Treatment: Taking and remembering
While only about half the people in the population with high blood pressure (hypertension) have had it diagnosed, only about half of those diagnosed take their medication as prescribed or even take it at all. None of the people interviewed admitted to having stopped taking their medication altogether, although one patient (Interview 12) was trying to control the high blood pressure (hypertension) through complementary therapies alone.
This is not surprising as most were contacted through their GPs who were treating them at the time. Nevertheless, not all were comfortable with taking medication nor did they find it easy to remember to take it regularly. Some saw it as a weakness or constant reminder of their problem.
Some described occasions where they could not face taking tablets following side effects such as with diuretics where frequent need to pass urine could be very inconvenient (see 'Side effects of treatments').
It was often a case of weighing up perceived risks.
However, some patients simply denied the gravity of the situation, until not taking the tablets produced symptoms that persuaded them to return to their medication.
Sometimes the dislike of medication was so strong that it led to bargaining with the GP. Where the GP responded sympathetically the end result (which tended to be proof that medication was indeed necessary) was at least accepted.
On the other hand some needed reminding of what could happen if they stopped, and others were cajoled by their family into taking treatment for the sake of their health. For some there was no question of not doing what their doctor had recommended and medication was accepted in comfort of the knowledge that the tablets were working.
Forgetting to take the tablets often occurred and the patients interviewed had various methods of remembering - making sure there is a practical routine, using dosette boxes or saturating their surroundings with pills and finally using the repeat prescription system to be sure supplies were coming in regularly.
The most philosophical view was that taking tablets each day wasn't all that different from all the other things one accepts as part of life.
For more information on high blood pressure see our Resources and Information section.
Last reviewed January 2010.
Last updated February 2010.
