Hydralazine may not be the right choice for every patient. In such cases, it is important to discuss with a medical provider potential hydralazine alternatives.
Hydralazine Alternatives
What are viable options when it comes to alternatives for hydralazine?
For Anxiety
Hydralazine is not intended to treat anxiety. However, people still sometimes mistake it for another drug with a similar name: hydroxyzine. Hydroxyzine (Vistaril) is an antihistamine that medical providers sometimes prescribe to treat anxiety and nausea in addition to allergy-related problems.
For Congestive Heart Failure (CHF)
Treatments for congestive heart failure (CHF) vary based on a number of factors. That said, popular CHF treatments include angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitors like enalapril (Vasotec) or lisinopril (Zestril).
Medical providers may also prescribe beta-blockers to reduce the risks of an abnormal heartbeat. Some examples of beta-blockers include carvedilol (Coreg) or metoprolol (Lopressor).
Diuretics like furosemide (Lasix Oral) are common treatments for CHF as well, as they can reduce fluid build-up (edema).
For Hypertension (High Blood Pressure)
There are many types of drugs that treat high blood pressure, or hypertension. One such drug is hydralazine, a direct-acting vasodilator. When this medication is not an option, the vasodilator minoxidil (Loniten) may work. Like hydralazine, minoxidil relaxes muscles in the walls of the arteries to allow blood to flow more freely. There are many other alternatives available for treating high blood pressure.
For Preeclampsia and Pregnancy
Preeclampsia is a condition that dangerously increases blood pressure during pregnancy. Hydralazine is one drug that can regulate blood pressure quickly. Other possibilities include labetalol (Normodyne), a beta-blocker that reduces blood pressure by blocking the activation of certain receptors.
Another option is nifedipine (Adalat), a calcium-channel blocker. Since calcium can cause the cardiovascular system to work harder than it needs to, these drugs lower blood pressure by blocking calcium from entering cells of both the heart and arteries.
For Itching
Antihistamines are the most common choice for itching treatment. This class includes drugs such as hydroxyzine (often mistaken for hydralazine) or diphenhydramine (Benadryl).
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