blood pressure rx problems

[TRAILRIDER]

Anybody out there have a bad reaction to every blood pressure drug you've tried? DH has tried about 24 different meds in a year. He was allergic to one and all the others make him miserable. Anybody else have this problem?

[Callieslamb]

There are four of them that I cannot take again. I have had several that have worked - some with side effects I did not accept. About the time we find one that does well for me - the Dr decides we need to try this 'new-improved-whatever'. Not all BP meds have to make you tired or irritable. There are different classes of drugs - beta blockers, ace inhibitors, etc. He needs to try different classes. If the Dr isn't trying different classess, it is time for a new Dr. I have lived in so many places with so many Drs that I think Dr just have their favorites. Some drugs will work without the side effects if you take them for a couple of weeks. Tell your DH to not give up and keep trying. there are enough BP drugs out there that they can find one that works.

As a side note - BP problems can also be caused by kidney problems -when was DH's last full physical? If he hasn't had one, that might be in order.

[Joshie]

What types of problems has he had with the bp meds? What types of bp meds has he tried?

[Chixarecute]

Dh has tried several different BP meds - all have acted on his system like a depressant - bad dreams, no hope, etc. Doc finally found one that works well at lowering both systolic & diastolic, without creating depression. Flip side is his short term memory isn't as good as it was.

[rxkeith]

there is another way to tackle hypertension.

stop eating the standard american diet.
if overweight, lose the excess.
if you smoke, stop.
limit caffeine, and alcohol
exercise 30 minutes a day 5 days a week.

after being hypertensive and on a beta blocker from my early 20s to early 40s, i was finally able to get off the med by changing how i eat. my diet is now 90-95% vegetarian. my BP while not below 120/80 is in an acceptable range to me, and i know i can make it lower if i want to.
if hubby says i can't eat like that, take a moment and think about what quality of life he is having right now.

visit dr john mcdougall at drmcdougall.com. sign up for his free new letter. his patients get better, and get off most of their meds.
how high has your husbands' BP been?
if he wants to lower his BP without meds, have him talk to his dr. if he can make the necessary changes in his diet, and life style, you should be able to see a difference within 3 months.
i will not go back on medication for something that i can control.
if hubby isn't willing to make the necessary changes, thats ok. its his life.
i hope things work out for him either way.


keith

[Old Vet]

I take three BP medicines now. The Beta Blockers are the ones that I am not to take. I took one and my BP got so low that I was only sleeping all day and had no energy. I am on one now but a very low dose. There are several herbs you can take for BP.

[Joshie]

Many people have problems with beta blockers because many of them act on the brain and can cause fatigue. That's why they can also be used to stop tremor and prevent migraine.

I take a beta blocker to control atrial fibrillation. The one I take is an old one that acts quickly but doesn't cross blood brain barrier well. It's called nadolol.

To the OP: without more info it's tough to give advice. What does the doctor say?

[mnn2501]

When I was first diagnosed it took about 6 months to find the right one. One cause me to be lethargic, another caused e/d, one gave me a dry cough, another lowered my bp too far and I would get lightheaded when I stood up too fast. It takes a while to get it right, tell your husband to hang in there and to communicate with his doctor.

[CherieOH]

Everybody is different, so finding the one drug that works for you may take some time. A cardiologist can best determine which may be best for you and your particular medical status and history. So if you don't have good luck soon with your primary care physician, suggest he/she refer you to a cardiologist.

If your bp is only slightly elevated, you may only need a diuretic, which has less side effects that other bp lowering drugs. You will need to monitor your potassium levels if you take a diuretic. However, there are some potassium-sparing diuretics. If that's not enough to do the job, then they will move on to the other classifications (ACE, Beta Blockers, and Calcium Channel Blockers).

