Digestive System Problems with High Blood Pressure
One of the most popular anti-ulcer drugs, cimetidine, is used to suppress acid production in the stomach. It is usually prescribed for four to six weeks to heal gastric acid, duodenal ulcers and intermittently thereafter to suppress symptoms if there is a relapse. Cimetidine slows the normal process of breakdown of beta blockers and calcium channel blockers, so that blood levels of these blood pressure-lowering drugs rise and one needs a low dose. Ranitidine (zantac) is an equally effective for ulcer treatment, and has no effect on beta blocker or calcium channel blocker.
Most people with ulcers are now treated by intensive combined antibiotics. These antibiotics eradicate the nderlying cause of
ulcers. This treatment is very effective and has no effect on blood pressure.
People with severe heartburn and people who frequently get minor heartburn should obviously consult their doctors, as it may be a symptom of more serious problem, such as an ulcer. The commonest cause of acid reflux is being overweight, and weight reduction is its simplest and most effective treatment.
Straining to empty bowels does cause a temporary rise in blood pressure both in the veins and the arteries, but this has no long term effect either as a cause of high blood pressure in the first place or on the management of one's established high blood pressure. Such brief rises in blood pressure are not dangerous even if you already have high blood pressure.
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