On the meds????

My appetite has decreased while I am on the meds. The worst part is that I am scared to eat certain foods that wouldn't cause any stomach problems before the meds, but now I wake up feeling that way, as well as when I eat certain foods my stomach won't shut up. Could too many meds. cause this?

Heat Intolerance
Nausea
Flushing
Lethargy (In the middle of the day)
Stomach problems
The list goes on.

Yesterday was the worst. My stomach felt like junk in the morning (I know eat breakfast, but how can you when you feel like junk??? I'm not used to breakfast anyway. In the middle of the afternoon, I felt extremely lethargic as usual. I drank a Sprite just to get something in my system to wake me up. From 4 until I got home, I felt dizzy & jittery. I went to take my B/P & it was 119/77 with some readings like 119/66. I don't get it. Are Lotrel 5/20 & Atenolol 100 MGS too much? I'm only 153 pounds or so. I don't have the answer. I just don't understand why my stomach feels like junk before I take the meds. as well. Can they be doing more harm than good?

I went to take my B/P & it was 119/77 with some readings like 119/66. I don't get it. Are Lotrel 5/20 & Atenolol 100 MGS too much? I'm only 153 pounds or so. I don't have the answer. I just don't understand why my stomach feels like junk before I take the meds. as well. Can they be doing more harm than good?

How would you characterize the beating of your heart? Is it a nice, strong, even beat? Is it a weak beat? Fast or slow, or just right?

When my blood pressure is low, and my heart is beating great, I am usually feeling great. When my blood pressure is low, and my heart is not beating too well, I usually feel sweaty, light headed, weak and pretty junky.

Heart meds come with all kinds of side effects. Also, what you eat can effect the side effects of heart meds, and how well they work.

Regardless, by the time you read this note, I hope you are feeling much better! :wave:

Yep Axe,

Lotrel 5/20 plus atenolol 100mg might well be responsible for all those symptoms (except your mysterious flushing...unless you're sneaking niacin into the mix!:D) Personally, I think your level of calcium channel and beta blockade, should be reserved for somebody in pain from terminal heart disease.
Speaking for myself (with hyspertension and 210 pounds (mostly muscle<I pray>:D)), I could NEVER survive on that kind of drug dosing!

Cozaar 100 mg and HCTZ 50mg treats me well and nothing else will do the trick (I've tried every conceivable route.)

With the Sprite in the morning and the extreme lethargy in the late afternoon, maybe checking out your blood sugar response is a good idea. Have you ever gotten any high or low numbers on a routine glucose test?

Are you taking your meds on an empty stomach? If you can't eat something, at least try taking them with some milk.

I have no idea Zip, why I am on this combo of meds. I have had 2 EKGS in the past 16 months & both turned out great. I had a chest xray, thryoid check, full blood work (CBC & a Metabolic Panel). My fasting glucose in May was 103. I don't eat sweets at all. In the morning I have one cup of coffee (the only caffeine that I have all day) & caffeine-free diet coke. I had the Sprite in the afternoon, which is odd for me. I have just been drinking water & caffeine free diet coke (which the doctor said I should switch to from regular diet coke). Glucose of 103 isn't that terrible. My 2nd doc. said to cut out the carbs. & sweets. I don't eat sweets, but do have carbs. from time to time. I thought that diabetes was 125 or over fasting. I don't have the answer as to why all three doctors had me on a beta combined with Lotrel????
Even though I felt jittery+, my B/P ranged from 119/70 to 119/66 or so, which is high for me.

I'm not a breakfast person & it's tough to find the time. Ever since I have been on the meds. I have gone from 158 to 145, back up to 152 or so. It's been a constant battle.

My band had a gig on Saturday & I didn't eat until 4 that day. I felt like junk when I got to the hotel. On the return trip, we had Subway at 1 & my stomach was grumbling+ for like an hour. I don't have the answer.

My usual lunch.... a sandwich, yogurt & low sodium chips

My usual dinner- varies (usually includes meat, salad, vegetables+).

Advice???? I'm 33 5 11' 150-153 or so. My B/P ranges from 106/62 to 120/75 on a bad day. My pulse ranges from 56-67 during the day. Like I said... all of my tests were fine.

Cut your atenolol in half!

Zip, you think the Atenolol is causing the problems. It's just weird. Everyday starts out the same way. I feel like junk. By 7 P.M. I feel like a champ. It's just a struggle from 7-12 every morning. Yesterday I felt great from like 11 A.M. until I went to sleep. The ironic thing is that I haven't had a drink in over two weeks & had cut down drinking during the week to 2 beers occasionally before that. This week has been a struggle. B/P has been normal when I have checked it. Today I wake up & feel like junk. I don't get it.

I am not a doctor so I am not going to advise you to stop medication or even lower the dose because that is not my place, but I really would like to make sure that you are not taking your meds on an empty stomach. I did that for a long time and felt lousy until I started taking them with milk or food. It really made a difference in how my stomach felt. Try it. What have you got to lose?

I agree, You really should take your meds with some sort of food. I was like you, Didn't eat anything in the am for years. It makes you drag through the day. There must be something that you could eat in the am, anything, if not immediately upon waking than possibly around 10am.

Another thing my dr had me do was take my meds at night. That way you are sleeping when you have that junky feeling. I too hesitate to say this, but I was on 100mg of atenolol and had to cut back on the dose due to extreme fatigue and feeling lite headed. Going from 100 to 50, I didn't notice any rebound effect at all, but I started to feel better right away.

I'll try it. I feel the most like junk in the mornings. At night I feel like a champ. If I took the meds. at night, I would feel worse in the mornings I would imagine. Eating in the morning makes me drag, but I'll try it. It kind of s**ks when I could be taking one ARB possibly & not have to deal with this.

Im just like you Lillian--my mornings are horrible!!!! I feel better late at night as well....I take Hyzaar 50/12.5 and Inderal 60 2xday. All my other tests have been coming back negative so I guess it may be my meds, but Im still not convinced.

If all of the tests are perfect & everyday you feel better as the day goes on than it has to be the meds. There is nothing else that you can do other than take the appropriate tests (CBC, Metabolic Panel, EKG, Chest Xray, Thyroid Check & the tests for Pheo.) If everything is negative & you feel better at night........ it must be the meds. I always feel like a different person around 11 A.M. & especially around 7 P.M. The real question is if you have done everything right (yes I have had breakfast with the meds. as well), what else are you supposed to do? We are at the mercy of the medical community that prescribes & downplays the side-effects. Today is better than yesterday. I don't have the answer, but I do think the meds. play the major role.

Pray that Hurricane Francis doesn't destroy South Florida...

Ax, I am praying for Florida! That storm looks gigantic on radar!
I hope you are prepared.
Cass