What is Hydralazine?
Hydralazine is a generic vasodilator medication that works by relaxing the muscles in your blood vessels to help widen them; the result of this is lower blood pressure and easier blood flow through the veins and arteries. A common brand name version of this medication is Apresoline; these drugs are commonly used to treat high blood pressure. Certain medical conditions may require special tests or dosage adjustments to ensure that you can safely take this medication
Hydralazine Uses
Hydralazine is used in the treatment of hypertension, or high blood pressure. It works by widening blood vessels to promote easier blood flow through the veins and arteries which results in lowering the blood pressure. When taking Apresoline, the dosage is typically increased gradually until the daily requirement has been reached; however you should take this medication exactly as prescribed by your doctor.
Do not stop taking Apresoline even if you start feeling better; it is common to experience little or no side effects from high blood pressure and stopping this medication abruptly could worsen certain medical conditions.
Hydralazine should be taken exactly as prescribed and not in smaller or larger doses. Common dosage for adult patients with hypertension is 10 milligrams given orally 4 times per day for the first 2-4 days; dosage is then increased to 25 milligrams 4 times per day for the remainder of the first week. For the second and following weeks, the dosage is increased to 50 milligrams 4 times per day. The dosage should then be maintained at the lowest effective level.
For an adult hypertensive emergency, a dosage of 20-40 milligrams is given IV or IM and is repeated as necessary; some patients may require a lower dose. For the treatment of adult congestive heart failure, 10 milligrams 4 times per day is advised with a maintenance dose of up to 800 milligrams 3 times per day.
You should not stop taking this medication without talking to your doctor first; frequently high blood pressure does not have any symptoms and abruptly stopping this medication could worsen certain medical conditions. Use caution when getting up from a sitting or lying down position while using hydralazine as it can cause dizziness and lightheadedness to occur. To avoid accidents or falls get up slowly from these positions.
