How much will enalapril 2.5mg lower my blood pressure? I don't want to get hypotension!?

Question

I started taking enalapril 2.5mg about three days ago. I took my blood pressure the first day, and it was around 135/76, which is good for me. Two days later, I took my blood pressure around the same time, and it was 117/68. Is this drop due to enalapril, or do you think it could be something else? A problem with the blood pressure monitor? I wasn't doing anything different on either day - I never drink or smoke in the first place. I'm only looking for 'expert' answers - don't just guess....

Answer 1

Well your blood pressure varies a lot throughout the day, depending on many factors (level of activity, stress, etc.) The best way to get an accurate blood pressure is to take it in a consistent fashion. So if one day you rest for 5 min. then take your blood pressure you should follow the same procedure every time you take your blood pressure of resting for 5 min. then taking it and not all of a sudden decide to take your blood pressure after you've just finished a 5 mile run. Now as to whether the decrease is due to the medication or natural variations that occur throughout the day remains to be seen. If you take your blood pressure consistently and continue to see lower readings then that means the medicine is lowering your blood pressure. There isn't a set number that 2.5mg of enalapril will lower your blood pressure, but I wouldn't worry too much about hypotension because the lower reading you put in your question is a good number. However, if you are really worried about hypotension just look out for dizziness/feeling lightheaded, blurry vision, confusion, and feeling faint/weak. If you start to have any of those symptoms I'd call the doctor and let him/her know so they can make a decision from there.

Answer 2

yes, the enalapril is likely working, NORMAL blood pressure is 115/75, so you are almost normal.

Answer 3

Your BP will naturally fluctuate throughout the day.  

Everyone responds differently to any medication your doctor is paid to assess the impact of the meds on YOU.

When you take a test are you taking say three in a row and taking the middle figure?

Many home BP meters are inherently inaccurate.  If battery operated the voltage variance of the battery can radically alter the test results.

When testing you should always adopt the same position if you intend comparing results.

Answer 4

You should repeat the measurements at different times of the day, and always under the same condition, for instance after 30 minutes of rest sitting in your favorite arm chair. You should make a note of these along with the values you get from the device.

Only after a number of measurements you could see clearly if the lower values are associated to the drug you are taking. I would say that it is very likely that the drop you saw in the pressure is due to enalapril.. but I would suggest more measurements...

I recommend that you have a look to this important information on enalapril: http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/drugi...