Blood Pressure Meds... Are trying to kill me

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  • danieb462
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    Hey guys! I'm finally home! The doctor in the ER said I was severely dehydrated and gave me fluids intravenously. He also told me I should try to regulate my blood pressure through diet and exercise first before considering medications because my initial BP could have been from a poor diet. He advised me not to take the medicine anymore until my next appt. I will be checking my BP daily until I go for my check up, and I will most definitely be finding another GP. Thank you so much for your help and concerns. If I hadn't got on here I probably would have sweat to death! Grazie, grazie, GRAZIE TANTO!
  • FredDoyle
    FredDoyle Posts: 2,273 Member
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    danieb462 wrote: »
    Hey guys! I'm finally home! The doctor in the ER said I was severely dehydrated and gave me fluids intravenously. He also told me I should try to regulate my blood pressure through diet and exercise first before considering medications because my initial BP could have been from a poor diet. He advised me not to take the medicine anymore until my next appt. I will be checking my BP daily until I go for my check up, and I will most definitely be finding another GP. Thank you so much for your help and concerns. If I hadn't got on here I probably would have sweat to death! Grazie, grazie, GRAZIE TANTO!
    Excellent news! Yes, diet, exercise, and healthy weight should be the first approach to controlling BP as it is the greatest controllable factor. Good luck.
  • earlnabby
    earlnabby Posts: 8,171 Member
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    danieb462 wrote: »
    Hey guys! I'm finally home! The doctor in the ER said I was severely dehydrated and gave me fluids intravenously. He also told me I should try to regulate my blood pressure through diet and exercise first before considering medications because my initial BP could have been from a poor diet. He advised me not to take the medicine anymore until my next appt. I will be checking my BP daily until I go for my check up, and I will most definitely be finding another GP. Thank you so much for your help and concerns. If I hadn't got on here I probably would have sweat to death! Grazie, grazie, GRAZIE TANTO!

    Glad to hear you have been checked out and that you have a plan going forward! Good luck getting it all figured out and finding a good GP.

  • elphie754
    elphie754 Posts: 7,574 Member
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    danieb462 wrote: »
    It could be side effects of the meds, my doc said mine can cause tiredness and other symptoms, but I never had any side effects from them. Check the info sheet that came with the prescription to see what side effects are likely.

    I did read them, and they said to consult your doctor if I have the symptoms that I listed above. I can't call my doc. Should I call a different one???

    you can always call the ER...

    ERs in the US will NOT give out medical advice over the phone. They will tell you to either come in or call your doctor.

    Honestly I would be wary of a doctor who put you on meds for ONE high reading. Most doctors have you monitor at home for a week or so and then do a repeat in office check. 139/86 is not ridiculously high to warrant immediate medication without confirming that is your normal. The symptoms you describe sound like it is making your pressure too low which is also dangerous. Low bp can lead to low perfusion (blood getting to where it needs to go). I would make an appt with another dr ASAP or go to an urgent care clinic.

    I went to a new doctor earlier this year and my BP was 140/78. Doctor started lecturing me about it being high etc. I finally had to speak up and tell her no, my bp is normally 110/60 (in drs offices and randomly tested at home) it is high because I've been having asthma attacks for the past 2 days, on nebulizers and on steroids. She started to go on about how I should take blood pressure meds, completely dismissing what I just said. I never went to see her again.

    Just because someone has an MD after their name, does not mean they are always right.
  • lorib642
    lorib642 Posts: 1,942 Member
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    danieb462 wrote: »
    Hey guys! I'm finally home! The doctor in the ER said I was severely dehydrated and gave me fluids intravenously. He also told me I should try to regulate my blood pressure through diet and exercise first before considering medications because my initial BP could have been from a poor diet. He advised me not to take the medicine anymore until my next appt. I will be checking my BP daily until I go for my check up, and I will most definitely be finding another GP. Thank you so much for your help and concerns. If I hadn't got on here I probably would have sweat to death! Grazie, grazie, GRAZIE TANTO!

