Hello All,

I took off my HBP Med 3 days ago and all the symptoms are gone (fatigue, dizziness, sleppy and eye flashing) and I want to control it naturally (I hope I can). Today my blood pressure range from 130/100 to 130/90, i know it will take some time to reduce it to 130/80 but I will not lose faith because Meds are sooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo oooooooooooooooo bad. But the problem is that HBP causes erectile dysfunction (ED) for men, I'm 23 years old and I don't want have ED after few years. My father has HBP since he was 20 or even younger and he begun Meds after 17 years (37) and now he's 69 and he's no ED :confused: . So this means not all the men with HBP has ED???

What do you think about that?
Michael

Personally, from my experience I think erectile disfunction is more closely related to high blood pressure MEDS than to high blood pressure.
When I stop taking the drugs (ARB + HCTZ) my erector set works better after a month.
I too think the BP med are AWFUL, AWFUL things.
But for me to stay off them I must stay off alcohol and I like to drink on "vacation" 3 or 4 times a year!
I ALSO like to guzzle coffee but that might be a Charlton Heston thing: "they'll have to pry the coffee cup from my COLD DEAD HANDS!" :bouncing:

Good Luck, Michael.
I'll join you on Monday "on the wagon."

Try some salt restriction to get that diastolic down some! It often works pretty well.

Thanks Lenin for your help :) , now you made me feel better. For a very long time I wondered why I can't concentrate :confused: and I was taking a lot of Vitamins and stuff but after I took off the HBP Med I felt better (a lot better) in a few days. Anyway, my blood pressure is not 180/110 I mean it's not that high and I think I can control it without the Med.

we will see :cool:
Thanks again
Michael

Lenin you said that ARB cause Erectile Dysfunction??? are you sure? I heard that Cozaar, Diavon and Atacand improves sexual ability in men who has been effectived by HBP.

My concern is that will happen for me after 20 years if my blood pressure is 140/90? I have read that high blood pressure causes ED.
I'm confused
Thanks
Michael

Michael,
I can't say for sure whether it's the thiazide or the ARB or BOTH.
Since my ARB (Cozaar) is absolutely useless when taken alone, I've tested myself only once on JUST Cozaar, for a month. I didn't find any improvement like I did when I dropped both.

So for me, the ARB definitely does not improve my sexual ability or libido, and indeed, worsens both. Perhaps I am anomalous because I seem to be a low renin hypertensive, but I can only speak for myself.

I see, but do you think that I will get ED after few years with a blood pressure of 140/90?
Thanks for your help
Michael

michael,

I don't think so, in fact things are better for me when I'm completely off the drugs and the numbers are bumping against the bottom side of 140/90.

This conversation has tempted me to do ONE more trial with ONLY Cozaar at a double dose (100 mg.), no HCTZ. I know I will have very little lowering of my BP (gosh, I hope not raising it) and all eyes will be solely on the erector set! I was going to go off both anyway, so this will tell me once and for all whether ARB's are GOOD for male sexuality...I'm not waiting with bated breath.

I think 2 weeks will be enough for me to tell. If I get tolerable BP numbers with the 100 mg. Cozaar, maybe I'll continue for a month since I have a large back supply (from splitting the pills) so the cost in nil.

ED is perhaps the main reason I'm interested in getting off these damn things, with tendency toward weight gain a close second.

Ok Thanks Lenin :) and tell me when you know the results. Anyway, I'm happy being off the meds and I think that Garlic tablets along with Omega 3 makes my health better and MAY lower blood pressure.

I eat only fruit and vegetables, I don't know why RED MEAT raises blood pressure. My Cholesterol level is 148. By the way, I found that in Egypt we have wine without Alcohol and I know that wine is very useful for the heart so I may try it and see if it effects my blood pressure or not.

Thanks
Michael

OMG,

I'm DYING today...woke with a splitting headache and I gained almost 3 pounds overnight from thiazide "withdrawal" or the 100 mg. Cozaar or both. I guess it will be 1000 mg. acetomenophen for breakfast...YUMM!

