the irony of the side effects of some medications is they can mimic the effect of the symptom it is being used to treat as is the case with some anti convulsant meds, but the most common generic side effect of medication used to treat hypertension is hypotension. Hyper meaning above in this case, over an accepted figure and hypo, being below or lower than an accepted guideline figure.
Our guidelines give general normal ranges of physiological functions such as blood pressure, pulse and respiration rates etc. These have to be taken in context with the person and the situation. What is normal for some folks is extraordinary indeed! Some ECG readings Ive taken on patients have made me seat all the way to hospital, only to discover the abnormal pulse, the poor rhythm and cardiac conduction, fast pulse and low blood pressure combination are entirely normal for this patient!
Anxiety and dehydration have been known to produce abnormal results across a range of functions. Each reading should be taken in context with the total picture. As stated previously, the stress of a medical (and trying to understand the medical mutterings of a fatigued medico) with the associated taskings can be enough to raise a blood pressure. Some nurses Im told have the same effect.
A BP of 90/60 in a slight framed petite female is acceptable, whereas a reading of 150/110 in the same female would ring alarm bells, especially if other symptoms or conditions are present. The other element is the measuring equipment. An inaccurate and high reading can be gained by simply using an automatic machine and a cuff too small for the patient. Gauge errors on the typical manual machine are not uncommon, but tend to err on the low side.
If the candiate is given the option of drug free exercise and monitoring for a period of 3-6 months, and improvement is not achieved, then investigate the cause. If no other symptoms are present, it may be an early warning of arterial disease or renal stenosis (simply put, it can be described as a narrowing of the tubules that provide a physiological feedback mechanism to regulate blood pressure. Poor pressure detection and regulation in one or both kidneys may artificially drive up blood pressure). Correction of the condition may correct the symptoms.
....or as stated above, it may be just one of those hereditary things whereby the symptoms are managed and drugs may just be a part of a total management regime.