Nitric Oxide Supplements and Blood Pressure Pills: What Memodyne Buyers Should Know
Quick answerArginine and citrulline may lower blood pressure. Mayo Clinic, WebMD and Memorial Sloan Kettering warn that they can add to blood pressure drugs, nitrates like nitroglycerin and ED pills like sildenafil, so pressure may drop too low. Memodyne contains both amino acids. If you take any of these medicines, ask your doctor or pharmacist before you start.
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What is a nitric oxide supplement?
A "nitric oxide supplement" is usually an amino acid product. The two most common ingredients are L-arginine and L-citrulline. Gym powders, heart-health capsules and some memory formulas all use them.
The body uses arginine to make nitric oxide. Nitric oxide helps the walls of blood vessels relax. Citrulline gets turned into arginine, and in one study it raised blood arginine more efficiently than arginine itself (Schwedhelm et al., 2008).
Memodyne is one of these products. The label lists 400 mg of arginine in two forms and 200 mg of citrulline in two forms. The front calls it a "Cognitive Support Formula", but the ingredients are the same family used for blood flow.
How much do arginine and citrulline lower blood pressure?
At high doses, the drop is modest but real. A review of 11 trials with 387 people used 4 to 24 g of arginine a day (Dong et al., 2011). Systolic pressure fell by about 5 mmHg and diastolic by about 3 mmHg compared with placebo.
Citrulline and arginine trials at gram doses show mixed results (Khalaf et al., 2019). Some found modest drops. Others found little change, and long-term data are limited.
A few points of pressure sound small. On top of a medicine that already lowers pressure, though, it could matter for some people.
- 11trials pooled in the arginine review
- 5mmHg average drop in systolic pressure
- 4-24 garginine a day in those trials
- 400 mgarginine listed in one Memodyne capsule
Which medicines may combine badly with them?
Three groups of medicines come up again and again in the safety sources. Each one also lowers blood pressure or widens blood vessels. The table shows what the sources say.
| Medicine group | Common examples | What the sources say | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Blood pressure drugs | Lisinopril, amlodipine, losartan, water pills | Arginine and citrulline may add to their effect and drop pressure too low | (Mayo Clinic, L-arginine) (WebMD, L-citrulline) |
| Nitrates | Nitroglycerin, isosorbide mononitrate | May combine with arginine or citrulline to lower pressure too far | (Mayo Clinic, L-arginine) (WebMD, L-citrulline) |
| ED pills | Sildenafil, tadalafil | Arginine might make blood pressure drop too low with sildenafil | (Mayo Clinic, L-arginine) |
| Any blood pressure drug | Any prescribed pill for pressure | Combining with arginine may not be safe | (MSKCC, Arginine) |
This list is not complete. Other medicines also lower pressure as a side effect. Your pharmacist can check your full list in a few minutes.
Why do nitrates and ED pills need extra care?
Nitrates and ED pills deserve extra care. Both act on the same nitric oxide pathway that arginine feeds. Doctors already warn people never to combine nitrates with ED pills because pressure can fall sharply.
Adding an amino acid to that mix is a question for your doctor, not a guess. Memorial Sloan Kettering notes that arginine can lower blood pressure, so combining it with blood pressure drugs may not be safe (MSKCC, Arginine).
Nitrates and ED pills
If you carry nitroglycerin for chest pain, or take an ED pill, do not add arginine or citrulline on your own. Bring the bottle to your doctor or pharmacist and ask.
What if you have had a heart attack?
Heart attack history changes the picture. The VINTAGE MI trial gave arginine for 6 months to people after a heart attack (Schulman et al., JAMA 2006). It did not improve their hearts or arteries.
More deaths occurred in the arginine group, and the trial was stopped early. The study does not prove arginine caused those deaths. It does mean anyone who has had a heart attack should ask a cardiologist before taking it.
What are the signs that blood pressure is too low?
Low blood pressure has some common signs. Most are mild and pass when you sit or lie down. Write down when they happen and tell your doctor.
Signs pressure may be dropping too low
- Dizziness or a light head, especially when you stand up
- Feeling faint, or blurred vision for a moment
- Unusual tiredness or weakness
- Nausea or feeling cold and clammy
- Home readings much lower than your usual numbers
Call 911 for these
Fainting, chest pain, a racing heartbeat, or sudden confusion, trouble speaking or numbness on one side need emergency care. Call 911 and note the time.