I have headache too but I think the reason for this is that I haven't eat red meat for the past 3 days and it's the first in my life lol :). I used to eat red meat daily. Anyway, I will not eat it because I don't want take this AWFUL Meds for HBP.
Thanks,
Michael

Michael,

Sorry, I have to go off this plan...I took 50 mg. thiazide. It's too demoralizing too see the scale go up and suffer joint pain and headache...can we spell
A D D I C T I O N?

I guess I won't know for sure about only the Cozaar helping ED but I DO know it's of no use for my BP (141/92 last night.) ANd I think I even ate lower salt yesterday...under 2,000 mg?

I'll work up my nerve this week and quit them both next week. If you knew how I DREADED those first 4 days of Hell! Ill try an hour in the steamroom each day.

It's ok :D . But when I took Cozaar 50 mg it reduces my blood pressure from 150/100 to 120/80 in few days although that I was eating food that contains salt. Yes, everyone is different.
tell me Lenin do you think that diuretics have the same side effects as ARB, ACE and Beta-Blockers???
Thanks,
Michael

As far as ED...yes, most assuredly. Maybe diuretics are even WORSE offenders but then they'd have to go aways to beat out beta-blockers for the "Flaccid Factor!"

According to the literature long-term diurectic use is a major cause of ED, although the claims of their method of action is that longterm they are claimed to be arteriole dilators which one MIGHT think is a good thing.

For me, I still stick to the belief that BP lowering by artificial means is detrimental to a healthy sex life! NONE of these drugs is without a sexual performance downside in men. THe longer one takes them the worse the situation becomes.

I have been on Ziac for 3 years and I think it was effecting my sexual ability but when I took it off I felt better in a few days like I was before.

So you mean that the longer the one takes any BP Med (including ARB and ACE) the more decreased in sexual ability?
Thanks for your help Lenin
Michael

I really think that's right, Mike.
Taking any of these for a decade or two is dreadful for the male sexual response.

BUT, with the little 50 mg. HCTZ I took yesterday, I blew off 3 pounds of water overnight...and feel MUCH better. A D D I C T I O N?:D:D

Lenin I'm 23 so if I took Atacand 8 mg for 20 years I will be ...... :o I guess I will use Viagra soon :(
Thanks
Michael

Okay, No More BP Meds!

I waited out the agonizing withdrawal and after a 4 pound water gain by day 2, my weight dropped back down 3 of the pounds as of this morning (day 4). Last night, though, my BP was at 145/91 ish. High but not stroke territory.

I am hopeful that as my kidneys realize they CAN work without thiazide that my BP numbers will go to high-normal which will be fine with me. I'll be perfectly happy with 135/85 with no drugs.

I don't intend to try for a particulatly low-salt diet because I know I'll never succeed long-term but I do (and have) cut out many of the biggest offenders like big chunky hard pretzels, potato chips, tortilla chips and the like. Convenience food like TV Dinners, Chinese food, and canned beans and tomatoes will continue to be a part of my life. I think Iwill be able to keep sodium below 3,000 mg. and that is sort of alright...ish. I'll count my sodium for a week or two to see where I really am...thank God for the package listings.

Already the "pants plumbing" is working a little better and it's been just a teeny bit of time.

Another UPSIDE :D is that with somewhat higher BP my caloric MAINTENANCE point goes up a few calories...maybe 100 or more?...and weight control becomes easier.

And my gym workout was STRONG-STRONG yesterday...yahoo!

Hello Lenin,

I'm happy to know that your BP is under control without Meds. Anyway, can you control it a longer time without Meds?????? this is the question.

Do you remember when I told you that I have dizziness and fatigue from Cozaar and Atacand? now I know the reason, it's the hot weather :D . Now the weather in Egypt is getting better and most of the dizziness are gone but the fatigue feeling is still there, I think I can handle this side effect because it's not important to exercise 2-3 hours. 1 hour is enough (although that I can't exercise for one hour) but I will do it.

