Table of ContentsView AllTable of ContentsCold Medicine to AvoidSteps to TakeTreatments to Consider
Table of ContentsView All
View All
Table of Contents
Cold Medicine to Avoid
Steps to Take
Treatments to Consider
High blood pressure, known medically ashypertension, is extremely common, affecting about half of American adults.People with high blood pressure or heart disease should be aware that common over-the-counter (OTC) medications, including cold medicine and decongestants, can raise blood pressure.
If you have hypertension you should talk with your healthcare provider about alternatives to cold and cough medicine for people with high blood pressure.
This article will cover how OTC drugs, including cough medicine, sinus medicine, and decongestants, can cause side effects for people with high blood pressure. It will also discuss safer options for people with high blood pressure.
Verywell / Danie Drankwalter
Cold Medicine to Avoid With Hypertension
There are lots of different types ofcold and flu medications. Many of them combine decongestants, cough suppressants, and pain relievers (which also reduce fever). Although these ingredients can help you feel better, they might make heart disease and high blood pressure worse.
If you have high blood pressure, you should always talk to your healthcare provider before using OTC medications. There are two common ingredients that you should be particularly mindful of.
Decongestants
People with high blood pressure should talk to their healthcare provider before using decongestants, including those containing pseudoephedrine or phenylephrine.
Decongestants to avoid with high blood pressure include:
Additionally, many multi-symptom cough, cold, and flu medications contain decongestants and should be avoided, including:
In addition to raising blood pressure, some of these ingredients, like pseudoephedrine, can interact with high blood pressure medications and make them less effective.
If you are not sure which cold medicine is right for you, talk to your healthcare provider.
Are Topical Decongestants Safe With High Blood Pressure?Topical decongestants work directly in the nasal passages and are not absorbed in the bloodstream to travel throughout the body the way that decongestants taken orally can.They might be safer because they stay in the nasal area, but you should still talk to your healthcare provider before using them if you have high blood pressure.
Are Topical Decongestants Safe With High Blood Pressure?
Topical decongestants work directly in the nasal passages and are not absorbed in the bloodstream to travel throughout the body the way that decongestants taken orally can.They might be safer because they stay in the nasal area, but you should still talk to your healthcare provider before using them if you have high blood pressure.
Topical decongestants work directly in the nasal passages and are not absorbed in the bloodstream to travel throughout the body the way that decongestants taken orally can.
They might be safer because they stay in the nasal area, but you should still talk to your healthcare provider before using them if you have high blood pressure.
Nonsteroidal Anti-Inflammatory Drugs (NSAIDs)
They can increase the risk forheart attack(blockage of blood flow to the heart muscle) andstroke(blockage of blood flow to the brain or a bleed in the brain) as well, so people with high blood pressure are advised not to use NSAIDs.
NSAIDs to avoid with high blood pressure include:
You should also avoid these multi-symptom cough, cold, and flu medications, which contain NSAIDs:
All NSAIDs have the potential to interfere with most blood pressure-lowering medications and can increase the risk of heart attack, stroke, and other cardiovascular problems.
Finding Safe and Effective Cold Medicine
It’s possible to find a safe cold medicine for high blood pressure. However, it may take some extra work.
Your healthcare provider can also tell you which medications to avoid and may suggest several ways you can deal with these symptoms without medications.
What Cold Medications Are Safe to Take With High Blood Pressure?
There are safe alternatives to cold medicine for people with high blood pressure. Talk with your healthcare provider about what will work best for you.
These OTC medications are safe for people with high blood pressure and can alleviate some of the symptoms of colds:
Some medications are specifically formulated for people with high blood pressure. These medications typically have “HBP” explicitly written on the box. Examples include:
Always read ingredients lists carefully, as there can be slight differences between medications of the same brand. For example, while Mucinex DM is safe for people with hypertension, Mucinex D (containing guaifenesin and pseudoephedrine) is not.
Other Remedies
You can also control your symptoms with home remedies andnatural remedies for colds, including:
Summary
People with high blood pressure need to be cautious about using over-the-counter cold medications. Common ingredients in cold medicines, including decongestants and NSAID pain relievers, can increase blood pressure.
If you have high blood pressure, ask your doctor about safer ways to treat a cold, including using Tylenol, antihistamines, and natural remedies.
