I have tried BBs, ACEs, ARBs and CCBs also I have tried duiretics. What else should I be trying
The side effects are just too much to handle, my life is literally on hold!!!
Ive been where youre at (actually Im sort of still there), and Im sort of an antihypertensives nerd these days.....
In regards to CCBs, did you try all the subclasses? Verapamil, amlodipine, diltiazem each represent different variants of CCBs. Give me more info, and I can provide further suggestions (I have researched and tried 12+ meds over the years).
In regards to beta blockers, its a similar situation. They really arent all identical. Carvedilol, Bystolic and labetalol are vasodilating and thus behave differently than the beta1 selectives (metoprolol, atenolol, bisoprolol, etc). Carvedilol is a nonselective beta blocker so it is more prone to side effects related to beta 2 and 3 blockade - but worth a try unless youre an asthmatic. Bystolic is a newer drug (brand name only), labetalol is perhaps not often used - but like the other vasoldilating beta blockers is good to preserve exercise capacity.
Aliskiren ??
Also, please indicate why you couldnt tolerate the others. This may help narrow down drugs to try next/combos at lower doses that may be tolerable to you.
Thank you so much for help, you have no idea how bad my life is. I have injuried shoulders and knees and can barely move. I have tried ARBs and ACEs, they caused the same nasty side effects : breathless, heavy legs, dizziness, sweating all the time, complete impotence and fatigue. I think if I try one of ARBs then all of them cause the same side effects right? I tried Cozaar and Atacand anyway.
I'm weaning off diltiazem because of the severe dry eyes and blurry vision it's causing. I have tried Norvasc 5mg, but my heart rate was up so I stopped it.
I found that in Egypt we have Carvedilol 25mg, should I be trying it? I hope it's better than Bisoprolol 5mg.
Thanks for help man
Mike
Thank you so much for help, you have no idea how bad my life is. I have injuried shoulders and knees and can barely move. I have tried ARBs and ACEs, they caused the same nasty side effects : breathless, heavy legs, dizziness, sweating all the time, complete impotence and fatigue. I think if I try one of ARBs then all of them cause the same side effects right? I tried Cozaar and Atacand anyway.
I'm weaning off diltiazem because of the severe dry eyes and blurry vision it's causing. I have tried Norvasc 5mg, but my heart rate was up so I stopped it.
I found that in Egypt we have Carvedilol 25mg, should I be trying it? I hope it's better than Bisoprolol 5mg.
Thanks for help man
Mike
Agreed, OK so ACEIs ARBS are out.
In regards to diltiazem, if dry eyes was the only issue, then give verapamil a try. These drugs are similar, but absolutely not idenitical.
Did you get dry eyes with norvasc? Another thought, if heart rate was your complaint with norvasc, then you could ask your doc to add a bit of beta blocker to the norvasc to blunt the reflex tachycardia youre seeing.
Carvedilol is perhaps a better drug, but I think this depends on what you dislike about bisoprolol. If your complaint is fatigue, I suspect carvedilol wont be any better. But, it is worth a try, as is bystolic (nebivolol).
Aliskiren is another option as well (perhaps you might save it for last).
So, thoughts I have are:
- Try Verapamil (CCB)
- ask about adding a bit of beta blocker (bisoprolol would be good I think) to norvasc to blunt the heart rate increase (Im assuming you had no issues with norvasc other than that)
- If fatigue is getting to you with beta blockers, you might try coreg, nebivolol, but you are likely to have fatigue issues with all of them IMO
I don't know man I'm so confused right now
The first time I took Norvasc I almost fainted, but when I had coffee I came back to normal. I started to feel that my eyes are better now, no blurry vision at least and it's less dry. I took 5mg of Bisoprolol yesterday, but in few hours I felt that I was hit by a truck.
diuretics caused dizziness and heavy legs too , Verapamil would cause the same side effects as Diltiazem too.
Right now life is very difficult for me
Do they know what is causing your high blood pressure? How high is it? You mention that your knees, etc. cause you considerable pain. Pain triggers a sympathetic nervous system response and may be to blame for at least part of your high blood pressure. If that is the case, then you might want to consider focusing on ways to treat the pain you suffer from. There are cases of hypertension where no root cause can be found, but there a many when hypertension is actually a symptom of some underlying problem.
