiotics or other medications for colds and throat infections. Only a specialist knows what effect a combination of different medications can give - no matter how much worse it gets.