How long should i take BP medicines?
Patient: I have high blood pressure (since being on 300mg. effexor). I  suggested to the doctor that perhaps I should go on bet.a blockers as I do have problems with anxiety.  Could I have started on half a tablet to see if that was sufficient? How long does it take to come off of them? Doctor: Hello!Thank you for asking on HCM!Your high blood pressure may be related to effexor side effects. This is a very common side effect of effexor treatment. I would recommend consulting with your attending physician to consider the possibility to switch into another antidepressant drug. If this is not possible, an antihypertensive therapy like a betablocker or an ACE inhibitor is necessary to control your blood pressure.Before starting an antihypertensive therapy you should perform some tests like :a resting ECG, chest x ray, a complete blood count, kidney and liver function tests, blood electrolytes, thyroid hormones to exclude other possible causes of high blood pressure. Anti hypertensive therapy should be continued as long as you are taking effexor and no other causes of high blood pressure are found in the above exams. Hope to have been helpful!Best wishes, Dr. Iliri