Can Blood Pressure Medications Cause Fainting/collapse

First - I would call her doctor NOW rather than later. It is possible that her blood pressure medication is not adjusted correctly for her. However, the doctor needs to make that adjustment. There are a ton of medications out there, it took us about three different meds to find the one that worked the best for my husband. You want to have her looked at though before she falls and hurts herself. You don't want to waste to much time getting more opinions...

B.
This has happen to my mother before and it was her blood pressure meds. I would get her into her DOC to have things checked. Good luck ;)

S.

Yes it can, and I believe it says so in the patient leaflet. I was on it for migraines, but my blood pressure is perfect and it lowered mine too much, so I quit taking it. I felt light headed, dizzy, and fatigued all the time while I was on it.

I know you got a lot of answers and I didn't read them all, but I just read something that said the fainting and exhaustion is caused by the diuretic she probably takes, It may be flushing too much sodium. She has to up her potassium and should have been prescribed it. Definitely talk to her doc. My dad had years of trouble getting the balance of meds right. He ended up with pulmonary edema, caused by those meds. Good luck.

Your MIL's blood pressure could be too low. She should be checked by the doctor who prescribed the medication. The other thing is that there are studies out there that say many times people who take medication for high blood pressure become diabetic. If that is the case, she could have suffered from a diabetic seizure that doesn't have anything to do with her blood pressure, but her blood sugar level. She should be checked as this could be a deadly combination. There are so many people out there with diabetes that don't even know it until something like this happens. If this is the onset of type II diabetes, before it gets out of hand and insulin is recommended (which has it's own side effects) she should see a doctor to see if this is what is happening and see a nutritionist to see if it can be controlled by a strict diet rather than getting on the insulin merry-go-round. My Dad became diabetic at 50. It is not fun. After 25 years of the insulin merry-go-round, losing part of his leg, heart by-pass surgery he started going to a chiropractic group in Grosse Pointe who have helped him tremendously with his diet and basic nutrition. I just wish we had known about this group before all the bad things happened to him using the typical regular treatment MDs usually prescribe. It is amazing what a good diet and whole food supplements can do to help the body heal itself. Go to www.ahccenter.com
I hope you can find the answers you need!

Could be her blood pressure meds, especially if she is taking a new medicine or a new dose of the medicine. If I were you, I'd advise her to go and see her doctor ASAP as they may be something else going on. Tell the doc exactly whats going on, and how frequently it's happening. Also, ask about a full cardiac workup...most common cause of fainting is blood pressure problem stemming from an underlying cardiac issue.
Hope it all works out ok.

My mother had fainting spells years ago that were the result of her forgetting that she had taken her blood pressure medicine and she would take it again which would drop her blood pressure too much. She now has someone to dispense her medicines to prevent this from happening.
Also, if she isn't eating well, her blood sugar could drop, which would also possibly cause dizzyness or fainting.
My mother later had fainting caused by her heart slowing down. After wearing a monitor, the doctors gave her a pacemaker.
I don't know if any of this will help, but I wish you well.

B.,

Have them check her thyroid. It sounds like it may be her blood pressure too when she stands up to fast. You may be able to get help from a Commission on Aging to get someone to check in on her.

T. V

B. -

I agree, your mom should be checked by her Dr., or a new Dr. since hers didn't have the decency to return a call to the EMERGENCY ROOM! How absurd!

Anyway, my mom started taking blood pressure meds a few years ago, and she had fainting spells as well. At one point, she fainted while walking down the street. Long story short, my mom found out she had a tumor growing in her uterus and ended up having a hysterectomy. My mom also (before the hysterectomy) didn't eat a balanced diet, was stressed out about work and family life, and I begged her to drink water. She didn't drink enough water because she took a diuretic also and was afraid she'd retain water if she drank too much (???). Well, now she drinks water and is still stressed out, but that's just her thing, I guess. Since having the hysterectomy she hasn't had any more fainting spells to my knowledge.

My father in law had an interaction with his eye medication and his blood pressure. His heart rate was down to 36 beats per minute. Get her in to see someone.... it is really important :)

Absolutely! Meds can cause BP to fall too low and cause weakness, dizziness, fatigue, sweating, lightheadedness, shaking, nausea, etc...and fainting. She definitely needs her BP meds evaluated.

What concerns me, though, is the smile or drooped mouth. Those are signs of a seizure. As one mom said, blood sugar could be a concern, too.

She absolutely needs to be check out by the doc. One easy thing to do is buy a BP monitor so she can check her BP when she feels symptomatic. Have her take it to the doc with her on her next checkup to test it against theirs and make sure it's accurate. Also, ask for a Hemoglobin A1C and a Fasting Blood Sugar test. (It's likely they will order it anyway) and have them test her sugar with a fingerstick there in the office. In our office we have monitors that are supplied by the drug companies at no cost to patients. Perhaps she could ask for one just to have on hand so next time it happens her BS can be checked right away.

That's all I can think of right off hand...stress to her the importance of nutrition...I hope you find some answers.

Keep us posted!
~L.

Hi B.,

I have vasalvagal syncope (fainting spells) & seizures. They put me on a blood pressure medication to help my condition. Symptoms include light-headedness, dizzy, feeling warm, black-outs, shaking, sometimes I fall off balance, and I feel very tired. I've had this condition since 1981 and they have finally gotten it under control after trying different meds and implanting a pacemaker :(
because my condition is sooo severe. You must stay hydrated. I drink alot of water and gatorade and had to increase my salt intake. So your MIL may want to see a cardiologist.

Hope this helps
D.

My grandmother suddenly had fainting and blackout spells. Her doctors thought it was neurological until she landed in the hospital. The doctors there were surprised at how strong her blood pressure meds were and suspected this was part of the problem. Her high dose of meds also caused her to lose her appetite and she was not eating properly or drinking enough. Dehydration/malnutrition was the other part of the problem.
Once they lowered her dosage, she returned back to normal and hasn't had an episode since.
Just goes to show you, that not all docs are in agreement on stuff as simple as blood pressure meds. Have her get a second opinion by a reputable doc.

Yes blood pressure meds can cause the blood pressure to dip to low causing fainting. So can low blood sugar amongst other things. She needs to call her doctor for an eval to make sure that's what it is and then they can adjust her meds.

If she has poor oral intake of fluids and BP meds it may be causing her BP to be too low to sustain proper levels. Make sure she is getting enough fluids and see the Dr who prescribed the BP meds

she needs to get to dr and get checked out

I was on a medication that also worked for Blood Pressure. I did notice it made me more apt for 'dizzy spells' (if I rose too quickly.)

However, there could be more going on here. I recommend taking her in immediately for a check up. It could be the Blood pressure or perhaps something neurological occuring. Best to be safe!

Hope all works out well!