Q. I have high blood pressure for which I take metoprolol, hydrochlorothiazide (HCTZ), hydralazine and lisinopril.
I have developed pins and needles in my fingers and numbness in my hands that keeps me from picking up small things like a safety pin. I have trouble walking and often feel faint. I have fallen a few times.
I suspect the medication may be to blame, but my doctor has sent me for Doppler tests for my legs and arms. The results came back fine.
Couldn’t my doctor prescribe different medication that won’t cause these problems?
A. Dizziness is often perceived as a minor side effect of blood pressure medicine but a fall could be devastating. Broken bones can take a long time to heal, and in an older adult, falls that result in breaks sometimes lead to blood clots. This could trigger a pulmonary embolism, a very dangerous situation.
Unfortunately, every one of your medications might contribute to dizziness, and in combination they are even more likely to do so.
Nerve Problems
The nerve damage you describe can be triggered by the drug hydralazine. It may lead to numbness and tingling as well as leg weakness and trouble walking.
Your doctor needs to reevaluate your regimen. To help you communicate with the doctor on this topic, we are sending you our Guide to Blood Pressure Treatment that discusses nondrug approaches as well as other medication options.
Anyone who would like to download our guide to learn more about non-drug ways to lower blood pressure and assess our overview of the most helpful medications may go to this link for all our guides.