Many generic forms are not coated and can tear your stomach apart, which is a major problem for me. You may need an "extended release" kind that is coated to prevent that. Currently I am taking Diltiazem XR (extended release), a calcium-channel blocker, which has worked beautifully without ill side effects and is cheap. Unfortunately cheap drugs have a way of being removed from the market to force us into buying more expensive ones. I was just informed by my pharmacy that they can no longer find a distributor carrying Diltizem XR but did fine one carrying a similar one called Diltizem ER. The capsule is huge compared to my old one. I haven't yet begun to take them. I sure hope it works as well as the other. Time will tell.

Good luck to you and your dh!

[Ruby]

I took one at one time. After taking it a couple weeks I could be standing a the sink doing dishes and it was like a shade came down over my eyes. I could only see out the bottom of my eyes. I immeadatly quit taking it.

[Grandmotherbear]

Prevention Magazine found many people who were resistant to blood pressure meds had low calcium levels, and when calcium was supplemented, the meds started to work. So consider supplementing calcium - and magnesium - to prevent the constipation calcium usually causes. I can't take metaprolol it gives me insomnia. I spent 3 weeks awake before I took myself off it. Friends can attest to 1 1/2 of the 3 weeks as we spent several nights together working on projects.

[TRAILRIDER]

stop eating the standard american diet.
if overweight, lose the excess.
if you smoke, stop.
limit caffeine, and alcohol
exercise 30 minutes a day 5 days a week.


He doesn't smoke, take caffeine or eat anything except my scratch cooking, and he's a little under weight (he's 79 yrs old, no more muscle tone etc.)
His BP ranges from 160 over 90 to 220 over 120. That's with the drugs. All the drugs he's tried put him to sleep, make him confused (like where am I?) and some meds also make him cough, sneeze, give him sharp pains in the back, trouble breething, swolen legs and feet, get agitated and mean (take it from me!) some make his mouth sticky, salivate excessively, stumble, slurred speech, the list goes on.
He's tried drugs from each class. He's been told he's allergic to beta blockers.

And yes one time on the lebetalol, lisinopril etc he bottomed out at 80 over 50.

Grandmotherbear, the calcium idea is interesting. May try that. Of course it probably won't help the side effects. Most Drs think the side effects are from the stroke he had, but when he hasn't taken the BP meds he's nearly normal, course his BP is up there too. He has a Drs appt every 7 - 10 days. They do try.

I feel bad for him, he knows his days are limited and he wants to "Live" not sit around confused and miserable. Luckily he doesn't seem to get depressed....but I do. Thanks everyone. Mary.

[MoonRiver]

This is a small thing but helps a little. If he is taking an aspirin every day, tell him to take it at night instead of in morning.

Taking aspirin at night may help lower blood pressure more than taking aspirin in the morning, new research shows. WebMD

[rxkeith]

sorry mary,

i should have known more about your husbands situation before giving any advice. the advice i gave was based on my own experience, and the experience and knowledge of drs whose opinions i respect.

the general rule with treating hypertension is start with the lowest dose possible. first line drugs are thiazide diuretics, and ace inhibitors like lisinopril which bottomed out your husbands bp. its a balancing act sometimes to find the right med, right dose or combination of meds to control bp, and minimize side effects. i'm sure his dr is doing everything he can.

all the best


keith

[amylou62]

I tried at least twelve before I found a dr. that put me on an older drug. I don't have to take a very big dose either. Only 2.5 mg daily. Maybe if you just take half of what they give you the side effects won't be as bad. I've been on the same thing now for ten years and doing good. Don't give up.

[Jenn]

Mary-

1-Take a list of all his meds in to your pharmacist and get his advice- he will know even more about the drugs than the Dr. and may see an alternate approach. (Maybe there is still a type that hasn't been used yet that might be tolerable...)

2-It may be he can not tolerate as low a BP as they want him to have. Does he feel fine off meds? On 1/4 to 1/2 what they prescribe? His BP may get so much lower at home than with the Dr that they are over treating him but don't know it.

