Doctors may prescribe a wide variety of medications to help regulate blood pressure when it becomes too high. Some of these will work alone, but also may work with other medications if high blood pressure continues unabated. Hypertension can cause serious health problems such as heart attacks when left untreated. MayoClinic.com states nearly everyone eventually will suffer from some elevation of blood pressure.
Lisinopril
Angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors such as lisinopril, also called an ACE inhibitor, stop an enzyme in the body from making blood vessels constrict. By allowing blood vessels to dilate or relax, blood can flow more easily, reducing the effort required by the heart to transport it. Common serious side effects include mental confusion, blurry vision and abnormal bodily weakness.
Hydrochlorothiazide
Categorized as a diuretic, hydrochlorothiazide effectively reduces blood pressure by reducing the amount of fluid in the body. It does this by flushing excess liquid from the body via urination. Doctors may prescribe diuretics when first diagnosing hypertension, or they may order them in combination with other anti-hypertensive drugs. Common nonserious side effects include diarrhea, constipation, dizziness and nausea, Drugs.com reports.
Propranolol
Beta-blockers such as propranolol prevent the effects of adrenaline upon the heart that make it beat too fast. Under the influence of propranolol, the heart slows down, which reduces blood pressure as well as the strain placed upon the heart. Common temporary and nonserious side effects include insomnia, dizziness and nausea as well as a rash, the National Institutes of Health reports.
Irbesartan
Irbesartan and other angiotensin II receptor blockers function to prevent constriction of blood vessels by the angiotensin II enzyme. When blood vessels relax, blood transports through them without as much resistance, which lowers the pressure. The few common side effects, all nonserious in nature, include tiredness, dizziness and diarrhea.
Aliskiren
Aliskiren inhibits renin production in the kidneys. An enzyme, renin can raise the pressure at which blood travels throughout the body. The medicine classifies as a renin inhibitor and may induce such common, nonserious side effects as pain in the stomach, a cough and heartburn, among others.
Diltiazem
Diltiazem, a calcium channel blocker, affects the movement of calcium in heart cells as well as within the walls of the arteries, MayoClinic.com reports. Along with opening passages for smoother blood flow, calcium channel blockers can reduce the heart rate as well. This, too, decreases blood pressure and helps treat angina, a type of pain in the chest. Serious common side effects include flu-like symptoms, changes of voice and glandular swelling.
Minoxidil
Minoxidil classifies as a vasodilator, a type of drug that prevents constriction of the walls of the arteries and the blood vessels. Instead of working upon enzymes, vasodilators act as arterial muscle relaxers. This medicine, Drugs.com reports, may induce body hair changes and excessive growth of hair as well as weight gain.
