HomeAnswersPsychiatryblood pressureMy mother is a blood pressure patient and suspects that the medications could be causing headaches, restlessness, and anxiety. Please help.

Do blood pressure medications have side effects like headache, anxiety, and restlessness?

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Published At March 30, 2023
Reviewed AtApril 13, 2023

Patient's Query

Hello doctor,

This query is for my mother. She has been having anxiety and depression issues for a long time. Her anxiety was almost gone for the past few years, and she was perfect. But for around ten years now, she has been on her anxiety medicine and taking Depran-L half a tablet daily. Two months back, she encountered a spike in BP and some restlessness. BP was always in the range of 150/90 mmHg. She was worried as she always had a low BP, and this spike in BP got her worried. We visited a family doctor, and he gave her medicines Aten 25 and Inderal 10. These medicines were for BP and anxiety as well. She took the medicines, but then the anxiety also spiked a lot. She started feeling restless with low mood, mood swings, overthinking, and overreacting. Anxiety which was almost gone has come again. She is having a theory that taking the BP medicine has spiked her anxiety, and then she also started complaining of headaches in the morning. She had mood swings and restlessness in the morning, and things got back to normal in the evening. She started believing that taking BP medicine has spiked her anxiety and also resulted in headaches. She took the BP medicine regularly for a month, and when the BP was back in the normal range and continued in the normal range for a couple of weeks, she stopped taking them. Then again, the BP fluctuated and spiked a little, not much though, around 145/90 mmHg. Along with BP, there was a continuous headache, which she believes is due to the side effects of the BP medicine. We again consulted our family doctor, and he suspected migraine-related headaches. He also gave her Flurorin 10. The migraine medicine took care of the headache but made things worse as her anxiety elevated. Now, we decided to change the doctor and consult someone else as things were not coming under control. BP was in control, but the anxiety elevated, and the headache still persists. We consulted a psychiatrist yesterday. She told us that the spike in BP has led to anxiety and asked her to continue the BP medicine. Her BP yesterday was 140/90 mmHg. She asked her to continue the BP medicine and also gave her a few more medicines. She takes Telma 40 and Citogal-L now. The prescription is attached. Our queries are as follows:

1. She complains of headaches and has a belief that taking BP medicine is causing the headache. The headache is there in the morning, but in the evening it gets better.

2. If there is a headache in the morning, can she take Paracetamol to control the headache? (This is the most important query for her as we want to know whether taking Paracetamol is safe with the current medication).

3. She has a low mood, restlessness, and irritation.

4. Does a BP spike lead to an anxiety attack?

5. Does BP medicine has a side effect of headache?

Please help.

Hello,

Welcome to icliniq.com.

I read your query and can understand your concern.

Headaches in the morning are mostly due to sleep disturbance, anxiety, or stress, but rule out diabetes. You can give her Paracetamol occasionally but not daily. It will not help her. She has anxiety or depression due to BP (blood pressure) issues. In your mother's case, high BP leads her to anxiety, as she gets stressed out, and vice versa. Anxiety leads to a spike in BP, so your mother's symptoms keep worsening. No, BP medication does not have side effects like headaches. Headaches can be due to high BP, anxiety, or stress. I suggest your mother follow the below lifestyle to deal with her problem:

1. She should exercise daily for 30 to 45 minutes, like at least going for a walk.

2. She should meditate for 20 minutes daily, just sit in one place in a comfortable position and try to concentrate on her normal breathing, not stop or force herself to stop her thoughts. Just let it be.

3. She should eat healthy home-cooked foods and avoid junk foods.

4. She must drink enough water.

5. She should spend quality time with friends and family daily.

6. She should spend time on creative hobbies like reading good books, writing journals, painting, drawing, and learning new skills, language, or musical instruments.

7. She should sleep enough for seven to eight hours daily.

8. She must avoid tobacco, alcohol, or any substance abuse.

Give her a reason to live her life. Be bold and confident. Ask your doctor to try TCA (tricyclic antidepressants) group medication to deal with your mother's problem if she does not improve with her last medications. The last prescription is a good one for anxiety. I suggest she do the following investigations:

1. CBC (complete blood count).

2. RBS (random blood sugar).

3. Thyroid profile.

4. Vitamin B12.

5. Vitamin D3.

6. MRI (magnetic resonance imaging) brain plain (because of headache with age above 60 years).

Hope this helps.

Thank you and take care.

Patient's Query

Hello doctor,

Thanks for your detailed reply and for the test you have recommended. It was really helpful. I have booked an online test sample collection for tomorrow, and we shall get the report by tomorrow evening. We will do MRI in a couple of days or probably next week. I also understand my mother is having anxiety issues. Some years back, she was using a medicine Eliwel 10, which is, I suppose a TCA group medicine, and she has also taken Trika a few years back. But she is not continuing those medications now and taking Depran-L continuously for some years now. Actually, the main concern my mother has is the headache. She feels the headache in the morning, and it gets normal as time progresses. In the evening, there is no or very negligible headache. Our family doctor has suspected the migraine as the cause of the headache. We are now in contact with a psychiatry doctor right now. Do we have to also consult for a neuro specialist? One more thing, this headache is new for my mother. It started after she started taking BP and anxiety medicine Alprax. At least I think so, because only then after my mother started complaining about the headache. I do not know, maybe I am wrong, but if the headache is due to BP or anxiety, it should occur anytime and not only at a particular time of the day. Can we give some pain reliever medicines for headaches, like Saridon?

Hello,

Welcome back to icliniq.com.

I understand your concern.

Yes, you can give her the tablet Saridon (Paracetamol and Propyphenazone) if she has a headache. Yes, headaches can occur at any time of the day, and it is not particular with time. I suggest she consult a neuro physician if the MRI report is not normal. You can restart the tablet Amitriptyline 10 mg (Eliwel) if her MRI is normal.

I hope that you get your answer.

Please let me know if you want some help.

Thank you.

Same symptoms don't mean you have the same problem. Consult a doctor now!

Dr. Vishal Anilkumar Gandhi
Dr. Vishal Anilkumar Gandhi

Psychiatry

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