Nutrition Videos

Hi! I'm Stelios Pantazis. I'm a doctor and I specialize in medical nutrition and metabolic disorders. Today, I'll talk about the drugs that significantly increase the risk of hypertension, and I'll give you instructions, if you take any of these drugs, for alternative solutions you may apply. One, painkillers and anti-inflammatory drugs. I'm starting with this group of drugs because a lot of people take them very often without knowing that they significantly contribute to the increase of blood pressure. Both painkillers and anti-inflammatory drugs, much more than the former, block the removal of sodium from the body, so they lead to fluid retention and increased blood pressure. Let me remind you that sodium is the main ingredient of salt. If you take any of these drugs in the long term, you should be certain that you've exhausted all the alternatives in cooperation with your doctor. There are drugs that help regulate the pain in the long term and don't belong in this group of drugs. What's certain, though, is that you shouldn't take such drugs in the long term without being monitored by a doctor. Two, decongestants. Decongestants are tablets used to decongest the nose. Obviously, I'm not talking about sprays, which can't affect blood pressure, but about decongestant tablets that some people unfortunately use in the long term. You should know that these drugs lead to the increase of blood pressure if you take them in the long term. The ideal solution is to use them for a short period of time, as short as possible. Another alternative is to find ways to treat nose congestion locally, namely with sprays that contain sea water or cortisone, which acts locally and is not absorbed in the body. Contraceptives. Contraceptives are used extensively for contraception, but in Greece, they are mainly used to treat menstruation problems. Unfortunately, long-term use of these drugs also leads to the increase of blood pressure, therefore, if you use them, you should ask your gynecologist's help to find alternative methods of contraception or treatment of menstruation disorders, such as Glucophage, which has been used over the last years to help with menstruation, with rather good results. Four, cortisone. I'm sure most of you have heard that when someone takes cortisone, they shouldn't eat salt. This is recommended because cortisone blocks the removal of salt from the body, and as a result, salt remains in the body and keeps water with it. This leads to the increase of blood pressure, particularly if the use is long-term. If you have to take cortisone, in addition to quitting salt, which is a really significant measure, you may try to find alternative ways of cortisone administration with your doctor, namely locally or in the form of spray or cream. Antidepressants. Antidepressants is another group of drugs that is used extensively today, and one of their side-effects is the increase of blood pressure. Antidepressants are typically used in the long term, therefore it's important that you monitor your blood pressure, in order to do something, if you notice that it's increasing, and treat it as soon as possible. If your blood pressure is increasing, you should inform your doctor, so that they take the necessary measures, either by changing your medication or by recommending the treatment of hypertension. Obviously, in no case should you stop taking your medication without your doctor having recommended this clearly. Immunosuppressive drugs. Immunosuppressive drugs are not often used by people, because they're typically administered after transplants. Among these, cyclosporine is associated with the increase of blood pressure, while some other drugs that have the same action don't. Cancer-treatment drugs. Some cancer-treatment drugs increase blood pressure, so you should monitor it, cessary, you may either find an alternative drug, or start taking antihypertensive drugs, always according to your doctor's instructions. Stimulants. Stimulants are mainly used for children with concentration problems. Obviously, at those ages, the increase of blood pressure is not a serious problem, but over the last years, they've been used more and more often for adults with similar problems. So, you should know that these drugs increase blood pressure, so you should monitor it, if you take such drugs, and, if there's a problem, the medication can be modified or regulated accordingly. Antipsychotics. Some antipsychotics, the most famous of which are the ones that contain the chemical olanzapine, very often lead to increased blood pressure. You should monitor your blood pressure and if you notice that it's increasing, you should either modify your medication or start medication to treat hypertension. Non-medical substances. Drugs are not the only substances that often lead to increased blood pressure after long-term use. Some daily substances do that too, such as alcohol and coffee. As I've said before, the long-term and prolonged use of alcohol and coffee may lead to increased blood pressure. Obviously, this does not happen to everyone, but only to some people that are susceptible to it. Eleven, herbs. Drugs are not the only substances that lead to increased blood pressure. Some herbs include increased blood pressure in their side-effects. The most famous of these is stimulant ephedra, and a herb that is often used for stomach problems, licorice. These are the drugs, herbs and other substances that you may use often and may lead to the increase of blood pressure. If you thought this was interesting, please give us a thumbs up. Share it with people who you think might find it interesting and subscribe to our channel in order to get notified when we upload a video. 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