Hydralazine and Headaches: 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."

• Jul...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• October 16, 2019

For High Blood Pressure "Dr. started me at 10 mg 2x daily for 2 weeks. BP went much higher. She upped dosage to 25 mg 3x day. Every day I felt worse and worse. Extreme fatigue, body aches, facial pain, and severe headache. Last night, my whole face became swollen, and I had anaphylaxis. ER doc said to quit taking it. Called my cardiologist at 8:30 am and left a message with the receptionist about what happened. Cardiologist never called me back. Just called in an Rx for Metoprolol tartrate 25 mg. I am upset with my cardiologist for not calling. My face is still swollen, severe headache, butterfly rash on face that feels hot, lips swollen, and jaw and neck pain. I think it was drug-induced lupus erythematosus. This drug should be pulled from the market. Too many people have bad reactions. I almost died from it, and I am still not out of the woods. You are not supposed to quit cold turkey."

• 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."

• Ant...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• October 23, 2018

For High Blood Pressure "Given this drug for high BP readings after taking steroids for an allergic reaction to Lisinopril. Worked great in lowering BP. Side effects have been awful. 25 mg 1 or 2 times a day. Taking Coreg and Verapamil plus a little diuretic. Extremely lightheaded, in a fog, confusion. I was clumsy, stumbling. Had vision problems. Actual blind spots. Flushing, restlessness, bad anxiety. It did its job but I was so freaked out with the way I was feeling. I worried BP may go too low. Horrible headaches, but to be fair, my BP was causing headaches. Cut pill in half. Symptoms improved. Tonight BP decent 142/87 so I didn’t take it. Just be aware of potential side effects. Going to keep an eye on everything as doctor still wants me to take it, but I don’t want to. I spent my nights with my heart pounding. Good luck to all. God bless."

• Anonymous
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• March 15, 2017

For High Blood Pressure "My blood pressure numbers run high. I was given Hydralazine 25 mg 3 times a day, then increased to 50 mg. This medication gave me the worst headache, blurred vision, dizziness, dry mouth, chest pains, very tired. It dropped my blood pressure some but not enough to continue taking this drug. I am going back to the doctor to get something else. It had me in bed and sitting for most of the day, totally out of it. Made me feel like I was tired. This medication is not worth taking."

• Fed...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• August 4, 2018

For High Blood Pressure "My blood pressure (BP) has been really erratic for the past two weeks. Blood work came back with nothing wrong. My doctor put me on a clonidine patch to supplement Coreg, which I have taken for years. I had a horrible reaction to the patch: extreme tiredness, nightmares, dizziness, and ear ringing. So they took me off the patch and put me on hydralazine 50 mg. It's not helping to bring my pressure down, I have an extreme headache, my ears are ringing, and I feel exhausted. I am taking myself off this. It's worse than having my pressure go up. An echocardiogram is scheduled for this coming Monday. I am at the point where I hope they find something wrong so they can fix it and stop using me as a guinea pig with different BP meds!"

• 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."

• Eli...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• July 19, 2018

For High Blood Pressure "I have been taking 50 mg of hydralazine for a couple of weeks now, and I feel sure it is causing the lack of concentration, the complete tiredness, the headache that goes all the way down my neck into my shoulders, and the weight gain. I can't see that it is really making that much of a difference in my blood pressure. I go to the dr tomorrow and will be coming off this, it's not worth it."

• Sco...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• May 21, 2023

For High Blood Pressure "I will never take this drug again. I endured the most crushing headaches I’ve ever experienced. Only the hottest shower I could physically stand would mitigate the pain. I was originally prescribed a lower dose to help manage BP spikes during dental visits and didn’t experience any difficulty. However, later in an effort to manage my daily BP that was higher than acceptable, I was put on 100 mg tablets. Unfortunately, I started this dosing the first day of my vacation and spent 3 of the 5-day trip in bed or the shower trying to arrest the headache. I called my medical provider, but they were slow to respond. When they finally did, they said the headaches would resolve as my body adjusted. They did not. By the third day, I called and left a desperate message with the nurse. “I am stopping the medicine today.” They replaced it with amlodipine, and everything went back to normal. I would not recommend hydralazine to anyone because of the intracranial pressure increase that can occur."

• pmb...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• February 14, 2017

For High Blood Pressure "Massive headache, though not migraine type. Actually mimicked a horrible sinus headache. (And yes, I am sure that it was not a sinus headache.) Light and sound were intolerable. Increased my anxiety. Made me so tense my neck was hurting. I also take amlodipine besylate 10 mg with no side effects. It just doesn't lower my BP low enough. Mine tops out over 230/150 regularly, it only brings it down to 160/90. (Too bad I can't just take more.) I've tried HCTZ - constantly needed to urinate. Lisinopril - body ached all over. Losartan - migraine type headache. Why can't they make something that doesn't hurt us? I have no symptoms of high blood pressure. It's more like a rush. I'll be damned if I'll take something that makes me hurt to make it better!"

• pmb...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• February 14, 2017

For High Blood Pressure "Massive headache, though not migraine type. Actually mimicked a horrible sinus headache. (And yes, I am sure that it was not a sinus headache.) Light and sound were intolerable. Increased my anxiety. Made me so tense my neck was hurting. I also take amlodipine besylate 10 mg with no side effects. It just doesn't lower my BP low enough. Mine tops out over 230/150 regularly, it only brings it down to 160/90. (Too bad I can't just take more.) I've tried HCTZ - constantly needed to urinate. Lisinopril - body ached all over. Losartan - migraine type headache. Why can't they make something that doesn't hurt us? I have no symptoms of high blood pressure. It's more like a rush. I'll be damned if I'll take something that makes me hurt to make it better!"

