Side Effects of Hypotensive Agents Evaluated by a Self-administered Questionnaire

doi:10.1136/bmj.3.5878.485

Br Med J 1973;3:485-490 (1 September), doi:10.1136/bmj.3.5878.485

Side Effects of Hypotensive Agents Evaluated by a Self-administered Questionnaire

C. J. Bulpitt, C. T. Dollery

A self-administered symptom questionnaire was completed by 477patients in a hypertension clinic. The complaints of the patientswere analysed according to the type of therapy being given andthe dose of drug taken. Methyldopa therapy was associated withsleepiness, weakness of the limbs, sleeping longer at night,and rising more frequently at night to pass urine. Diarrhoea,impotence, failure of ejaculation, blurred vision, depression,and the symptoms of postural hypotension were not related tomethyldopa therapy. Bethanidine administration was related topostural hypotension, impotence, and failure of ejaculationbut not to weakness of the limbs, blurred vision, depression,or diarrhoea. Patients receiving guanethidine complained ofpostural hypotension, failure of ejaculation, and had theirbowels open more frequently. Similarly, patients receiving propranololhad an increased frequency of defaecation but also tended tocomplain of weakness of the limbs.

Considering each drug individually, 5% of patients failed totake the prescribed dose of diuretic whereas

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