Where does Memodyne fit in?
Memodyne lists 400 mg of arginine and 200 mg of citrulline. That is a small fraction of the gram doses used in blood pressure trials. A smaller dose likely means a smaller effect, but no one has tested it with any medicine.
Honest note
No study of Memodyne has been published, and no interaction study exists. The label itself says people with a known medical condition should consult a physician first. If you take a blood pressure pill, a nitrate or an ED pill, follow that advice. Our side effects page lists other cautions, and the L-arginine page and L-citrulline page explain each ingredient.
A quick self-check helps you see where you stand before you talk to your doctor. It is a checklist, not medical advice.
Are you 18 or older?
The label says under-18s should ask a physician first.Do you take blood pressure medicine, nitrates (like nitroglycerin) or ED pills?
Arginine and citrulline may lower blood pressure and add to these drugs. Ask your doctor first.Have you had a heart attack?
In a trial after heart attacks, arginine did not help and more deaths occurred in the arginine group. Ask your cardiologist.Are you pregnant or nursing?
The label says to consult a physician first.Is memory loss new, sudden or getting in the way of daily life?
That needs a doctor's visit, not a supplement. Sudden confusion can be a stroke: call 911.
How do you talk to your doctor or pharmacist about it?
A short, prepared talk saves time for you and your doctor. Pharmacists are a good first stop too, and you do not need an appointment. Follow these steps.
Bring the bottle
Show the Supplement Facts panel so they can see every amount.
List every medicine
Include pills, patches, sprays and anything taken only as needed, like nitroglycerin or an ED pill.
Share your home readings
A week of morning and evening blood pressure numbers helps a lot.
Ask direct questions
Is this safe with my medicines? What signs should make me stop? Should I check my pressure more often?
Agree on a plan
If you get the okay, write down when to recheck and who to call.
Should a supplement ever replace blood pressure medicine?
Never stop or cut a blood pressure medicine to make room for a supplement. Prescribed drugs have strong evidence behind them. No amino acid capsule replaces them.
Supplements are not approved by the FDA before they are sold (FDA, Q&A on Dietary Supplements). That makes your doctor's view even more useful. If memory is your main worry, our article on arginine and memory research explains what the studies show.
Nitric oxide supplements and medicine FAQ
Can I take L-arginine with blood pressure medication?
Ask your doctor first. Mayo Clinic says arginine might make blood pressure drop too low when combined with blood pressure drugs.
Can I take L-citrulline with lisinopril or amlodipine?
Check with your doctor or pharmacist. Lisinopril and amlodipine are examples of blood pressure drugs, and WebMD notes citrulline might lower blood pressure and add to the effect of blood pressure drugs in general.
Is L-arginine safe with nitroglycerin?
It may not be. Both widen blood vessels, and Mayo Clinic lists nitroglycerin among the drugs that could combine with arginine to drop pressure too low.
Can I take arginine with Viagra or Cialis?
Not without a doctor's okay. Mayo Clinic names sildenafil as a drug that might add to arginine's effect on blood pressure.
How much does L-arginine lower blood pressure?
In a review of 11 trials, 4 to 24 g a day lowered systolic pressure by about 5 mmHg and diastolic by about 3 mmHg versus placebo.
Should I take arginine after a heart attack?
Talk to your cardiologist first. In the VINTAGE MI trial, arginine after a heart attack did not help and more deaths occurred in the arginine group.
What are signs of low blood pressure?
Dizziness, feeling faint when you stand, blurred vision, unusual tiredness or nausea. Fainting or chest pain needs emergency care.
Does Memodyne interact with blood pressure pills?
No one has tested Memodyne with medicines. Its arginine and citrulline doses are small, but both may lower blood pressure, so ask your doctor first.
Can nitric oxide supplements replace blood pressure medicine?
No. Never stop or cut a prescribed medicine to make room for a supplement. Changes to treatment belong to your doctor.
Cleared by your doctor? Here is Memodyne
One capsule a day with every amount on the label. Show the label to your doctor or pharmacist first if you take blood pressure, heart or ED medicine.
