Are over-the-counter cold remedies safe for people who have high blood pressure?Answer From Francisco Lopez-Jimenez, M.D. Show Over-the-counter cold remedies aren't off-limits if you have high blood pressure or take medication for high blood pressure, but it's important to make careful choices. Talk to your doctor before taking any OTC medications or supplements. Among over-the-counter cold remedies, decongestants cause the most concern for people who have high blood pressure. Decongestants relieve nasal stuffiness by narrowing blood vessels and reducing swelling in the nose. This narrowing can affect other blood vessels as well, which can increase blood pressure. To keep your blood pressure in check, avoid over-the-counter decongestants and multisymptom cold remedies that contain decongestants — such as pseudoephedrine, ephedrine, phenylephrine, naphazoline and oxymetazoline. Also, check the label for high sodium content, which can also raise blood pressure. Instead:
Call your doctor if your signs and symptoms get worse instead of better or last more than 10 days. With Francisco Lopez-Jimenez, M.D. Sign up for free, and stay up to date on research advancements, health tips and current health topics, like COVID-19, plus expertise on managing health. To
provide you with the most relevant and helpful information, and understand which information is beneficial, we may combine your email and website usage information with other information we have about you. If you are a Mayo Clinic patient, this could include protected health information. If we combine this information with your protected health information, we will treat all of that information as protected health information and will only use or disclose that information as set forth in our
notice of privacy practices. You may opt-out of email communications at any time by clicking on the unsubscribe link in the e-mail. May 06, 2021
See more Expert Answers See also
AdvertisementMayo Clinic does not endorse companies or products. Advertising revenue supports our not-for-profit mission. Advertising & Sponsorship
. What pain medication will not lower blood pressure?Unless your doctor has told you it's OK, do not use over-the-counter ibuprofen, naproxen sodium, or ketoprofen for pain relief. Instead, use a painkiller less likely to increase your blood pressure, like aspirin or acetaminophen.
Can I take Advil if I have high blood pressure?Ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin) can raise your blood pressure. But this change is usually small. If you have high blood pressure or heart problems, make sure to check with your healthcare provider before taking ibuprofen. Using ibuprofen regularly can cause potentially serious side effects, such as stomach ulcers.
|