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Does Oxycodone Lower Blood Pressure? Safety Measures And Interactions To Avoid

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Does Oxycodone Lower Blood Pressure

Oxycodone is one of the best painkillers today in the world. Doctors rate it as one of the most effective when it comes to acute to chronic pain issues like surgical and cancer pain. But Oxycodone, being such an important medication that affects our nervous system, does affect many functions, one of them being the blood circulation in our body. Many patients have reported their doctors about side effects like lightheadedness, nausea, dizziness, and many others after taking Oxycodone. One can also have these effects when they have low blood pressure. So, does oxycodone lower blood pressure? We will find that out in this blog.

Does Oxycodone Lower Blood Pressure? Understanding Its Effect on Our Blood Circulation

What is Oxycodone?

Oxycodone is the analgesic opioid used for dealing with moderate-to-severe pain. It can be found in a wide variety of forms, such as immediate and extended-release oral tablets, capsules, and solutions. Oxycodone has a high potential for abuse, which is why it is a Schedule II controlled drug. It is formed in labs by extracting it from a natural compound called thebaine, which is found in poppy plants. Many brand names are:

How Does Oxycodone Work?

Oxycodone works by binding with mu-opioid receptors in our nervous system and releasing neurotransmitters of dopamine into the brain. This produces a sense of relief and calmness. Receptors like delta and kappa receptors also react with Oxycodone, which are located all around our central nervous system. This mechanism stops pain signals from reaching the brain, and it also affects many other systems in our body. Oxycodone has the ability to alter our pain perceptions. It also affects our respiratory system, where we can have a few changes in breathing. Patients have seen instances of blood pressure going down after taking Oxycodone, and it is because its dose affects our cardiovascular functions, too.

What is Lower Blood Pressure and Its Causes?

Blood Pressure is the force that blood requires to enter the arteries. Three areas play an important role in maintaining a normal blood pressure: the heart, the nervous system, and the blood vessels.

  • The heart regulates blood pressure through its functioning.
  • The nervous system controls the actions through sending signals and determining changes in pressure.
  • The blood vessels carry the blood from our heart to all the organs in our body.

If the blood pressure is not regulated properly, then either the patient suffers from high blood pressure (Hypertension) or low blood pressure (Hypotension). Many things can be a factor behind the rise and fall of blood pressure, from lifestyle to medications.

Can Oxycodone lower Blood Pressure?

Oxycodone has a significant role in affecting our blood pressure. It can lower the blood pressure because it is a common side effect, and with that, it brings a lot more side effects, like feeling dizzy, drowsiness, lightheadedness, and sometimes even fainting if the drug is overdosed. This happens due to a few processes that take place while being on medication. A higher dose of Oxycodone can itself lower blood pressure. One of the things that happens is that Oxycodone widens the blood vessels in our body, which is called Vasodilation. This causes a drop in blood pressure when we move, sit, or stand. This is referred to as Hypotension.

How Does Oxycodone Lower Blood Pressure?

Patients might ask why Oxycodone causes vasodilation and hypotension, which brings our blood pressure down. This involves some mechanisms that take place when one takes oxycodone. These are:

  • Oxycodone also affects the sympathetic nervous system, and one of its main functions is to keep our blood vessels in shape, but the drug reduces the activity of this system, which leads to vasodilation.
  • Another cause behind vasodilation is the release of histamines, but other opioids can cause it more than Oxycodone.
  • If you are using Oxycodone for a long time, then you might face low blood pressure because your adrenal production must have reduced significantly.
  • A high dose of Oxycodone makes it react with the sodium channels that affect heart rate and blood pressure.

Symptoms of Low Blood Pressure Caused by Oxycodone

The symptoms that occur from having low blood pressure due to the Oxycodone dosage can be very serious. Some of the first things that the patient will notice are that they will feel very dizzy and they can have a sensation of fainting. Confusion, sweatiness, blurred vision, and lightheadedness are some of the other side effects. The serious side of Oxycodone low blood pressure include effects like slowed or shallowed breathing, and instances when a patient suddenly feels extremely sleepy. This makes one have difficulty waking up, which is not at all a good sign. Other serious side effects can be seizures or shock.

Drug Interactions of Oxycodone that can Lower Blood Pressure

If Oxycodone is combined with other drugs that affect our cardiac health, one will face seriously low levels of blood pressure. CNS depressants like Alcohol, benzodiazepines like Xanax, and anesthetics can increase hypotension. Chlorpromazine and other anti-psychotic drugs will increase sedation, which lowers our blood pressure, too. Another combination that can bring down the blood pressure is of Oxycodone and Metoprolol, a beta-blocker that increases the chances of dizziness and fainting, which are the results of low blood pressure. All of these interactions can lower blood pressure dangerously because most of these drugs can depress the nervous system, which causes vasodilation.

Alternative Pain Relief Treatments Without Blood Pressure Risks

If Oxycodone lowers blood pressure, patients can take other medicines on the doctor’s advice. One has to use them carefully, as these alternatives can have their own side effects.

  • Acetaminophen and non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) like Naproxen and Ibuprofen are safer non-opioids than Oxycodone, but if one uses them carelessly, blood pressure levels can rise.
  • There are other opioids like Hydrocodone, Tapendatol, and Fentanyl, which have less effect on our blood pressure. As they are mostly found in the form of patches or lozenges, one can avoid their abuse.
  • Gabapentin and Pregabalin are given by a doctor to lower blood pressure only when one has hypertension or is under a lot of stress. These anti-depressants have fewer effects than Oxycodone.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

How Common Is Low Blood Pressure With Oxycodone?

It should be a rare case when one faces Hypotension due to Oxycodone, because it is only a side effect that occurs when one overdoses on Oxycodone. But when one mixes Oxycodone with some other medications, the chances of lower blood pressure might increase, and one can face the related side effects.

Is low blood pressure from Oxycodone temporary?

In the first few days of medication or when a patient overdoses on Oxycodone, one can have low blood pressure. It can also cause vasodilation and affect blood circulation. These problems are generally manageable and just need changes in the body’s position or fluid intake. Still, consulting a doctor is much more recommended here.

Should I stop oxycodone if I feel dizzy?

One should not stop any medication right away when any kind of side effect shows up. One should not even think of doing it when taking Oxycodone, because it has dangerous withdrawal symptoms. Please ask a doctor before making any changes to your dose.

Does oxycodone affect heart rate, too?

Oxycodone does affect heart rate, and it mostly causes three conditions in the heart rate. One is bradycardia, which means slowing down of our heart rate. Another is arrhythmias, where the heartbeats are very irregular. The third condition in which our pulse goes way faster than usual is called tachycardia.

Conclusion

Blood pressure goes down not just significantly, but dangerously low when patients take Oxycodone. By understanding how Oxycodone works and how its mechanisms affect not just our central nervous system but the whole body, one can make out why and how we should use the drug carefully. If not used properly, then managing blood pressure might become very difficult.

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