Once You Start Blood Pressure Medication, Can You Stop?

Blood pressure medications are usually taken for life. However, some people can stop taking them by addressing those underlying causes of high blood pressure (hypertension) that can be changed, such as carrying excess body weight, smoking, drinking too much alcohol, eating salty foods, and having a high-stress life.

Although lifestyle changes can help you remove these risks and control your blood pressure without medication, you should not stop taking blood pressure medication without first discussing it with your healthcare provider.

When It May Be Possible to Stop

Whether it's safe to stop your blood pressure medication depends on what's causing your hypertension. The factors that contribute to high blood pressure generally fall into two categories: modifiable and unmodifiable.

Modifiable factors are things you can change. Those include:

• Dietary issues, including too much salt
• Low activity level
• Being overweight or obese
• Excessive alcohol intake
• Smoking
• Stress

Lifestyle changes that help you to address one or more of these factors may help you control your blood pressure.

Lifestyle Changes to Lower Blood Pressure

Some people are able to reverse hypertension naturally by modifying their lifestyle. Consider these changes you can make to reduce your blood pressure:

• Modify your diet: Following a heart-healthy low-salt diet, such as the DASH (dietary approaches to stopping hypertension) eating plan, has been shown to reduce hypertension.
• Exercise: The American Heart Association recommends getting at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity physical activity a week. This is the equivalent of walking 30 minutes five days a week, but shorter sessions can help too.
• Lose weight: If you are overweight or obese, losing weight can help to reduce the stress on your heart and lower your blood pressure. Even dropping just 10 pounds can bring big health gains. 
• Reduce stress: Stress hormones increase your heart rate and blood pressure. Find ways to lower your stress by avoiding stress triggers, reducing your workload, learning to relax, and finding a healthy outlet (like exercise). 
  
• Stop smoking: Research shows smoking has a damaging effect on your blood pressure. Smokers who quit can significantly reduce their risk of heart attack and stroke.
• Quit drinking alcohol: Drinking too much alcohol raises blood pressure. The American Heart Association recommends limiting alcohol consumption to no more than one drink a day for females and two drinks a day for males. If you are unable to moderate, you may benefit from quitting entirely.
• Improve your sleep. Irregular sleep patterns are associated with high blood pressure.

If you have difficulty making any of the above lifestyle changes, your healthcare provider can help you find support resources.

Hypertension Doctor Discussion Guide

Get our printable guide for your next healthcare provider's appointment to help you ask the right questions.

Download PDF

Sign up for our Health Tip of the Day newsletter, and receive daily tips that will help you live your healthiest life.

Email Address

Sign Up

You're in!

Thank you, {{form.email}}, for signing up.

There was an error. Please try again.

When You Shouldn’t Stop

For people with non-modifiable risk factors, lifestyle changes may not be enough to lower blood pressure enough to stop blood pressure medications.

Causes of high blood pressure that you can't change include:

• Chronic kidney disease
• Diabetes
• Family history of high blood pressure (genetics)
• Older age
• Sleep apnea
• Thyroid disorders and cancers
  

However, treating conditions that contribute to high blood pressure may help lower it.

If your high blood pressure is due to non-modifiable factors, you may not be able to stop taking your medication.

This is especially true as you get older. Age is a risk factor for hypertension. It also makes it harder to manage chronic illness.

Side Effects and Risks

Always check with your healthcare provider before stopping blood pressure medication. Quitting abruptly may cause rebound hypertension and serious health risks including: 

• Artery damage 
• Enlarged heart
• Erectile dysfunction
• Heart failure
• Increased risk of aneurysm, coronary artery disease, or stroke
• Mild cognitive impairment or vascular dementia
• Potential kidney failure
• Retinopathy and other eye problems

How to Stop Safely

The decision to stop blood pressure drugs needs to be based on:

• Blood pressure readings
• Your overall health
• Possible contributing factors and whether they're modifiable

Research has yet to establish exactly how long you should have normal blood pressure before stopping meds. But studies suggest waiting anywhere from six months to two years.

It may be time to discuss a trial period without medication if:

• Your healthcare provider thinks your high blood pressure is due to modifiable factors.
• You make positive changes in those areas.
• Your blood pressure readings have improved.

If your healthcare provider agrees it is safe for you to stop taking your blood pressure medicine, follow their instructions carefully.

The safest way to stop taking blood pressure medication is by tapering the dose gradually over time. Your healthcare provider will advise you on how much medication to take and when to reduce the dose. 

This should only be done under the guidance of your healthcare provider since you will need to be monitored closely for side effects and to see how the change affects your blood pressure. You will also need to be monitored after you've completely stopped your medication to make sure that your blood pressure does not become high again.

If you're on more than one type of medication, you will only be able to taper one of them at a time.

Talk With Your Healthcare Provider

Making healthier lifestyle choices is about more than avoiding medications. It's also about improving the quality and length of your life.

Despite lifestyle changes, your healthcare provider may not want you to stop taking blood pressure medication. Listen to their reasons and try not to get discouraged.

In addition, your provider's recommendation doesn't necessarily mean you're in poor health. Your provider may just believe the benefits of treatment outweigh the potential risks of stopping.

While you might not like taking pharmaceutical drugs, know there's nothing inherently bad about taking hypertension medications. Antihypertensive medications aren't addictive, and the side effects are generally manageable.

There are several kinds of blood pressure medication to choose from. Research suggests different types work for different people. Your healthcare provider can help you decide which medication is best for you.

When Your Healthcare Provider May Recommend Stopping 

Under some circumstances, your healthcare provider may recommend stopping your blood pressure medication.

Pregnancy

Medications known as ACE inhibitors and angiotensin receptor blockers (ARBs) are not safe to take during pregnancy. If you are taking these medications and trying to conceive or become pregnant, your healthcare provider may change your medication or tell you to stop altogether. 

Blood pressure drugs commonly believed to be safer during pregnancy include methyldopa and labetalol. If these don’t work, second-line drugs include nifedipine, verapamil, and clonidine, among others

Prior to Surgery

Some hypertension medications, such as ARBs like losartan or valsartan, increase the risk of low blood pressure during surgery. If you are having surgery, the surgeon or anesthesiologist will let you know if and when to stop taking your medication.

Side Effects

Some people have negative side effects from medications that make it difficult to continue taking them. Side effects of common blood pressure medications include:

• Asthma exacerbation or coughing
• Constipation
• Depression
• Dizziness
• Erectile dysfunction 
• Fatigue 
• Headaches
• Heart palpitations
• High blood sugar
• Kidney problems
• Leg cramps 
• Muscle weakness
• Slow heartbeat
• Skin rash

If you are experiencing uncomfortable side effects of blood pressure medication, talk to your healthcare provider.

Summary

You can change some factors that contribute to high blood pressure, such as eating too much salt or smoking. You can't change others, like age and chronic conditions.

With modifiable factors, lifestyle changes may help you get off meds. Talk about this with your healthcare provider. With non-modifiable factors, you may not be able to stop taking medication. Listen to your provider even if you disagree.

Blood pressure drugs are generally safe and non-addictive. And if one doesn't work well for you, a different type might.

A Word From Verywell

Some people are able to stop their blood pressure medicine after making aggressive and often difficult lifestyle changes, but hypertension is still a serious health concern. The decision to stop these medications has to be made jointly with your healthcare provider, and only after you have agreed on a plan for monitoring your blood pressure over both the short and long term.

— RICHARD N. FOGOROS, MD, MEDICAL EXPERT BOARD