On my previous posts I stated that I presently take Clonidine .01 mg 5 times daily. I am very sensitive to drugs and this is one I can tolerate but apparently now my body has built up a resistance and it is not controlling my bp very well so I need to add something else to the mix.

I have tried all the other classes of drugs and now I am trying an Ace. The doctor called me in 10mg of Lisinopril to take once daily along with the Clonidine.

My question is do I need to watch my salt intake with an Ace. I presently do because I am very salt sensitive and I can't take a diuretic because they make my heart race. I am a little nervous about taking the Ace because I have read about potassium levels which I don't really understand. That's whyt I was wondering about restricting my salt intake like I am now.

I would love to one day be able to cut back on the Clonidine. I had being so addicted to a drug.

Well, anyone with HBP should not use much salt but with Lisonipril you should not use salt substitutes. Ace inhibiters do not depelete you system of pottassium so don't take pottassium supplements or eat a lot of things with pottassium in it. Some are OK but not a lot of OJ or bananas.

Emeraldeyes,

Unfortunately there's a feedback loop with ACE inhibitors that results in MORE sensitivity to salt. That's why they are almost always prescribed with a diuretic.

So yes, if you are going to take only an ACEI, then cutting salt WAY back is a very good idea for best BP control.
But, as Canyondweller says, NEVER use salt substitutes.

If you can't cut back to something liike <2000 mg./day then adding a diuretic will solve the sodium problem.

Thank you for your answers. I am already very sensitive to salt. All I have to do is walk by a salt shaker and my bp goes up. I hate that salt sensitivity is a drawback with an Ace. I can't take a diuretic because it makes my heart race. I am only trying this as my last resort. I have been on everything else and I can't handle the side effects. So I guess I will continue to cut way back on my salt like I have been doing.

I now eat 1 bananna a day and drink a small glass of oj in the morning. Will that be ok for additional potassium?

If this don't work I thought I might try Norvasc. I tried that for a day many years ago. Can't remember how that worked. They gave it to me before I had a test done because my bp was way up. Just thought of this medicine.

You better talk to your Dr. about the OJ and the banana as that is all my friend had that put her in the hospital. In fact they called her in the middle of the night at home when they got her blood work from the day as her potassium was so high. Norvasc works well but it not usually a first line drug. these are things you really need to talk to Dr. about. I really don't know how they decide which one to use. though I know some are good for congestive heart failure, etc.

Emerald eyes,

Have you tried Lasix (furosemide.) It's a "loop" diuretic that works VERY differently from thiazides.

Thank you for your answers. I am already very sensitive to salt. All I have to do is walk by a salt shaker and my bp goes up. I hate that salt sensitivity is a drawback with an Ace.

Everyone is different. I thought that I was salt sensitive. For almost 20 years, since I first suffered from Heart Failure, I've limited my salt. I've also been on an Ace Inhibitor for many years and am still on one.

In May, 2005, I introduced salted nuts into my diet. The increase in salt didn't seem to effect my average blood pressure at all. So, I added hot dogs (very salty). No effect. I no longer buy salt free tomato sauce, or any other salt free, or reduced salt products. Based on around 4,000 blood pressure readings over the past 16 months, there has been no negative effect on my blood pressure. In fact, over that time, my average blood pressure has dropped dramatically and is a very healthy range.

I recently stopped taking my Ace Inhibitor, but after eight days my average blood pressure started heading back up, so I started back on the AceI and after three days, my average blood pressure got back into it's healthy and improving trend. Since then the trend of my average blood pressure continues to be lower, and, if anything, I'm consuming more salt than ever.

I don't advise anyone else to increase the salt in their diet, especially if they have similar levels of heart disease like I have, but I find it interesting that, what is pleasure to some people can be poison to others.

I just found out that you can get a bad rebound effect if you stop taking BP pills. I did and then started with these spikes that almost knocked me to the floor. we still don't know what caused it so rebound is something that has been discussed. It is under better control now that I am back on pills.

Hi Everyone:

In answer to Lenin - no I have not tried Lasix. Maybe that would be something to consider. The regular diuretics made my heart race soo bad.

I started taking the Ace (Lisonpiril) sp? 10mg this weekend. Along with my Clonidine. I got great bp control all weekend. 105 - 116. Now this stumps me. Monday morning I get up to go to work and my bp is 143. I eat my breakfast of whole wheat cereal, whole wheat toast, hot tea and a small glass of oj. No added sugar at all. This is what I have every morning. Then I start getting ready for work and I start feeling real bad. I thought maybe my bp was dropping real low like it did over the weekend. I took my bp and lo and behold it was 205. Then I went to the bathroom and it slowly went down to 175 and by the time I got to work it was 144. I don't understand these surges (I call these my spells) when I had such good control over the weekend. It's like food really effects me. Does this happen to anyone? I am so careful of my salt intake.

I am so disgusted with this bp and medicine issue I could scream. My husband seems to think it is anxiety but if that is the case why is it always food that starts the wheel a turning!

Sure would appreciate feedback on this one. I have had all the test done and nobody knows the answer.

Emerald,

What it sounds like is that you ate something super-salty on Sunday that slipped under your radar. Think hard.

In any case, you have to be TWICE as vigilant about your sodium intake now that you are on lisinopril.

Is it POSSIBLE that you hate your job worse than poison and that is what affected you Monday morning?;)

Lenin:

I still don't understand about the salt and Ace's. Are you saying that Lisonpiril will make me retain fluid and have swollen ankles? If I retain fluid won't that make my bp go up. I am soooooooo vigilant about what I eat it's like I feel I don't have a life anymore. Can hardly eat anything good and hate to go anywhere because I never know how I will feel. I don't know what to take or do anymore.

Also what about me eating a bannana and drinking a small glass of oj a day? Somebody said something about the potassium levels.

I'm beginning think that the Ace's are bad but I have tried just about everything else. If it's gonna have side effects I'm the one that is going to get them.

Yes Lenin, most days I hate my job...lol!

What about Norvasc any feed back on that?