Pharmacology and the Nursing Process by Linda Lane Lilley: Practice Exam

Both hydralazine and minoxidil are vasodilators. This means that they relax blood vessels and allow for an increase in blood flow. However, this also means that they can cause a decrease in blood pressure, which can lead to an increase in heart rate to compensate. This increase in heart rate is known as tachycardia. None of the other options, hypothyroidism, diarrhea, or breast tenderness, are commonly associated with these medications. Therefore, tachycardia is the only adverse effect that is common to both hydralazine and minoxidil.