Other medications sometimes used to treat high blood pressure

If you're unable to reach your blood pressure goal with one or more of the above medications, other drugs that lower blood pressure include:

• Alpha blockers. Alpha blockers prevent the hormone norepinephrine (noradrenaline) from tightening the muscles in the walls of smaller arteries and veins, which causes the vessels to remain open and relaxed. Commonly prescribed alpha blockers include doxazosin (Cardura), prazosin (Minipress) and terazosin.
• Alpha-beta blockers. Alpha-beta blockers work similarly to beta blockers. They might be prescribed if you have high blood pressure and are at risk of heart failure. Alpha-beta blockers include carvedilol (Coreg) and labetalol.

• Central-acting agents. These medications prevent your brain from sending signals to your nervous system to speed up your heart rate and narrow your blood vessels. As a result, your heart doesn't pump as hard and your blood flows more easily through your veins and arteries.

  Examples of central-acting agents include clonidine (Catapres, Kapvay), guanfacine (Intuniv) and methyldopa.

• Vasodilators. These medications prevent the muscles in your veins and arteries from tightening and narrowing. As a result, blood flows more easily and your heart doesn't have to pump as hard. Examples include hydralazine and minoxidil.
• Aldosterone antagonists. These medications are often used with other drugs, such as a diuretic. Aldosterone antagonists block the hormone aldosterone, which sometimes causes salt and fluid retention, contributing to high blood pressure. They are usually prescribed for those whose high blood pressure is difficult to control or who have diabetes or heart failure. Examples are spironolactone (Aldactone, Carospir) and eplerenone (Inspra).

How well a drug works for you can depend on your age, sex, race, blood pressure level and overall health.

Combining two drugs usually works better than a single drug to get your blood pressure under control. Sometimes additional medication is needed to achieve your blood pressure goal.