Introduction to the time of taking common antihypertensive drugs.👍👍👍

As more and more people suffer from high blood pressure, antihypertensive drugs have become a common medicine. Hypertension is also a chronic disease and antihypertensive drugs need to be taken for a long time. Therefore, every hypertensive patient should learn how to properly take antihypertensive drugs.

Concept of taking time.

• Fasting: Take 1 hour before a meal or 2 hours after a meal.
• Before meal: Take 15-60 minutes before a meal.
• During meal: Take the medicine after have eaten a little meal and continue to eat after taking the medicine.
• After meal: Take 15-30 minutes after a meal.

The effects of antihypertensive drugs and food intake are mainly considered in two aspects:

1. Does food affect the absorption of drugs?
2. Adverse drug effects: For drugs with gastrointestinal adverse effects, taking the drug after a meal can alleviate the gastrointestinal adverse effects. Antihypertensive drugs basically have no gastrointestinal adverse reactions, so the drugs are generally not related to eating.

1. Angiotensin II receptor blockers

The names of drugs usually end with "-sartan", such as candesartan, irbesartan, losartan, olmesartan, telmisartan, valsartan, etc.

The time of taking these drugs has no significant relation with eating. Some drugs, such as telmisartan and valsartan, can reduce their absorption when taken. But they have no significant effect on the clinical efficacy.

2. Angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors

The names of drugs usually end with "-pril", such as benazepril, captopril, enalapril, fosinopril, imidapril, lisinopril, perindopril, ramipril.

Captopril and perindopril can be reduced the absorption by food in the stomach. Therefore, they should be taken 1 hour before a meal. The absorption of other is not affected by food or less affected. Therefore, they can be took before, during or after a meal.

3. α1-blockers

Drug names usually end with "-zosin", such as alfuzosin, doxazosin, terazosin and so on.

Alfuzosin controlled-release tablets should be taken after dinner. Eating can increase its absorption. Taking doxazosin with food can reduce its absorption, but does not affect the efficacy. Terazosin should be taken before going to bed to reduce the risk of orthostatic hypotension.

4. β-blockers

The names of medicines usually end with "-lol", such as bisoprolol, labetalol, metoprolol, propranolol, etc. 

Bisoprolol and labetalol have no influence with eating. Propranolol can be taken on an empty stomach or with food. Its bioavailability will increase when taken with food. 

Since metoprolol ordinary tablets can increase the bioavailability by 40% with eating. It should be taken on an empty stomach to reduce the occurrence of adverse effects. Metoprolol sustained-release tablets has no effect with has a meal.

🔔All β-blockers should not stopped suddenly. It will cause rebound hypertension.

5. Dihydropyridine calcium antagonists

Drug names usually end with "-dipine", such as amlodipine, cilnidipine, felodipine, lacidipine, nifedipine, etc.

Cilnidipine has digestive tract dysfunction and should be taken after a meal. The other drugs can be took before, during or after a meal.

6. Diuretics

Most common diuretics are furosemide, hydrochlorothiazide and spironolactone. The absorption of hydrochlorothiazide and spironolactone can be increased with food. It should be taken during or after meals. Furosemide has no effect with eating.

In order to reduce the occurrence of sleep enuresis, it is recommended to take diuretics in the morning.

👉In addition to the pharmacological effects, adverse reactions, drug absorption and metabolism and other characteristics of different drugs, the taking time of drugs also varies from person to person. Even if the same type of drugs are taken at different times. Different dosage forms of the same drug have different taking time. Some patients have gastrointestinal adverse reactions after taking the medicine, they should choose to take it after meals.