    I am so glad you went. We want to help you but we really can't. It sounds like you are on the right track
  • glennstoudt
    glennstoudt Posts: 403 Member
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    Good to hear the story has a happy new beginning. MD after the name unfortunately frequently stands for More Drugs (as a solution to nearly everything). You can reduce your blood pressure significantly by dropping body weight and adjusting your dietary intake. It is difficult to say that you will as everyone has different genetics that may make this possible or not possible. In my own personal experience, it was possible to accomplish all the necessary in BP and other common blood measures by adjusting these two factors, BMI and diet. Good luck with yours.
  • danieb462
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    elphie754 wrote: »
    danieb462 wrote: »
    It could be side effects of the meds, my doc said mine can cause tiredness and other symptoms, but I never had any side effects from them. Check the info sheet that came with the prescription to see what side effects are likely.

    I did read them, and they said to consult your doctor if I have the symptoms that I listed above. I can't call my doc. Should I call a different one???

    you can always call the ER...

    ERs in the US will NOT give out medical advice over the phone. They will tell you to either come in or call your doctor.

    Honestly I would be wary of a doctor who put you on meds for ONE high reading. Most doctors have you monitor at home for a week or so and then do a repeat in office check. 139/86 is not ridiculously high to warrant immediate medication without confirming that is your normal. The symptoms you describe sound like it is making your pressure too low which is also dangerous. Low bp can lead to low perfusion (blood getting to where it needs to go). I would make an appt with another dr ASAP or go to an urgent care clinic.

    I went to a new doctor earlier this year and my BP was 140/78. Doctor started lecturing me about it being high etc. I finally had to speak up and tell her no, my bp is normally 110/60 (in drs offices and randomly tested at home) it is high because I've been having asthma attacks for the past 2 days, on nebulizers and on steroids. She started to go on about how I should take blood pressure meds, completely dismissing what I just said. I never went to see her again.

    Just because someone has an MD after their name, does not mean they are always right.

    I was absolutely weary about it. When she said that she was going to prescribe me drugs before even considering how I felt or what I had to say about it. She never told me about the side effects or what it is I'd be taking. "Your blood pressure is high I'm going to give you medicine" I was like really? That's how doctors do these days?!
  • danieb462
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    Good to hear the story has a happy new beginning. MD after the name unfortunately frequently stands for More Drugs (as a solution to nearly everything). You can reduce your blood pressure significantly by dropping body weight and adjusting your dietary intake. It is difficult to say that you will as everyone has different genetics that may make this possible or not possible. In my own personal experience, it was possible to accomplish all the necessary in BP and other common blood measures by adjusting these two factors, BMI and diet. Good luck with yours.

    Thank you! I'm hoping I can start exercising again soon. I'm still eating well but I would like to start exercising soon as possible
  • earlnabby
    earlnabby Posts: 8,171 Member
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    danieb462 wrote: »

    I was absolutely wary about it. When she said that she was going to prescribe me drugs before even considering how I felt or what I had to say about it. She never told me about the side effects or what it is I'd be taking. "Your blood pressure is high I'm going to give you medicine" I was like really? That's how doctors do these days?!

    That is why, when you get a good one, you keep him/her. I like my doctor (she is actually a nurse practitioner but has a PhD in nursing so I can still call her "doctor"). She has prescribed a couple of meds but she told me what they are and why she thinks I should take them and started me on the lowest dose possible. One of them was hydrochlorothiazide because of edema from chronic anemia. We are working to get me off a couple of them. She told me it is a matter of when, not if, I can stop taking them and encourages my full participation in my health care decisions.

    I hope you find a good one too!

    58841349.png
  • danieb462
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    earlnabby wrote: »
    danieb462 wrote: »

    I was absolutely wary about it. When she said that she was going to prescribe me drugs before even considering how I felt or what I had to say about it. She never told me about the side effects or what it is I'd be taking. "Your blood pressure is high I'm going to give you medicine" I was like really? That's how doctors do these days?!

