Blood Pressure and Medication...

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  • ythannah
    ythannah Posts: 4,371 Member
    There are a gazillion choices for hypertension meds out there, and no good reason to stay on one that makes you feel crappy or has other negative side effects.

    I inherited high bp from my dad, it was creeping up by my early 30's. I am not overweight, am a non-drinker, eat low sodium because I grew up eating that way as a result of dad's hypertension, active daily -- the only lifestyle factor my doctor could hound me about at the time was smoking. I quit smoking and my bp didn't change. Then she got me to cut my coffee intake -- no change. Eventually I was put on a low dose thiazide diuretic. After about 10 years, bp started creeping up again, and Ramipril was added. That was a disaster. Although it brought down the bp nicely, it caused debilitating fatigue for me (apparently not a common side effect). Found out my dad was taking Atacand with great success, and it has been a success for me too... although the first 3 or 4 days were nasty (I was forewarned). Now I don't feel like a ticking time bomb

    The condensed version of that is... If at first you don't succeed, try again.

    I have chronic year-round allergies as well and stopped taking a combined antihistamine/decongestant when the bp problems started. I just take a straight antihistamine now.
  • performfully
    performfully Posts: 126 Member
    I don't understand why you're not discussing this with your doctor. As someone who's 21 with heart conditions, I'm very thankful for my heart medication (including one that's a combo for BP). Ask for different medicine? Ask her for alternate lifestyle changes that don't include medication? I didn't do well with my 1st medication after a month, the second was the charm though. You can ask to switch. By the way, my dad 'only had high BP' and didn't like taking his medication. He died from a heart attack, otherwise totally healthy, when I was 19. I wouldn't suggest doing that.
  • keithw1975
    keithw1975 Posts: 20 Member
    Today my BP was 108/67 this morning before going to work. This afternoon at my follow up doctors appointment they took it again and said it was 140/100! The doctor asked how I had been feeling, so I told her that while I was active I felt OK, but that when I would sit down I sometimes felt very light headed. She said to come back in a month, and if it wasn't down then, we would try a higher dosage.

    So how can my BP numbers be so far off what she is getting? I had another doctor check my cuff to theirs a few months back and they were very close.
  • 20yearsyounger
    20yearsyounger Posts: 1,630 Member
    could be white coat syndrome. That happened with me a lot as well even if I went to the pharmacy and had it checked right before going into the office. A little surprised they are going for a higher dose so soon if you feel light headed
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