• Edd...
• June 27, 2016

For High Blood Pressure "I have hypertension. I have been taking a combination of amlodipine/benazepril. While this has been somewhat effective, my doctor also prescribed 50 mg of hydralazine twice a day. This medication has shot my pulse up to very high levels three times, most recently from 77 to 105 this morning. While it has reduced my blood pressure slightly, it is not worth the shaking, difficulty urinating, feelings of anxiety, and headache side effects. I almost checked myself into the emergency room two nights ago. I tested withholding the medication, and I am sure it is the hydralazine. I checked, and many people, especially men over the age of 60, suffer side effects like this."

• Nuk...
• November 12, 2016

For High Blood Pressure "I was getting spikes in BP of 165/103. My doctor added 25 mg of hydralazine 3x daily to my lisinopril 20 mg and metoprolol 25 mg 2x daily. BP spikes the same, side effects of headaches, tiredness, lack of concentration. Too much meds with no good results. Going back to him to get a better plan."

• Sis...
• December 1, 2019

For High Blood Pressure "I went to the hospital with stomach pain, which caused my blood pressure to elevate. They gave me hydralazine in IV. I thought my head was about to burst. I asked them to stop the drug, but it was given to me in pill form. I can't even concentrate."

• Hed...
• May 4, 2021

For High Blood Pressure "I have been on this for 3 months. Massive headaches right away. Burning in my arms/legs, sore eyeballs, sore ears/neck, small red pinpoint rash on my chest, nausea, phantom itching on one forearm, very dry mouth, and bad taste. Started on 10 mg 3x/day. BP did not go down. Dr. wanted me to increase to 30 mg 3x/day slowly. Side effects got worse. Pharmacist did not know about all the side effects. I contacted the pharmaceutical company that makes it. They had not heard of all my side effects. They will get lot # etc. from pharmacy. They will issue notices to Drs. and pharmacies, and Health Dept. will update warnings. Please contact your pharmacist to report your side effects or the manufacturer."

• Anonymous
• December 19, 2020

For High Blood Pressure "Started taking 50 mg 3x a day, only took two pills. Didn’t help with BP, got joint pain, and feels like the top of my foot has gout. When I breathe, it smells like a light scent of cigarette smoke (I’m not a smoker, nor is anyone in my house). Slight headache also. Bad medicine!"

• Don...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• October 8, 2021

For High Blood Pressure "I used hydralazine for five days. I had trouble breathing, started coughing badly, severe headaches, and a runny nose like a faucet. This medicine did not lower my blood pressure like it should have. I stopped using it so I could breathe better. I still have a hacking cough, but I am not coughing all night. My nose still runs, but not as much. I also have a loss of appetite. This is bad medicine. I was taking a 25 mg tablet three times a day."

• Pat...
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• November 27, 2020

For High Blood Pressure "Started on hydralazine at two 25 mg tablets four times a day. Had terrible headaches and constant sinus issues. Cut meds to one tablet AM and two tablets PM. I still have headaches and sinus issues after one tablet in the AM. I’m going to discuss with the cardiologist about continuing this medication. I also take hydrochlorothiazide and diltiazem. I think I’m overmedicated."

• San...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• August 1, 2022

For High Blood Pressure "Short and sweet. When this drug was prescribed for me, I believed it would be helpful because my blood pressure was all over the map, mostly high. Now, after taking it for approximately 3 weeks, using this drug, my pressure is quite low. I feel tired with no desire to do much of anything. Headaches are prevalent, and I take butalbital when needed. I have pain issues, and this compound only increases the severity of pain. Just feel like another person. I stopped, and many of my symptoms began to disappear. I will talk to my primary doctor about it. I now classify it as a dangerous drug, for me anyway."

• Ohh...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• February 19, 2022

For Hypertensive Emergency "Second time on this drug. Had a hypertension crisis. They gave it to me at the hospital. Called the cardiologist the following morning and guess what, he put me on this AGAIN, three times a day along with losartan and carvedilol. OMG. I have horrible headaches that get worse the more I take. It took me a month to level out enough to sleep, still have bad nights. Clumsy, chest pain, swollen painful joints in hands, feel like I have a sinus infection and sore throat all the time, horrible sensitivity to sunlight, face feels like I do nothing but squint. Constantly gassy stomach and flatulence."

• Anonymous
• June 30, 2022

For High Blood Pressure "After taking this medication, I got extremely sick. I started having chest pains, stuffy nose so bad I could barely breathe, constant headaches, swollen eyes, horrible cough. Couldn’t climb the stairs from my basement without lying down. Couldn’t sleep. At first, I thought I had COVID, so I took a test, it came back negative. When I stopped taking this medication, these symptoms didn’t start until I started taking this medication. All the symptoms started to fade away immediately. This medication will lower your blood pressure if you can tolerate the above."

• roz...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• July 26, 2018

For High Blood Pressure "This med lowered sodium level drastically, nauseated, dizzy, headache, pain in arms, freezing cold, tired. Ended up in hospital for IVs. Threw meds away!"

• dru...
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• June 24, 2016

For Heart Failure "Slight headaches at first, it replaced lisinopril perfectly after swollen lips."