A friend of mine was recently diagnosed with high ...

It would be a mistake to encourage him to take the medicine if he suffers from its side effects. You should rather encourage him to speak with his physician and ask for different medication. There are many different remedies available and at least one of them will not make him suffer. High blood pressure can be dangerous if it is not controlled.

i recently started blood presure meds myself about 1 month ago ive been experiencing about all the side effects on the list. after the 3rd week if taking it the side effects have slowly decreased day by day i asked my doctor why i was was getting the side effects he said until your body adjusts to the medication you will experience them. tell him he has to continue taking them because if he doesnt he is at an extremely high risk for stroke as well as many other problems the side effect will dissappear and if they dont there are a ton of other blood presure meds he can try out and see if those suit him better. just to give him a scare about a week ago i was doing a rotation in the hospital a guy about 50 came in complaining of a severe headache his bp was 200/135 after doing several tests they came to the conclusion that he had suffered a minor stroke he said he hadnt been taking his bp meds for about a month. he was very lucky that it wasnt a mjor stroke which could have ended his life or left him partially parrilized for the rest of his life. i hope this helps

This is a life or death sitution. Take the medications. Once you start taking medications, most will have some sort of side effects. Do not stop taking the medications. Tell your doctor the side effects you are having, he will prescribe another medication for you.

Good luck & good health

Mack - how high is his blood pressure and cholesterol? Medication is not the ONLY answer. Matter of fact, if his numbers aren't too high, some lifestyle changes may be the only thing he needs. Does he eat well and exercise daily?

Diabetes runs in our family; my father and his two brothers are diabetics. Interestingly enough though, my father modified his diet and began exercising quite a bit and lost nearly 15 lbs and lowered his blood pressure to more normal levels within months. My uncles on the other hand, who rarely exercise, continue to worry about this issue despite taking medication. Medication is not always the answer.