I am a male age 23. I have been diagnosed with hypertension. The reading I was diagnosed with was around 160/80 when I was 21 years old. I was run through a series of tests which found nothing abnormal with me aside from elevated triglycerides which I was able to control after I took up exercise and reduced my weight by 16 lbs. I was put on Inderal 40mg b.i.d. This medication brought my bp down to 130/80 with a pulse of 72. However I suffered many side effects. Being a student I found it difficult to concentrate or sleep well, I also had nightmares,insomnia and memory loss. So I was switched to Atenolol 50mg which also caused me insomnia and memory loss but was not as bad as Inderal. Over a period of a few months of weight loss and exercise I came to 25mg of Atenolol at which time my Bp was 132/76. But due to the side effects I was switched to Diltiazem CD 120mg. This medication caused no side effects at first but over a period of a few weeks I developed negative moods, a severe headache similar to a migraine 24 by 7, rashes on my forehead, weakness and lethargy, flushing and feeling warm and a warm sensation in the chest area. So I switched back to 12.5mg atenolol. I have tried four drugs till now (propranolol, atenolol, amlodipine and diltiazem), all of which caused adverse effects in me. My doctor insists that these drugs are correct for me and I should make a choice between diltiazem or atenolol. So I stuck with Atenolol 12.5mg which still causes me embarrassing memory lapses and has reduced my academic performance greatly. My question is that since my diastolic bp has always remained normal and only my systolic Bp is elevated, does this mean I have the arteries of an old person? Is it absolutely necessary for a person my age to take medications and if so are there no alternatives with lesser side effects?