Re: Off to hospital last Friday blood pressure dropped anyone else have this?

[Guest guest]

I wanted to reply to the issue of narcotics and blood pressure. All

narcotics have the potiental to lower blood pressure. Most routinely

prescribed medications such as Vicodan, Lortab, Darvocet, Percocet

are not such a worry. Medications such as Demerol, Morphine,

Fentanyl, are the ones that would be considered to be more potent

and have the ability to cause hypotension ( the medical term for low

blood pressure) also the route of administration of the med can have

an effect on the blood pressure. Morphine is given to people who are

having an acute heart issue such as heart attack, it has an effect

on the vessels called vasodilation which means the vessels dialate

and this can cause the blood pressure to be lower. There are other

things to take into consideration, the position a person is in, if

laying down and relaxing the blood pressure will be lower than it

would be if a person was standing. It is a normal thing for the

blood pressure to be elevated during painful episodes, it is

something that physicians look at in an emergency room (non-trauma

related) to help document and confirm what the patients complaint.

There are other issues such as vomiting and diarrhea that can lower

blood pressure from dehydration. It would be wise for those that

have not had alot of pain medication when started on a new one, or

those that have not had alot of as needed narcotics, should make

sudden moves slowly, sit on the side of the bed or couch before

standing. If anyone has further questions I would be glad to answer

any questions? Atwell LPN