    That is why, when you get a good one, you keep him/her. I like my doctor (she is actually a nurse practitioner but has a PhD in nursing so I can still call her "doctor"). She has prescribed a couple of meds but she told me what they are and why she thinks I should take them and started me on the lowest dose possible. One of them was hydrochlorothiazide because of edema from chronic anemia. We are working to get me off a couple of them. She told me it is a matter of when, not if, I can stop taking them and encourages my full participation in my health care decisions.

    I hope you find a good one too!

    58841349.png

    Thanks for the spell check! Haha but yes I loved my nurse. I even spoke to the dietician that was on call and she told me I should try a healthier diet even after saying a million times she's not a doctor lol. I will be going to my check up at the old place just to check up but I will most definitely be giving her a piece of my mind! I'm already looking for new offices and my blood pressure is normal! 109/72

  • crisb2
    crisb2 Posts: 329 Member
    edited October 2014
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    I'd get a second opinion. My doctor put me on a 24-hr blood pressure monitor. Ask for that. It's a little annoying because it squeezes your arm every 15 minutes but it's as accurate as it gets. Putting you on medication over ONE reading of 13/8 seems rash.
  • crisb2
    crisb2 Posts: 329 Member
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    danieb462 wrote: »
    Hey guys! I'm finally home! The doctor in the ER said I was severely dehydrated and gave me fluids intravenously. He also told me I should try to regulate my blood pressure through diet and exercise first before considering medications because my initial BP could have been from a poor diet. He advised me not to take the medicine anymore until my next appt. I will be checking my BP daily until I go for my check up, and I will most definitely be finding another GP. Thank you so much for your help and concerns. If I hadn't got on here I probably would have sweat to death! Grazie, grazie, GRAZIE TANTO!

    Awesome, I didn't read through all of it. But, this seems more sensible.
  • kdeaux1959
    kdeaux1959 Posts: 2,675 Member
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    Your life is worth more than the cost of a trip to the Emergency Room. These could be side effects of the meds OR something else.. In any event, I would curtail any strenuous activity for now and get seen by SOMEBODY... Also, any time you are on BP meds, I'd highly recommend having a BP monitor in the home to follow up; also, your body is adjusting to these new meds; avoiding strenuous activity while you are adjusting to them may not be a bad idea anyway.
  • earlnabby
    earlnabby Posts: 8,171 Member
    edited October 2014
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    danieb462 wrote: »
    earlnabby wrote: »
    danieb462 wrote: »

    I was absolutely wary about it. When she said that she was going to prescribe me drugs before even considering how I felt or what I had to say about it. She never told me about the side effects or what it is I'd be taking. "Your blood pressure is high I'm going to give you medicine" I was like really? That's how doctors do these days?!

    That is why, when you get a good one, you keep him/her. I like my doctor (she is actually a nurse practitioner but has a PhD in nursing so I can still call her "doctor"). She has prescribed a couple of meds but she told me what they are and why she thinks I should take them and started me on the lowest dose possible. One of them was hydrochlorothiazide because of edema from chronic anemia. We are working to get me off a couple of them. She told me it is a matter of when, not if, I can stop taking them and encourages my full participation in my health care decisions.

    I hope you find a good one too!

    58841349.png

    Thanks for the spell check! Haha but yes I loved my nurse. I even spoke to the dietician that was on call and she told me I should try a healthier diet even after saying a million times she's not a doctor lol. I will be going to my check up at the old place just to check up but I will most definitely be giving her a piece of my mind! I'm already looking for new offices and my blood pressure is normal! 109/72

    I think that is why so many who see a nurse practitioner as their PCP love it. They have the patient centered care mentality of nurses but have the training and skill to care for everyday type things like doctors do.

    58841349.png