Blood Pressure Medications: How They Work and the Names of Common Generics

List of generic blood pressure medications

Here are the names of blood pressure medications that are low-cost generics, sorted by their class.

Thiazide diuretics

Here are some thiazide diuretics to treat blood pressure:

• Chlorthalidone

• Chlorothiazide

• Hydrochlorothiazide

• Indapamide

• Metolazone

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Calcium channel blockers

The following are calcium channel blockers for blood pressure:

• Amlodipine

• Diltiazem

• Felodipine

• Isradipine

• Nicardipine

• Nifedipine

• Nisoldipine

• Verapamil

ACE inhibitors

The following blood pressure medications are angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitors:

• Benazepril

• Captopril

• Enalapril

• Fosinopril

• Lisinopril

• Moexipril

• Perindopril

• Quinapril

• Ramipril

• Trandolapril

Angiotensin II receptor blockers (ARBs)

Here’s a list of generic ARBs to lower your blood pressure:

• Candesartan

• Irbesartan

• Losartan

• Olmesartan

• Telmisartan

• Valsartan

Beta blockers

Here’s a list of generic blood pressure medications that are beta blockers:

• Acebutolol

• Atenolol

• Betaxolol 

• Bisoprolol

• Metoprolol tartrate

• Metoprolol succinate

• Nadolol

• Pindolol

• Propranolol

• Sotalol

• Timolol

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Alpha blockers

These medications are generic alpha blockers for blood pressure:

• Doxazosin

• Prazosin

• Terazosin

Alpha / beta blocker combinations

Here are alpha / beta blocker combos for blood pressure:

• Carvedilol

• Labetalol

Loop diuretics

These loop diuretics are low-cost generics for blood pressure:

• Bumetanide

• Furosemide

Potassium-sparing diuretics

Here are low-cost generic potassium-sparing diuretics:

• Amiloride

• Triamterene

Aldosterone antagonists

Here are two aldosterone antagonists for blood pressure:

• Eplerenone

• Spironolactone

Vasodilators

Here are low-cost generic vasodilators:

• Hydralazine

• Minoxidil

Alpha-2 receptor agonist

Here’s a generic alpha-2 receptor agonist for blood pressure:

• Methyldopa

Central agonists

The following are both central agonists:

• Clonidine

• Guanfacine

Direct renin inhibitors

Here’s a direct renin inhibitor for blood pressure:

• Aliskiren

Common first-choice blood pressure medications

There are four types of blood pressure medications that are commonly used first:

• Thiazide diuretics

• Calcium channel blockers

• ACE inhibitors

• Angiotensin II receptor blockers (ARBs)

They work in different ways to lower blood pressure. Sometimes you may need more than one. 

Let’s take a look at the different types of first-choice blood pressure medications.

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Alternative blood pressure medications

There are several other types of medications that may be used to lower blood pressure. These are typically prescribed when your blood pressure is still high after trying the first-choice options mentioned above. They might be used if you have other health conditions that these medications can help to treat.

Let’s run through some of those choices.

Less commonly used blood pressure medications

Several other types of medications are less commonly used to lower blood pressure. They work by relaxing blood vessels. These medications typically have more side effects or interact with lots of other medications. 

Examples include:

• Vasodilators, like hydralazine and minoxidil

• Alpha-2 receptor agonists and central agonists, like clonidine (Catapres), methyldopa, and guanfacine

• Direct renin inhibitors, like aliskiren (Tekturna)

Combination blood pressure medications

Two or more blood pressure medications are sometimes combined into a single pill. These combination products make it easier to take multiple blood pressure medications at once. 

The drawback? This can make it harder to adjust the dose of either medication by itself.

Examples of popular combination blood pressure medications are:

• Diovan HCT (valsartan / hydrochlorothiazide)

• Maxzide (hydrochlorothiazide / triamterene)

• Lotensin HCT (benazepril / hydrochlorothiazide)

• Hyzaar (losartan / hydrochlorothiazide)

• Lotrel (amlodipine / benazepril)

• Zestoretic (lisinopril / hydrochlorothiazide)

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Written by:

Kevin Hwang, MD, MPH

Kevin Hwang, MD, MPH is an internal medicine physician, primary care provider and associate professor at UTHealth McGovern Medical School in Houston, Texas. He teaches residents and students, conducts research and quality improvement projects, and serves as medical director of the UT Physicians General Internal Medicine Center.

Edited by:

Karla Robinson, MD

Karla Robinson, MD, is a medical editor for GoodRx. She is a licensed, board-certified family physician with almost 20 years of experience in health through varied clinical, administrative, and educational roles.

Reviewed by:

Frank Schwalbe, MD

Frank Schwalbe, MD, is an assistant professor of anesthesiology at the Yale School of Medicine. He has practiced anesthesiology for 30 years.

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