Hydralazine and Increased Heart Rate: What Users Say

• Luc...
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• January 9, 2019

For High Blood Pressure "Been taking Hydralazine 25mg three times daily. My blood pressure doesn't go down much, and I am having major headaches daily, feels like a sinus headache, and my ankles are swollen daily since I started taking this medication. I haven't had headaches for a long time, so I was wondering why all of a sudden I started having debilitating headaches. My doctor's assistant always asks me if I am taking my blood pressure medication because each time I go into the doctor's office, my blood pressure is always high. I don't have energy as it is, and this medication zaps what energy I have, and I feel stuck not being able to complete anything. I also wondered why I have a fast heartbeat all the time. After reading about Hydralazine and the side effects, it sure makes sense that I better get off of this medication. No one tells you the bad things regarding medications unless you look them up for yourself. Pays to do self-research in order to stay alive."

• Tir...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• November 27, 2019

For High Blood Pressure "I've been taking hydralazine for two weeks. My heart rate is higher, I'm always tired. My heart is pounding in my chest, I have chest pains. My feet and hands are swollen. I have an awful headache all the time. I just feel awful. My blood pressure is not much better. I quit taking it a couple of days ago and already feel a little better. I wouldn't recommend this for anyone. I thought it was just me till I read this article."

• Tir...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• November 27, 2019

For High Blood Pressure "I've been taking hydralazine for two weeks. My heart rate is higher, I'm always tired. My heart is pounding in my chest, I have chest pains. My feet and hands are swollen. I have an awful headache all the time. I just feel awful. My blood pressure is not much better. I quit taking it a couple of days ago and already feel a little better. I wouldn't recommend this for anyone. I thought it was just me till I read this article."

• Chi...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• December 19, 2019

For High Blood Pressure "Taken off all previous BP medications and put on Hydralazine 100mg 3x daily. Horrible sinus pain, headache, severe back pain, diarrhea and my pulse got very high 95. The worst was it isn’t managing my BP. It’s running 165/133 higher than it’s ever been in my life. I feel miserable and am stopping it immediately. Going to have a long talk with my cardiologist! Horrible medication."

• Joa...
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• August 29, 2019

For High Blood Pressure "I was on Hydralazine for high blood pressure for a few years. My blood pressure was being controlled. Then, I started experiencing rapid heart rate, hearing my heart thumping loudly through my ear when my head was placed on a pillow and in my back when lying down, joint pains, swollen ankles, legs, and feet, fatigue, outdoor light intolerance, leg cramps, and itching. My doctor stopped the medication and ordered labs. Everything came back elevated. My ANA and Uric acid were all up in addition to other tests done. I was diagnosed with medication-induced lupus because of this drug. It is a bad drug. I am now a lot better, most of these symptoms are gone or getting better. My labs will be rechecked in a couple of months. Fortunately for me, mine was caught before I had to be hospitalized like some of the other readers."

• Dai...
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• July 26, 2019

For High Blood Pressure "On hydralazine 50 mg twice a day, with some Afib issues, but not a big problem. BP is still high anyway. Mitral valve replacement surgery in April, recovery seemed slow, then nausea, Afib, fast heart rate, dizziness, and fatigue getting worse and worse in May and June. I asked the doctor to reduce the dose, the more it was reduced, the better I felt. Now the doctor says I can reduce the dose to 25 mg once a day for 2 weeks, and then hooray, I'm off the medication. I just saw on the internet that hydralazine is contraindicated for mitral valve malfunction caused by rheumatic disease, and that's exactly what I have. I wonder why I was ever put on this medication. It caused the most unpleasant symptoms I've ever had, which were very depressing."

• Joe...
• October 7, 2018

For High Blood Pressure "I read the reviews on here before I started taking these medications. I almost never have reactions from any medications, so I thought these people were just whiners or were in rare situations. I was on the hydralazine for about 10 days, and I felt like I was going to die every single second that I was on it. I had severe chest pains, flatulence (gas), rapid heartbeat, headaches, dizziness, and I felt like something was squeezing my heart. I practically begged my doctor to hurry and take me off of this medication, and he switched me to Telmisartan. I feel like my old self again. The only thing I'm noticing with the Telmisartan is that it makes me sleep like a baby when I do go to bed. I usually wake up at 7 a.m. on weekends, but now I wake up at noon. But I am overall much happier now."

• way...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• June 30, 2019

For High Blood Pressure "My blood pressure was running 148/90, so Dr. gave me an order for hydralazine 50 mg. I took it one evening, and the next morning I could not remember what I did the night before or what I ate. My heart rate went from 62 normal to 75. I heard my heart beating while I was trying to go to sleep. It was a heavy thump sound. My eyes were blurry the next morning. That's it for me. Must find something else."

• Ire...
• December 31, 2017

For High Blood Pressure "75 yr old mom was put on this med for hypertension. After only about 2 weeks, she began having extreme tiredness (one day she stayed in bed until 2 p.m.), weakness (couldn't lift 4 cups of coffee in the decanter), mental fog, muscle and joint aches (upper arms and thighs), pain/weakness in hands (difficulty wringing out a washcloth), upper abdominal pain, shortness of breath and rapid heart rate. Notified Dr. Mom stopped taking it 24 hrs ago. I hope her symptoms (side effects) improve quickly. I was reading about drug-induced lupus, and I truly believe Mom was experiencing the beginning of this. Google it!"

• Bil...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• July 7, 2019

For High Blood Pressure "First four days up and down, now leveling off. Sleepy first three days, now that's lessening. Fast heart rate first two days. Now all side effects leveling. Two weeks on, now great. Body needs time to adjust to any medicine. Give it a 10++. Love it, great."