Hydralazine

[Dan1234567]

Anyone had any vomiting and diarrhea while taking this BP medication. Hydralazine ? I’m taking 50mg 3 x a day equaling 150mg a day

[Hidden]

Yes. I take 100mg three times a day along with two other HBP meds. No problems at all. In fact, my BP has never been better. Combined with exercise and my CKD meal plan I'm pleased. When I switched to a different cardiologist last May he added two new meds, including the hydralazine and it has worked well for me.

Remember, what works for one person may not work for the other. Tell your doctor and ask for something without the negative side effects.

[Dan1234567 in reply to Hidden]

Thank You so much do you think it’s possible that it could happen like one Saturday and then I go for two weeks and then it happens again? I’m starting to think it might be food poisoning just trying to see if anyone else had the side effects because it’s only happened twice and it’s been two or three weeks apart from one another

[Hidden in reply to Dan1234567]

That's a question you need to ask your cardiologist. If you don't have one, then I would recommend you find one and go from there. To find a good physician I'd suggest you use healthgrades.com/find-a-doctor

Also, to help you with your medications and possible side effects go to drugs.com and set up a free account. You can enter all of your medications and and find out if any of the side effects are what you are dealing with. It will also let you know if there are issues with the medication and certain foods as well as with other meds and or dosage issues. When you get all of this information you can then develop good questions to ask the doctor. Your issue is that you are having sporadic issues with hydralazine. That may be related to the medication or it could be something else. I wouldn't waste time wondering. I would contact a cardiologist if you don't have one and if you do, explain the issues and be sure to make note of the time of the issues and the specifics like duration, severity, etc. All of that information will help your doctor better pinpoint the problem. Something else I would like to mention. With my cardiologist, he started me at a lower dosage at first and only provided me with a week of pills to see if I had any issues or if it did anything to my BP. When the effects were only slight, he increased the dosage and we eventually moved to 100mg three times per day. Also, the meds were spread out throughout the day and always taken just after a meal/snack.

[Sammi_n_Munk]

Hello Dan1234567. I just looked up the side effects of hydralazine and yes, I’m afraid it can cause nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, loss of appetite and also headaches, I believe. I do know though that most new medications can cause these types of side effects initially, but they should subside after a week or two. If that doesn’t happen, or it gets worse, tell your prescribing doctor right away. I’m sorry to hear about your distress. Believe me, I’ve been there myself more than once or twice! Good luck to you. God bless.

[Dan1234567 in reply to Sammi_n_Munk]

Thank You so much do you think it’s possible that it could happen like one Saturday and then I go for two weeks and then it happens again? I’m starting to think it might be food poisoning just trying to see if anyone else had the side effects because it’s only happened twice and it’s been two or three weeks apart from one another

[Sammi_n_Munk in reply to Dan1234567]

Hey again! I really don’t think that it would happen that way. Usually it would happen for like a week or so at one time, if it’s the side effects that are hurting you, and then usually fade off. If it’s happening the way you describe, it’s very possible that it’s either some type of food poisoning as you suggested, or maybe even some other food or beverage you’re ingesting that may not necessarily be rancid, just something that doesn’t agree with you. I know such things have happened to me throughout my CKD journey many times. Eating the same foods that my family had also eaten, and they were fine afterward, but I was not. If it continues to happen, or gets worse, tell your doctor immediately.

Also, just want to mention to you, as I was looking up hydralazine, I noticed there were many somewhat serious side effects that included heart and nervous system issues. I’m not all that tech savvy, so I was not able to upload the website to this forum, but if you’re interested in learning more about it, the website is called Healthline. I just typed hydralazine into the Google search engine and that’s what came up.

I wish you all the best Dan! Take care, and do keep us posted on your progress. God bless. 😊👍

[Dan1234567]

Thank y’all so much just trying to narrow things down! I have been through about four or five different blood pressure medications and change my diet completely things have gotten a lot better but I’m still weak from my stroke four months ago

[Sammi_n_Munk in reply to Dan1234567]

I’m sorry to hear about your recent health setbacks, Dan. I actually have a cousin who has also recently (a couple of days ago) suffered a minor stroke. It has affected his right side somewhat. We do have high blood pressure issues as well as diabetes, in our family on both sides, and it can be difficult to regulate these things sometimes. I used to take Metoprolol years ago, then was switched to Bisoprolol. Lately though, I haven’t taken anything as it was suddenly causing me to feel ill, which I attributed to my deteriorating kidney function. I only take Lasix now, but only 20 mg a day.

Our health can be a very delicate thing. Good health is often taken for granted, and I did that a lot in my younger years, before my kidneys kind of went out to lunch on me. But I’ve learned, and I’ve changed my ways more now. Forgive me for babbling away here! Lol!

All my best to you, Dan! I look forward to your posts. God bless. 😊👍

[Dan1234567]

Thank y’all so much just trying to narrow things down! I have been through about four or five different blood pressure medications and change my diet completely things have gotten a lot better but I’m still weak from my stroke four months ago

[WYOAnne NKF Ambassador]

WE are all different and our bodies react differently to HBP meds. I guess that is why there is so many of them on the market.

My nephrologist wanted me to take Losartan to be added for my BP. He liked this drug because it would "help protect my kidneys." Even though I was on a low dose and only took it once a day, my BP would bottom out and I felt like I was going to pass out.

I guess my point is for you to report this to your doctor and ask him to prescribe a different med for your BP.

Good Luck!