Pyridostigmine is useful in improving muscle strength in patients with a muscle disease (e.g. myasthenia gravis). This drug helps to relieve fatigue, the most common symptom of low blood pressure.
Available pyridostigmine brands: Mestinon.
How does pyridostigmine work to raise low blood pressure?
Mestinon tablets contain the active ingredient pyridostigmine bromide, a type of medicine called anticholinesterase. It prolong the action of a neurotransmitter acetylcholine. Its function is to prevent the breakdown of acetylcholine in your body; acetylcholine is necessary for normal muscle function.
Who can use pyridostigmine?
Take low blood pressure medicines as the lost option if your low blood pressure lifestyle and low blood pressure home remedies failed to produce results.
This medication can be used to treat postural or orthostatic hypotension; a form of hypotension in which there is a sudden falls in blood pressure greater than 20/10 mm Hg. It occurs when a person takes a standing position, usually after a prolonged period of rest.
What can expect from pyridostigmine?
Pyridostigmine is useful for the treatment of impaired nerve transmission causing dizziness and fainting when you change position from lying to stand up. Pyridostigmine put no extra stress on your heart when you lie down, thus it is safe. The goal of low blood pressure treatment is to stop the dizziness, light-headedness, and fainting due to autonomic failure (impaired nerve transmission), which causes orthostatic hypotension.
Most of the low blood pressure medications have the tendency to cause high blood pressure when you lie down. However, pyridostigmine can increase nerve transmission only when you stand up and not while lying down. Hence, it improves standing blood pressure without increasing lying down pressure.
Pyridostigmine suggested dosage
Oral administration of 60 mg is effective for the treatment of neurogenic orthostatic hypotension. Both standing blood pressure and peripheral resistance can significantly increased, while the orthostatic fall in blood pressure attenuates. Pyridostigmine is available as a regular tablet, an extended-release (long-acting) tablet, and in syrup form. You can take it once, twice, or several times a day, depending upon the type of medicine you take.
What are the possible side effects of pyridostigmine?
Side effects are of two types; they are muscarinic (nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, abdominal cramps, increased peristalsis, increased salivation, increased bronchial secretions, miosis, and diaphoresis) and nicotinic (muscle cramps, fasciculation, and weakness).
Tell your doctor if you have an allergy or cold (dexamethasone (Decadron), hydrocortisone (Hydrocortone), magnesium-containing products), heart arrhythmias, taking sleeping pills, intestinal or bladder blockage, asthma, seizures, heart or kidney disease, thyroid problems, or stomach ulcers.
Possible drug interaction of pyridostigmine
Pyridostigmine may interact with aminoglycoside antibiotics (e.g., gentamicin), antiarrhythmic medications (e.g., quinidine), anticholinesterase eye medications (e.g., physostigmine), beta-blockers (e.g., timolol, propranolol), mefloquine, and narcotic pain medications (e.g., morphine, codeine).
If you are panic about medication’s side effects, you can alternatively manage with low blood-pressure natural treatments.