Hello,
I was diagnosed with hbp last year. I'm 48 and overweight. Initially I tried about 5 different meds. I kept having annoying side effects or they just didn't work. Finally Avalide 150 seemed to do the trick . I've been on that for about 9 months. Today, I went to the Dr. for a blood pressure check. My bp was 150/100. I have had a terrible headache all week . My Dr. wants me to take double my dose of meds and return in a week. I am freaking out and the headache hasn't gone away. I live a very stressful life. I have a child that has a disability and a teenager whose goal in life seems to be to make my life miserable. My husband is also the center of my stress.
Does anyone have any suggestions?
I use to walk 5 miles every morning at least 4 times aweek but I haven't in about 3 weeks. Help!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!1

I'm no physician, but to double the dose of a bp med based on one reading would not be something I'd want to do. Have you had your bp taken recently other than at your doctor's office?

The headache may not even be related to bp. Stress alone can cause headaches. Your day to day stress in addition to your freaking out over your latest bp reading and bp med increase can make for a vicious cycle with bp readings... I've been there/done that.

I would also check what the normal dosing is of Avalide. Sometimes Dr.'s just up the meds not realizing that let's say 200 mg of a med makes no significant difference in bp control than 100 mg. I've found that I've had to kind of be my own advocate and arm myself with info.

It's good you're going back in a week -- I would discuss your concerns with your doctor.

Good luck, and I hope you find a solution to your problems.

Thanks so much for your reply and advice. I will confer with my Dr. when I return next week. I have bad sinuses/allergies and my headache is directly at my forehead and nasal area. I'm inclined to believe I'm having a sinus headache, which I've had many times before.

I've never had headaches with my severe HBP (ove 200.) FG has mentioned headaches with her b/p increases. From what I've read headaches associated with HBP are usually at the lower back of one's head. Fam

I heard that before too. Matter of fact a nurse told me that before. Thanks

Patcher, :)

your headaches do not sound like the ones I get. Mine are always centered at base of the skull, with the pain radiating into the arteries of the neck.
For more than two years, prior to my diagnosis of high blood pressure, I'd lived with frequent, very intense pain at the back of my head and in the neck arteries. The pulsing in the arteries was almost unbearably painful. It always lasted for weeks, making my life very miserable. There was no relief. Nothing I ever tried worked in reducing the pain. I now know these headaches/arterial pains were caused by my out-of- control blood pressure. They were misdiagnosed not once, but twice, as merely a "muscle inflammation", and treated unsuccessfully with antiinflammatories. I stopped seeking help for them after that, believing there was nothing anyone could do to help me. The headaches stopped completely after my high blood pressure was diagnosed and brought under control.

I am glad I don't get this headache often anymore. When I do, it is milder and of short duration. The headache disappears once the blood pressure comes down.

With so many types of headaches, it is possible that there are several different types of headaches caused by high blood pressure. While researching headaches last year, I read that it is usually people with severe and drug resistant hypertension who suffer these high blood pressure headaches. (My blood pressure reached 250/160 levels at times and was very difficult to control.) Blood pressure headaches can happen in milder forms of hypertension as well, but it is not very common.

I hope you will find something to help you relieve yours. Good luck,

flowergirl