To get the best out of your daily blood pressure medication, take it just before you go to bed, say researchers.
It's a simple tip that could save lives, they say in the European Heart Journal.
The pills offer more protection against heart attacks and strokes when taken at bedtime rather than in the morning, a large new study suggests.
Experts believe our body's biological 'clock' or natural 24-hour rhythm alters our response to the medication.
2greys, I emailed a article on this to two friends with high blood pressure. My BP has always been low, real low.
Take care,
Meg⛵⛵
That's interesting, and it would be interesting to know if other medications work better at different times of the day too.
After I read that article I saw another about e.coli not being mainly spread through poor food hygiene as previously thought, but through poor hand hygiene, namely not washing hands after going to the toilet. It is surprising how many people don't wash their hands after going to the toilet.
I am more than gobsmacked to see the large majority of people leave hospital without sanitising their hands. They could be taking all sorts of nasty bugs home with them from surfaces that they and others have touched.
Not paranoia, just common sense after visiting a cesspit of germs and bacteria, all it takes is a few seconds, as they walk past the sanitisers on the way out.
A bug bear of mine is seeing people shopping or having coffee in the cafe in their nursing uniform.
Agreed. In the PHLS laboratory we were not allowed to go outside the room in our lab coats ans that was not even in the hospital buildings. WHich did mean we had to be fully dressed underneath and not stripped down to essentials in hot weather.
It does get very hot in cotton coats with high buttoned up collars and elasticated cuffs on long sleeves.
So I also found it difficult tp accept doctors with white coats unbuttoned and flying open not complying in with cross infection precautions
Nurses also went home in uniform , apparentlyand washed it at home .there was a hospital laundry .
My recent Pnuemonia was put as CAP (community acquired pneumonia) but I lean more to it being HAP (hospital acquired pneumonia) although not specifically hospital but more nursing home. My partner works in a nursing home as a senior care assistant, where Pneumonia is often present with one of the residents. I have been doing the washing at home including her overalls and that is a possible source of my infection. No more, she is going to get her overalls washed at her work from now on.
Yes good idea . Nursing homes are full of infections of various sorts and, you are particularly vunerable . My glasses became contaminated once due to sliding down my nose as i was working with a certain organism . Must have pushed them back up my nose with contaminated hand. Washed my hands , went for coffee break ,obeyed all the other rules. We isolated that particular organism from me later. Became very aware then of that hazard.
Works both ways. I also use the sanitisers on the way in to a hospital as well.
For me that is a given, and quite a few others will use it on the way in, but not on the way out. Perhaps it is time for a notice about using it when leaving as it would surely help stop spreading some nasty bugs like Norovirus being spread out into the wider community.
That’s really interesting.hiw are you greys?
This is very interesting 2g thanks for sharing, my meds were prescribed for a fast resting heart rate so makes sense to take it at night. I will start taking mine at night now and see how it affects my bp. Glad to hear you are recovering albeit slowly x
I'll be doing the same as Irene, As from Tomorrow night. Glad you are recovering Hun, Best of Luck at GP's Today. Love n Hugs C. XXX
Very interesting; I will give it a try as I have a vacancy for medication by mouth at bedtime!
Many thanks, Pete.
Very interesting and helpful. I often wonder what times are best to take medication and also how different tablets interact with each other.
After my knee replacement I was given 10 days of Rivaroxiban (a blood thinner) and on the box it said to take in the evening. My husband takes it every day and usually in the morning with the rest of his medication. I also take Thyroxin for under active thyroid and in doing a bit of research found out that the best tablets are the 50mcg as they have the fewest fillers and additives so I’ve now asked for these instead of the 100mcg I normally take.
Thanks 2greys
Corin
A number of years ago, the instructions on my Ramipril were changed to take at night.
The problem with taking Ramipril at night is that it has a diuretic effect. Most people prefer not to have to get up to pass urine in the middle of the night and for some who have mobility issues it could lead to falls.
All very well on the BP pills but one of mine has to be taken with food so no way would I take at bed time.
Sorry but I have raised this matter previously- but what is a "blood pressure" pill.
I am informed by my doctor that the pill he prescribed for me some 10 years ago is for my cholesterol and is not a statin..??
However, the leaflet enclosed with the pills gives a long list of possible side effects - including shortness of breath. A few months ago he changed my tablets which now do not mention shortness of breath as a potential problem. Is it just a coincidence that my breathing has improved as well as my blood pressure readings .? although I am still diagnosed with Asthma for which he has now also changed from Fostair to Braltus..?
Is it the Braltus that has shown an improvement to my breathing or the change in blood pressure/cholesterol medication.?
Suppose I can only put my trust in the profession which I have great admiration considering the vast number of medication out there.
Thanks 2greys
Very interesting article.
I have always taken my blood pressure tablets at night as one of the possible side effects is dizziness. My gp suggested taking it at bedtime as if I were to become dizzy then I would already be lying down!
Such simple logic!
Pat x
I’m not too confident with this as many heart patients that have suffered a MI are automatically put on blood pressure tablets . Some of these patients have naturally low blood pressure ( such as I). I suffered a MI 5 years ago and a few weeks after I ended up being rushed in to hospital as my BP was in my boots plus bad chest pain. I was told that one of my BP meds should NOT have been taken at night( even though it was listed for night time in my discharge form) as BP and pulse automatically drop at night during sleep and then taking the meds made mine dangerously low. I feel it’s best to discuss any time change with your GP, as there are so many different ‘pills’
Blood pressure 
OMG 165/94 Blood Pressure
Blood pressure
Blood pressure medication. 
Good side effect of blood pressure medication...
