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Early June 2012 I caught a bad summer cold and it turn to bronchitis, I hadn't slept well for a week and finally got a doctors appointment. The doctor has been in practice for 8 weeks,took over for a former MD,this was my first time at his office.He took my BP once when the monitor malfunctioned, he took another reading with a different monitor,looked concerned, took a third reading in about a 20 minute time frame. He said my BP was very high, I said I had been taking over the counter Sudafed and tylenal recommended by the pharmarcy tech.for a week and not sleeping. He immediately put me on 2 tablets of Hydrochlorothiazide 12.5 MG a piece. After 24 hours he then prescribed edarbyclor 12.5 mg in addition to the first drug. 3 pills total. I did not know my reading,as he never told me, I asked several times during the office visit. When I took my reading at home my BP was 156/79, not unusual for me on over the counter cold meds. My former doctor whom I saw for 6 years never prescribed meds, stating the over the counter and lack of sleep could be the issue and would monitor me during and after treatment. My BP always returned to normal range. This doctor placed me on the 3 meds and my BP dropped 56 points in 15 hours. BP 100/72, I nearly passed out twice and felt very weak.After calling the MD with this issue,he took me off the Hydrochorothazide but continued the edarbyclor . Now my BP is between 100/70 to 105/69 during a.m. and p.m. readings. I feel worse then ever. I can't sleep, I have back & shoulder pain, and I am having the worst headaches of my life. I have always been an active non-drinker, social smoker,3 to 8 cigarettes a day, 25 lbs. over weight for the past year. I had been layed off 1 year ago which has been stressful and caused the weight gain but I am not in financial distress. Another foot note, my husband caught my cold and went to see this doctor to prevent bronchitic, his BP was 147over79 and he has maintained the same weight since his twenties. This doctor prescribed edarbyclor 12.5 mg after taking his BP once. Red Flags went up an my husband got a second opinion the next day. HisBP was 129 over 80, that doctor told him not to take the edarbyclor. His BP has been great since. Checking everyday. I am concerned about how I feel since taking this drug, but my insurance only covers so many office visits and I have spent over eight hundred dollars out of pocket because this MD has me in once or twice weekly to check meds and charges me a "level 4" appointment each time at $350.00 a pop. I have never experianced anything like this before including the number of office visits for BP checks. Please help me, I am so stressed out over this that I fear I will delevope something that I may not have. Thank you
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Hi Anon,
Welcome to EmpowHER. Decongestants, such as pseudoephedrine and phenylephrine, can increase blood pressure and heart rate. In general, if your blood pressure is well controlled with medications, then a decongestant shouldn't be a problem as long as you monitor your blood pressure. There are decongestant-free cold medicines available over-the-counter, such as Coricidin HBP. If you have high blood pressure, it's a good idea to check with your doctor first or get a second opinion from another doctor if it makes you feel better.
Here are some resources for you
https://www.empowher.com/condition/high-blood-pressure
https://www.empowher.com/condition/high-blood-pressure/community
Best,
Daisy
July 15, 2012 - 9:20amThis Comment