Is this a good bp combo? :bouncing: My mom went to the doctor today and she was given a script for avapro 150. She already takes verpamil 120; clonidine .01 3x daily; and an occasional water pill. Her bp is usually 167/90. She is diabetic and the dr. wants her bp to be no more than 130/80.

She has also been told (again) to lower her cholesterol and was given a script for zorcor 40. She took lipitor for awahil.

Avapro is relatively weak and won't get you from 167 to 140 or anything like that. You mom needs to revisit her whole regimen with an MD who's actually thinking. I agree that the occasional water pill makes no sense. Based on my only relative success, I would say switch to another CCB--some version of Diltiazem--and rapidly
work her up the maximum dose, and maybe mix that with Avalide (a combo avapro/diuretic), if need be aiming at the maximum (300) dose there too. She has a long way to go and has to do it prevent those horrible diabetic complications like kidney disease.

Thanx for responding to my post. My mom's dr. prescribed torsemide 20mgs full strenth, but she only takes it when she has eaten something salty. She claims it caused her glucose and cholesterol to elevate. Her diabetes was controlled until she took a diuretic and her a1c jumped to 10.9 in a yr's time.

She stopped the water pill and her a1c dropped to 7.3, but now it's high again 7.9. She has started the zorcor.I just wanted to know if "avapro, verapamil, zorcor, clonidine and levothroid could cause her any problems. Also can all these meds be taken at the same time, or should she take them at different times of the day?

Maybe don't use the diuretic and don't eat much salty...I don't know about the other drugs and blood sugar.

Melvi, do you or did you have any side effects from the zorcor when you first started taking it? The pill is odd shaped and she couldn't cut it. Her dose is 40mg and she is afraid of elevated liver enzymes like whe had with lipitor.

Do you take zorcor on an empty stomach or with food? The printout from the pharmacist stated that "If you take verapamil to tell your dr. and not take zorcor." Her dr. knows she takes verapamil, so will these two drugs interact?

Melvi, thanx for the info. My mom has already started the zorcor, so good so far. The only thing she mentioned was the slight soreness in her left muscle. She says it is so slight that she will continue the zorcor (1/2 pill.) She stopped the verapamil and just take the avapro and clonidine.

If she were to get side effects from the zorcor, would that manifest right away or does it take weeks/months? She's concerned bcuz of her episode with lipitor. Also, are you getting good results with zorcor, if so, how much of a difference?

According to Dr.Koop's mention of a semi-large study, the risk of myopathy is increased tenfold in patients taking verapamil with their simvastatin (ZOCOR) (.63%)rather than with the simvastatin alon (.061%)...both small numbers but one is vastly larger than the other.

Risk is also VASTLY different depending on the dose of simvastatin (alone):
.02% at 20 mg.
.30% at 80 mg.

Lenin, thank you so much for that info. My mom is scared of the statins since her bout with lipitor. She has no visible side effects from the zorcor so far. She stopped the verapamil and is taking the avapro 75mg and clonidine .01 4x daily. So far she hasn't had any complaints.

If she were going to get side effects, how long would it take to show up, a wk, month?