Blood pressure and heart rate and withdrawal of antihypertensive drugs.
- 14 May 1977
- Vol. 1 (6071), 1243-1246
- https://doi.org/10.1136/bmj.1.6071.1243
Abstract
The immediate effects on heart rate and blood pressure of withdrawing antihypertensive drugs were studied over three-day periods in 26 patients. Four groups of drugs were studied. After withdrawal all patients taking clonidine showed a considerable increase in heart rate and blood pressure with intense ectopic activity. Patients taking postganglionic neurone-blocking drugs showed a similar but less pronounced reaction with increased ventricular ectopic activity. No alarming reactions were seen after withdrawal of methyldopa or beta-blocking drugs. Methyldopa and, especially, beta-blocking drugs are less likely to produce withdrawal reactions than clonidine or the postganglionic neurone-blocking drugs, and patients taking these drugs are therefore less likely to suffer violent reactions if they forget to take their tablets.Keywords
This publication has 4 references indexed in Scilit:
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