Can I take blood pressure medication when I'm pregnant?

Hypertension actually has a great impact on a person's body, because it can cause many complications, and these complications are often very serious. Hypertension is common in middle-aged and elderly people, but it also occurs in some pregnant women. Pregnant women with high blood pressure have a serious impact on the health of their babies, and they cannot take medicine at random at this time. So can pregnant women take antihypertensive drugs after suffering from high blood pressure?

Can I take antihypertensive drugs during pregnancy?

Most women's blood pressure will rise during pregnancy, and severe cases may develop into gestational hypertension. Female patients who already have high blood pressure and whose blood pressure is not well controlled are also prone to high blood pressure during pregnancy, which may cause uterine ischemia and fetal suffocation. Hypertension puts these pregnant women in a dilemma: if they take antihypertensive drugs, they are afraid of harming the fetus; if they do not take drugs, they are afraid of danger. So, can I take antihypertensive drugs for gestational hypertension?

In fact, the general principle of treatment for patients with hypertension during pregnancy is not to stop taking antihypertensive drugs at will, but the type and dosage of antihypertensive drugs can be adjusted. As long as they handle it properly, expectant mothers with hypertension can successfully get through this special period.

If a woman with high blood pressure is planning to have a baby, she must make preparations in advance and first control her blood pressure to a stable level before considering pregnancy.

It is very important to lower blood pressure in advance, not only to reduce the risk during pregnancy, but also because medication in early pregnancy (first 3 months) has the greatest impact on the fetus and is the most teratogenic. If the patient can control her blood pressure well before conception, she can reduce the dosage of antihypertensive drugs in the first 3 months of pregnancy under the guidance of a doctor. In some cases, she can even temporarily stop taking medication to minimize the side effects of the drugs on the fetus.

For this special group of people, it is generally recommended to use long-acting calcium ion antagonist antihypertensive drugs such as Norvasc. This type of drug can lower blood pressure while inhibiting uterine contractions. It is more suitable for pregnant patients, and only needs to be taken once a day to stably control blood pressure for 24 hours.

Other types of antihypertensive drugs generally have an impact on the fetus. For example, beta-blockers will inhibit the fetal heartbeat, and angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors will affect the normal development of the fetal adrenal system. Only calcium channel blockers have the least negative impact on the fetus.

During pregnancy, women with hypertension should not only take antihypertensive drugs on time as required by their doctor, but also pay special attention to regular monitoring of their blood pressure. Try to measure your blood pressure once in the morning and once in the evening every day, and keep a record of your blood pressure and abnormal conditions. Provide these records to your doctor when you visit a cardiologist every month so that the treatment plan can be adjusted in a timely manner.