Common Heart Medications: What to Know

Heart disease is one of the most common health conditions in the United States, and many of our neighbors take at least one medicine for their heart or blood pressure. These medicines can do a lot of good. They work best when you understand what they are for and take them the way your doctor prescribed.

This article is a simple overview of the main groups of heart medicines. Your own plan depends on your health, so always follow your doctor's directions.

The main groups

Here are some common types of heart and blood pressure medicines and what they generally do:

• Blood pressure medicines relax blood vessels or lower the workload on the heart
• Water pills, also called diuretics, help the body remove extra salt and fluid
• Cholesterol lowering medicines help reduce cholesterol levels in the blood
• Blood thinners help prevent harmful blood clots
• Medicines for heart rhythm help keep the heartbeat steady
• Medicines for chest pain help improve blood flow to the heart

Many people take more than one of these. Each one has a job, and together they can lower the risk of heart attack and stroke.

Tips for taking them well

Take your heart medicines at the same time each day. A pill organizer or phone alarm can help. Do not stop taking a heart medicine suddenly, even if you feel fine. Some of these medicines need to be stopped slowly under a doctor's care, and high blood pressure often has no symptoms at all.

Feeling good is often a sign that your heart medicine is working, not a sign you no longer need it.

If cost makes it hard to keep up with your medicines, tell us. We can look at options and talk with your doctor.

Watch for interactions

Heart medicines can interact with other medicines, supplements and even some foods. For example, some blood thinners interact with certain vitamins, herbal products and pain relievers. Some heart medicines interact with grapefruit. Certain over the counter cold and allergy products can raise blood pressure.

The safest approach is to fill all your prescriptions at one pharmacy and check with us before adding anything new. We review every new prescription against your profile.

Side effects depend on the medicine. Some people feel dizzy when they stand up, especially when starting a new blood pressure medicine. Stand up slowly. Water pills can make you urinate more, so taking them earlier in the day may help, if your doctor agrees. Blood thinners can make you bruise more easily. Call your doctor if you notice unusual bleeding.

Call 911 for chest pain, trouble breathing, sudden weakness or numbness, or trouble speaking.

Let us help you stay on track

Med Sync can line up all your refills so they are ready on one day each month, for pickup or free delivery. That means fewer trips and fewer missed doses. A free medication review lets you sit down with a pharmacist to go over every medicine, in English or Spanish.

Call us at 661.941.4402 to set up Med Sync or a free medication review.

This article is general education, not medical advice.