Can Decongestants Help Lower High Blood Pressure? What We Know – Health Digest

In the United States, the Food and Drug Administration requires you to purchase medicines with pseudoephedrine behind a pharmacy counter, and you’re limited in how much you purchase each month. That’s because pseudoephedrine can be used to make the highly addictive stimulant methamphetamine.

According to a 2021 article in the International Journal of Molecular Science, pseudoephedrine causes your body to release norepinephrine from your nerve cells, which constricts your blood vessels. This reduces the swelling and congestion in your nose, but it also constricts the blood vessels in the rest of your body, causing a rise in your systolic blood pressure. You might also notice more rapid breathing, a boost of energy, and an increase in glucose levels because pseudoephedrine stimulates your sympathetic nervous system, which is your fight-or-flight response.

People with high blood pressure are often told to see their doctor before taking pseudoephedrine for congestion. Some decongestants might interfere with blood pressure medication. UVA Health suggests avoiding nasal sprays that have oxymetazoline, such as Afrin. Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) can also affect your blood pressure by retaining fluid, possibly stressing your kidneys. Check your cold medicines to be sure they don’t have NSAIDs.