Taking Medicine For Uncontrolled Hypertension. Have Severe Headache, Dizziness. Any Suggestion?

Posted on Sat, 20 Apr 2013

Medically reviewed by Ask A Doctor - 24x7 Medical Review Team

Sat, 20 Apr 2013 Answered on

Tue, 14 May 2013 Last reviewed on

Question : I am an 82 year old woman with uncontrolled hypertension. I am taking amlodipine (10 mg), losartan (50 mg), and metoprol (25 mg). My problem is severe headaches and dizziness that starts about an hour after taking my medication every morning. It disables me all day. I need to lie down and cannot walk around for fear of falling or go shopping. If it were not for the headaches, I would feel fine. I sleep all night fine and most morning wake up feeling fine until I take my medicine. Taking 3 drugs for hypertension just started inJanuary because my hypertension amlodipine alone put me in the hospital with uncontrolled blood pressure (217/77).
Can yo give me some advice? My next appointment with my cardiologist is May 1st.
Thank you
XXXXXX

Answered by Dr. Jasvinder Singh (42 minutes later)

Hello,
Thanks for posting your query.

The symptoms of headache and dizziness are likely due to the uncontrolled hypertension. Hence my suggestion is to increase the dose of losartan from once a day to twice a day which will ensure that your systolic blood pressure remains less than 140 mm of Hg. But do it after consulting your physician.

For the same, please make sure that you avoid any extra salt in the diet and do regular walk for 45 minutes.

Also get your blood pressure monitored on a regular basis.

Hope this answers your query. If you have additional questions or follow up queries then please do not hesitate in writing to us. I will be happy to answer your queries.

Wishing you good health.

Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar