How does medications help with high blood pressure?

How to deal with my high blood pressure? Three years and still uncontrolled...?

• I've now been on Hydrochlorothiazide, Metoprolol (Lopressor) with and without Hydrochlorothiazide, Lisinopril, hyzaar, cozaar... None of them brought me below an average of 145/95. My husband and I are now wanting to concieve, so we are trying pregnancy safe medications. I've been on amlodipine (norvasc), nifedipine, labetalol, and as of yesterday, methyldopa (aldomet) - all in the last 15 weeks. I am grasping at straws here. Today my BP is 163/115 - unless I find a way to control this I won't be able to have kids. I've tried the whole diet/exercise/cut salt thing and lost 60 pounds and it did nothing to help my blood pressure. If the aldomet doesn't work, my DO is sending me to a hypertension clinic. After 3 years of testing, I just want answers and a way to fix it! What tests should I ask for? I feel that if they could find the cause, then they would know better how to control it. I've had tons of blood testing, thyroid test, 24 and 72 hour holter, 2 echos, and several EKGs. I'm not sure what else to do and I know all the stressing isn't helping anything, but I can't help it! I don't know why nothing seems to be working to control it!

• Answer:

  You have got stage 2 hypertension. Check the function of your kidney (for microalbuminuria, creatinine, blood urea nitrogen). Check for renal artery stenosis. Consult a nephrologist. Please note that I am not a medical professional.