8 SourcesVerywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.High blood pressure facts.American Heart Association.Taking medicine for a cold? Be mindful of your heart.Michigan Medicine.Why high blood pressure and cold meds don’t mix.Głowacka K, Wiela-Hojeńska A.Pseudoephedrine—benefits and risks.Int J Mol Sci. 2021 May;22(10):5146. doi:10.3390/ijms22105146Ruschitzka F, Borer JS, Krum H, et al.Differential blood pressure effects of ibuprofen, naproxen, and celecoxib in patients with arthritis: the PRECISION-ABPM (Prospective randomized evaluation of celecoxib integrated safety versus ibuprofen or naproxen ambulatory blood pressure measurement) Trial.Euro Heart J. 2017;38(44):3282-3292. doi:10.1093/eurheartj/ehx508Harvard Health Publishing.High blood pressure? Certain drugs may compound the problem.YaleMedicine.NSAIDs vs. acetaminophen: Which over-the-counter medicine should I use?Harvard Health.Ask the doctor: Can allergies cause high blood pressure?
8 Sources
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.High blood pressure facts.American Heart Association.Taking medicine for a cold? Be mindful of your heart.Michigan Medicine.Why high blood pressure and cold meds don’t mix.Głowacka K, Wiela-Hojeńska A.Pseudoephedrine—benefits and risks.Int J Mol Sci. 2021 May;22(10):5146. doi:10.3390/ijms22105146Ruschitzka F, Borer JS, Krum H, et al.Differential blood pressure effects of ibuprofen, naproxen, and celecoxib in patients with arthritis: the PRECISION-ABPM (Prospective randomized evaluation of celecoxib integrated safety versus ibuprofen or naproxen ambulatory blood pressure measurement) Trial.Euro Heart J. 2017;38(44):3282-3292. doi:10.1093/eurheartj/ehx508Harvard Health Publishing.High blood pressure? Certain drugs may compound the problem.YaleMedicine.NSAIDs vs. acetaminophen: Which over-the-counter medicine should I use?Harvard Health.Ask the doctor: Can allergies cause high blood pressure?
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.High blood pressure facts.American Heart Association.Taking medicine for a cold? Be mindful of your heart.Michigan Medicine.Why high blood pressure and cold meds don’t mix.Głowacka K, Wiela-Hojeńska A.Pseudoephedrine—benefits and risks.Int J Mol Sci. 2021 May;22(10):5146. doi:10.3390/ijms22105146Ruschitzka F, Borer JS, Krum H, et al.Differential blood pressure effects of ibuprofen, naproxen, and celecoxib in patients with arthritis: the PRECISION-ABPM (Prospective randomized evaluation of celecoxib integrated safety versus ibuprofen or naproxen ambulatory blood pressure measurement) Trial.Euro Heart J. 2017;38(44):3282-3292. doi:10.1093/eurheartj/ehx508Harvard Health Publishing.High blood pressure? Certain drugs may compound the problem.YaleMedicine.NSAIDs vs. acetaminophen: Which over-the-counter medicine should I use?Harvard Health.Ask the doctor: Can allergies cause high blood pressure?
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.High blood pressure facts.
American Heart Association.Taking medicine for a cold? Be mindful of your heart.
Michigan Medicine.Why high blood pressure and cold meds don’t mix.
Głowacka K, Wiela-Hojeńska A.Pseudoephedrine—benefits and risks.Int J Mol Sci. 2021 May;22(10):5146. doi:10.3390/ijms22105146
Ruschitzka F, Borer JS, Krum H, et al.Differential blood pressure effects of ibuprofen, naproxen, and celecoxib in patients with arthritis: the PRECISION-ABPM (Prospective randomized evaluation of celecoxib integrated safety versus ibuprofen or naproxen ambulatory blood pressure measurement) Trial.Euro Heart J. 2017;38(44):3282-3292. doi:10.1093/eurheartj/ehx508
Harvard Health Publishing.High blood pressure? Certain drugs may compound the problem.
YaleMedicine.NSAIDs vs. acetaminophen: Which over-the-counter medicine should I use?
Harvard Health.Ask the doctor: Can allergies cause high blood pressure?
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