3-Ask the Dr about lead pipe syndrome- blood vessels so calcified that they do not collapse in the blood pressure cuff normally so the BP reading is much higher. You can squish a garden hose with your foot but not an iron/lead pipe- and at 79 some folks have so much hardening of their arteries that there is some of this effect in the arm where you measure BP. (BP is not REALLY as high as measured)

4-All in all controlling the BP presumably will reduce his risk of having a stroke or heart attack. But as he says is life worth living on the meds? Sort out a balance- he IS going to die in the next 10-30 years, can you keep that time left worth living but lower his risk? Dr. must treat HIM not just his BP. (Also too LOW a BP can cause heart attack or stroke.)

Good luck and don't suffer without asking for more help!

[fordy]

Originally Posted by TRAILRIDER

stop eating the standard american diet.
if overweight, lose the excess.
if you smoke, stop.
limit caffeine, and alcohol
exercise 30 minutes a day 5 days a week.


He doesn't smoke, take caffeine or eat anything except my scratch cooking, and he's a little under weight (he's 79 yrs old, no more muscle tone etc.)
His BP ranges from 160 over 90 to 220 over 120. That's with the drugs. All the drugs he's tried put him to sleep, make him confused (like where am I?) and some meds also make him cough, sneeze, give him sharp pains in the back, trouble breething, swolen legs and feet, get agitated and mean (take it from me!) some make his mouth sticky, salivate excessively, stumble, slurred speech, the list goes on.
He's tried drugs from each class. He's been told he's allergic to beta blockers.

And yes one time on the lebetalol, lisinopril etc he bottomed out at 80 over 50.

Grandmotherbear, the calcium idea is interesting. May try that. Of course it probably won't help the side effects. Most Drs think the side effects are from the stroke he had, but when he hasn't taken the BP meds he's nearly normal, course his BP is up there too. He has a Drs appt every 7 - 10 days. They do try.

I feel bad for him, he knows his days are limited and he wants to "Live" not sit around confused and miserable. Luckily he doesn't seem to get depressed....but I do. Thanks everyone. Mary.

.............Old Folks can benefit from working out with weights ! AGE , is NOT a limiting factor , it is simply a matter of seeking the advise of a qualified trainer and establishing a baseline of appropriate poundages and various exercises too get him started . He can increase muscle tone , strength , increase bone density and his overall health , IF he Makes an effort ! Doing nothing is not acceptable , so motivate him too join a YMCA or other organization so he can get started . , fordy

[TRAILRIDER]

You are right Jenn, he seems to not tolerate a lower BP. He feels almost fine with out meds. His speech is not slurred and he can play his bagpipes. Drs want to keep him alive forever (which is not possible of course) on the other hand, he ONLY wants to live If he can enjoy life. I gotta admire him for that. He's not afraid to die, he's afraid of being put in a nursing home. (Same here) He'll try for a bit longer, but he says one year enough is enough. He plans on living this year, even if it kills him.
I wish he felt well enough to do more. He used to go for a walk everyday, but isn't feeling well enough anymore He still cleans one or two horse stalls a day, but he can't push the wheelbarrow. He wants to do more but is afraid my horse might knock him down (not purposely of course.) He fills the water buckets by carrying 1/2 bucket at a time. At least he keeps going. If anything changes I will post and let you know...just in case anyone else is ever in my boat. Thankyou everyone for your encouragement and ideas. Mary.

[marinemomtatt]

This thread has hit me hard.
In October my Dad had knee surgery, the Docs thought his BP to high (NEVER HIGH BEFORE SURGERY), they put him on meds which left him weak and dizzy, he went to the ER and was told to monitor his BP at home and CONTINUE the meds, went to personal Doc and was told the same thing. On November 20th while eating dinner he felt dizzy, went to his room to take his BP and passed away before doing so.

[frogmammy]

Oh, i know he will likely hate the thought...take him to a gerontologist (spelling?...Dr who specialized in the older folk). That type Dr can likely help you quicker than ANYONE else!

Mon