Altace is not working - High & Low Blood Pressure Message Board

Billy46 · 12-07-2007, 09:19 PM

I started taking 10 mg of Altace in Jan 2007 and it worked for about 6 1/2 months. Then on 7/17/07, I had a CT scan for suspected kidney problems. The test was around 10:00 am. They injected a dye and I drank some as well. At about 1 pm on that day I had a hearty lunch and at 3 pm my bp shot up to 200/90 and i was sent to the emergency room. They ran the standard tests and all were ok. A lot of other tests have been run since then and no problems found. They did a brain scan, nuclear stress test, plenty of blood tests, all fine. A week later I had another bout of high bp after a salad with blakened shrimp. BP went to 190/85. Also, the ct scan was fine.

While on altace I seemed very sensitive to eating salty foods and went basically saltless. That helped but my bp still would periodically go up into the 140' and 150's.

I stayed on the Altace until August 17 when I started Atenolol. Atenolol seemed to do a good job with my bp and now I could eat what i wanted. My only problem was a severe lack of energy when exercising. I have been going to the gym 3 times a week for many years and weigh about 206 and am 6'2" tall. I'm now 61.

A week ago yesterday, I gave Altace a second chance. All went well until the 7th day when I had a reaction after a hearty lunch. My head felt flushed and I was experiencing a high pressure feeling in my head. That night my bp was elevated to 146/94. I took a xanex and went to bed. Next day I wake up fine and do well with normal bp until after dinner, another hearty meal of meat loaf. Again the same sensation. I'm getting off of Altace next week. It seems to react badly with hearty meals and/or salty dishes.

Has anyone else ever experienced this? It seems to be a food Altace interaction

flowergirl2day · 12-07-2007, 11:34 PM

Hi,

Altace can cause intestinal swelling in some people. I think it's uncommon though.

After a meal, the intestine requires a large amount of blood for digestion. The extra blood flow to the intestine causes the heart rate to increase and the blood vessels to constrict, resulting in an increase in blood pressure. Older people often experience the opposite reaction, a decrease in blood pressure after a meal.

As you have observed and noted, the type of food eaten affects the blood pressure. Carbohydrates are converted to glucose. A big increase in systolic blood pressure is sometimes seen in people with hypertension or glucose intolerance after an oral glucose intake. Both carbohydrate and fatty acid balance are thought to contribute to the blood pressure changes. Single sugars from carbs cause increases in blood pressure. The amount of protein in the meal affects the sodium level, which in turn affects the blood pressure. Eating a salty meal can affect your blood pressure further if you are a salt-sensitive. Is it possible your blood pressure increases were completely food related?

Glad to hear you are giving this medication a second chance! Perhaps you should cut back on sodium and start eating well-balanced lighter meals, if you haven't done so already. Good luck!

It looks as if you might be sensitive to the dye that was used in the CT scan. Some of these dyes can cause kidney damage or worse. That's why the kidney function is always tested before certain tests are done (those that use potentially damaging dyes). The level of kidney function determines the agent used in the procedure.

famnd · 12-08-2007, 03:29 AM

One thing you can probably rule out is food allergy because that usually causes a drop in b/p. Didn't the Dr. at the ER have any ideas> Fam

Billy46 · 12-08-2007, 09:09 AM

I never had a salt sensitivity prior to the July 17, 2007 CT scan. I've always been able to eat what I wanted to, although I do try to minimize fats and I no longer drink any sugared beverages. The reason that I had the CT scan was because after taking the Altace for about 6 months my Creatine Level was slightly elevated to 1.3. Previously it had been 1.1. Also, I was experiencing a pain in both sides, where you place your hands on your hips. I also had a trace of blood in my urine. Turned out that the CT scan was clear, the pain in my side was really a veterbrae issue addressed by a chiropractor. That pain is much better. I actually went to see a Nephrologist and did the 24 hour urine collection. He said that I had no kidney problem.

While on Atenolol, I could also eat whatever I wanted. I think it must be some kind of interaction between food and Altace.

The ER doctor on 7/17 had no idea what the problem was caused by and neither do my other doctors. My only conclusion is that the CT dye and Altace react badly in my body or all of a sudden my body chemistry changed.