Vasodilators
Vasodilators are medications that can be used to treat CHF because they help widen your blood vessels. Having wider blood vessels helps to lower your blood pressure, which lessens the workload on your heart. Vasodilators are strong medications that are used when other medications haven’t lowered your blood pressure enough. Some of the side effects may include:
- A fast heartbeat
- A fluttering heartbeat
- Shortness of breath
- Swelling in arms, hands, legs, feet, or ankles
- Nausea
- Vomiting
- Headache
Make sure to let your care team know about your side effects. They may have you take another medication to help control them. There’s a chance you may have more serious side effects from vasodilators. These may include:
- Difficulty breathing
- Fainting
- Severe dizziness
- Swelling in your face, lips, tongue or throat
These side effects are rare, but if you have any of them, call 911 for immediate help.