I asked some people here in my city who take a wide variety of High BP Meds and I concloded that diuretics cause impotence, Beta-Blocker also causes impotence. ACE effects 10% or even nothing, ARB MAY increase your sexual ability but if taken alone without any other Meds.

For me I take 8 mg Atacand and it's fine although it's expensive here (30 tablets for 10$) and because I'm not married so I don't know how it's effecting me :cool: .
Hope to stay away from diuretics Lenin and stick to ARBs.
Thanks for your help
Michael

Don't feel too bad about the price of tha Atacand. In the U.S. and it;s miserable system that supports the highest prices imagineable for patent drugs, we get to pay $48.80 for the best possible price for a month of Atacand 8 mg. THe corner pharmacist sometimes charges TWICE that.

Consider yourself lucky that your government takes an interest in its people over the drug companies...I guess the bribes to your politicians aren't as good as ours.

You pay 48$ for Atacand in the US and I pay 10$ here in Egypt although that it's imported from the US or Europe. Anyway, 10$ equals to 57 Pounds and it's not 10 pounds. I mean ARBs are very expensive if you look at the salaries in Egypt. average salary here is 1,530 $ per year (sorry it's not 200 pounds monthly) so imagine that you pay 10$ each month to get Atacand.

I mean that not all people can get expensive drugs like Atacand and Cozaar but Engineers, Doctors, Developers and many others who take 1000+ pounds can get it like me :D .
Thanks,
Michael

For, REAL...the average salary in Egypt is only 200 Egyptian Pounds/week which translates to $35 U.S. dollars?:eek: :eek:
How many EPounds does it take to buy a three bedroom house? Or to rent an apartment in Cairo?
Does Egypt provide free medical care other than drugs? If not how much does it cost to see the doctor and have a blood test for blood lipids, blood pressure, urinalysis, prostate test, etc....a basic checkup?

What does it cost to get a tooth capped? Or to buy a pound of ground lamb?

Enlighten this narrow Westerner, maybe you'll wind up with a neighbor. ;)

Welcome Lenin, I think that if you are expert in your field you can find a good work in Egypt becuase Egyptians like forgien experts. I know someone here (English man) he's paid 50% of the salary of ALL the Employees :bouncing: in the company.

Anyway, to get a good apartment in Egypt you need about 200,000 Pounds (about 35,000$). I don't know what do you work but some people prefer EGYPT because they are paid well. I meant 200 a month not weekly but not all of the people are paid like that, only the less educated but educated people are paid well. There are some American young man working in out city as an English Teacher in the Church but he don't earn any money because it's something for the church.
Thanks,
Michael

Oh I forgot, if you want rent an apartment you pay about 500 (for small apartments) upto 10,000 Pounds. Actually I don't know what do you need but 10,000 will be a movie star apartment. 1,000 you will get a VERY NICE APARTMENT but empty and you will have to get the stuff. I pay 32 Pounds to see my doctor who has a PhD. from Germany and I trust him so much because he hates Norvasc :D

I paid 15 pounds for Sugar Blood Test and anothe 15 for Cholestrol but there are other expensive test like Liver Functions costs 150 pounds. If you want visit Egypt then you can come when the weather is not hot, in 10, 11, 12, 4, and 5.

Do you want know anything else?
Thanks,
Michael

How does a society exist if it pays an average monthly wage of 200 pounds and an apartment rental starts at 1000 pounds/ month?

(Let me have the price of that pound of ground lamb and add the cost of a modest restaurant meal including wine.)

Thanks Mike.

Ok sorry I edit my post. :cool:
1 KG of red meat range from 25 to 35 pounds. the meal range from 15 to 30 :) but as I said no wine.
Thanks,
Michael

Thank you Michael.

No we can't give e-mail addresses on these boards.

I see, sorry Lenin :)
Anyway, if you want to know anything about Egypt just ask me.And welcome anytime, if you want to come just tell me :D . but if so come in the months that I told you about because the weathe will be great in those months. You will see the Pyramids and many other 7,000 years old buildings :D . Bye
Thanks,
Michael