Hydralazine

If you are allergic to hydralazine, dihydralazine or any other medicines, please tell your doctor. Hydralazine is not recommended for children as safety and effectiveness were not established. If you are pregnant or a breastfeeding mother, please inform your doctor before receiving Hydralazine. Avoid alcohol consumption with Hydralazine as it may increase the risk of low blood pressure. If you are about to take a general anaesthetic, inform your doctor or dentist in charge that you are receiving Hydralazine. If you have had a heart attack in the past three months, inform your doctor before receiving Hydralazine. If you notice symptoms such as yellowing of skin and whites of the eyes, stop receiving Hydralazine and contact your doctor immediately, as these may indicate liver problems.

Drug-Drug Interaction: Inform your doctor if you are taking antidepressants (clomipramine, amitriptyline), tranquilliser (diazepam), monoamine oxidase inhibitors (phenelzine, moclobemide, tranylcypromine, isocarboxazid), calcium antagonists (diltiazem, nifedipine), water tablets, nitrates, antipsychotics, female sex hormones used in contraception (oestrogens), non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), beta-blocker (propranolol), and medicines used to treat high blood pressure (diazoxide, minoxidil, lisinopril, captopril, enalapril).

Drug-Food Interaction: No interactions found.

Drug-Disease Interaction: Avoid receiving Hydralazine if you have or have ever had Systemic Lupus Erythematosus (SLE), an autoimmune condition which causes joint pain, skin rashes and fever, if you have severe tachycardia or right-sided heart failure due to increased pressure in the blood vessels of the lungs, have thyrotoxicosis (excess thyroid hormones in the blood that can cause a fast heartbeat, sweating, trembling, anxiety, increased appetite, loss of weight and intolerance of heat), myocardial insufficiency (impaired heart function) or porphyria (group of disorders due to over build-up of porphyrin in the body). If you have angina pectoris (chest pain), cerebrovascular disease (narrowing of the blood vessels in the brain), coronary artery disease, or serious liver or kidney problems, inform your doctor before receiving Hydralazine.

• Maintain a low-salt diet and minimize eating processed foods as they contain more sodium. Try to replace salt with spices or herbs to add flavour to the food.
• Do regular exercise such as cycling, walking, jogging, dancing, or swimming for a minimum of 30 minutes per day.
• Chronic stress may also cause high blood pressure. Therefore, avoid stress triggers and make time for yourself to relax and do activities that you enjoy.
• Maintain a diet that is rich in vegetables, fruits, whole grains, and low-fat dairy products.
• Try to include heart-healthy omega-3 fatty acid-containing foods in your daily diet. You can also use low-fat cooking oil like olive oil, soybean oil, canola oil, and coconut oil, which may help in lowering high blood pressure.
• Quit smoking and avoid the consumption of alcohol.

• If you notice symptoms such as joint pain, skin rash, fever, and change in blood count, stop receiving Hydralazine and contact your doctor immediately as these might be symptoms of Systemic lupus erythematosus (an autoimmune disease).