My Personal Story

I was diagnosed with stage 1 hypertension (mine was around 150/110) at the age of 21. I went through various medications, but the side effects always kept me from wanting to consistently take the medications. I found out at the age of 25 that through many years of not regulating my blood pressure, kidney damage was starting to take place.

At the age of 26, my doctor put me on Benicar HCT, an angiotensin receptor antagonist. In dummy man terms, it prevents the blood vessels from narrowing, which is one of the major causes of high blood pressure. Unlike a beta blocker, however, an angiotensin receptor antagonist does not actually slow the heart down, so my high heart rate remains at the mercy of diet and exercise.

If you're young, and you've had side effects, ranging from sexual dysfunction to headaches, on another medication, Benicar HCT may be for you. It contains a diuretic, that helps clean your kidneys of salt, meaning that it makes you urinate. My major side effect has been having difficulty sleeping, but it's been tapering off lately.