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Should I Take My Blood Pressure Medicine ( Bystolic 10mg)
Question: Should I take my blood pressure medicine (Bystolic 10mg) even if my blood pressure is normal (118/84)? I've also been experiencing bradycardia with numbers around 48-55 bpm.
Brief Answer:
Maybe not
Detailed Answer:
Hello, I'm Dr. Branch, thanks for using Ask a Doctor. The goal for taking blood pressure medications is to bring your blood pressure to normal range, so in general, if you were prescribed a medication for blood pressure, you should keep taking it even if it is normal. Also, blood pressure can fluctuate from day to day, and even from hour to hour, so one blood pressure reading is often not enough to make a decision about whether to continue taking the medication.
However, if the blood pressure gets too low, then the dose may need to be decreased, or possibly stopped. Your blood pressure is somewhat low, but more concerning to me is your heart rate, which is quite low. If you are having symptoms, such as lightheadedness when standing or weakness, you may want to hold it and let your doctor know. Otherwise, you could continue to take it, but I would record your blood pressure and heart rate periodically, and make an appointment with your doctor to discuss whether any changes should be made to the medication or the dose.
In the meantime, if you blood pressure went below 100/70, or the heart continues to be below 50, I would suggest holding the Bystolic and letting your doctor know.
I hope that helps, please let me know if you have any questions about any of that, and I would be glad to discuss it with you further.
Maybe not
Detailed Answer:
Hello, I'm Dr. Branch, thanks for using Ask a Doctor. The goal for taking blood pressure medications is to bring your blood pressure to normal range, so in general, if you were prescribed a medication for blood pressure, you should keep taking it even if it is normal. Also, blood pressure can fluctuate from day to day, and even from hour to hour, so one blood pressure reading is often not enough to make a decision about whether to continue taking the medication.
However, if the blood pressure gets too low, then the dose may need to be decreased, or possibly stopped. Your blood pressure is somewhat low, but more concerning to me is your heart rate, which is quite low. If you are having symptoms, such as lightheadedness when standing or weakness, you may want to hold it and let your doctor know. Otherwise, you could continue to take it, but I would record your blood pressure and heart rate periodically, and make an appointment with your doctor to discuss whether any changes should be made to the medication or the dose.
In the meantime, if you blood pressure went below 100/70, or the heart continues to be below 50, I would suggest holding the Bystolic and letting your doctor know.
I hope that helps, please let me know if you have any questions about any of that, and I would be glad to discuss it with you further.
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Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Vaishalee Punj
Answered by
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