Have you made the suggested lifestyle changes for lowering blood pressure? For instance, the DASH diet, maintaining a healthy weight, healthy sodium/potassium ratios, not drinking a lot of alcohol, not smoking, avoiding caffeine, making sure you get adequate sleep, nominal fructose intake, etc. There are a number of people for which these lifestyle changes make a big difference.
Another way to lower blood pressure is with herbs and therapies. Some of the most successfully tested herbs include CoQ10, garlic, and hawthorn. Dandelion is also an amazing natural diuretic. As far as therapies go, your only real choices are rhythmic breathing (Stress Eraser, Resperate) and isometric handgrip therapy (Zona Plus). Both seem to help calm the sympathetic nervous system and isometric handgrip therapy has also been shown to help improve artery function. My grandfather had great success with the Zona, so I will admit I am a bit biased but I have heard of people using both successfully.
I really hope you are able to find some answers soon and can get back to living life to its fullest!!!
Cartner did you get shortness of breath and a fast pulse when you were on some of these meds? I found that to be true with Benicar and lisinopril. Benicar it was way worse but then I was on a higher dose.
Thanks for your support and help. I have hypertension way before my joints problems. My parents and my sisters have high bp, so it's in our Genes. I have tried all drug classes with failure, I just took a duiretic one hour ago and I started to feel dizzy and my mouth is very dry, also I think it affects my eyes too
I don't know what else to do, it seems there is no hope. I use Hawthorn but I can't depend on it alone, I can't exercise because of my joint problems. I can barely walk!
I don't know man I'm so confused right now
The first time I took Norvasc I almost fainted, but when I had coffee I came back to normal. I started to feel that my eyes are better now, no blurry vision at least and it's less dry. I took 5mg of Bisoprolol yesterday, but in few hours I felt that I was hit by a truck.
diuretics caused dizziness and heavy legs too , Verapamil would cause the same side effects as Diltiazem too.
Right now life is very difficult for me
Did you try less than 5 mg norvasc? Did 5 mg lower your bp too much, causing the faintness? Did you try a lower dose?
Verapamil is not exactly the same as diltiazem, so you wouldnt know if youll have the eye effect unless you try it. Sure they both impact mostly calcium channels on cardiac tissue, but their action is not quite the same.
With diuretics, again, did you try a very low dose at first??
Flutterbye77,
I have the same side effects you had on both ACEs and ARBs , actually more.
I totally understand but my doctors didn't. I also never knew anyone with the same side effect. For me it seemed the lower my pressure would go, the shortness of breath and pulse would race. I hated it!! I don't know what you can do ither than live with the side effects. I know it sounds terrible but it's better than having the side effect of high blood pressure.
what is your blood pressure without meds? because i have noticed one thing you and I share and that we both tend to have a high diastolic, which most people battle with the systolic. I am wondering if there is some connection.
Last edited by Flutterbye77; 02-13-2011 at 09:04 AM.
Yes I have a high diastolic too, my bp without meds can be 140/110 sometimes or 150/100 - 140-100. Actually, at times it can be 130-100
My problem is not only with the readings but with the symptoms, even if my reading is 130/90. I feel breathless and I get dizzy when I stand up instantly. This is without medications, when I take diltiazem for example those symptoms disappear and I feel good (regarding those symptoms only). It's really wierd!!!
I am starting to get the feeling that you are trying everything on your own, without a proper diagnose or follow up. Is this correct?
The symptoms that you describe, "breathless and I get dizzy when I stand up instantly" are not normally related with BP, but with other diseases, and you also indicates that you have them even with normal BP (130/90). Have you ever been evaluated by a cardiologist??
In the other hand, what is exactly the problem that you have with your joints?? There are many things that can be linked...and what medications do you take for them?? In particular any NSAID like Ibuprofen or alike, will increase your BP.
You say it is genetics ... my view on that is that UNLESS you know what is the gen, and you have been tested for it, and you know what is the process that that particular gen controls, there is a good chance that all the genetics issues translate in deficiencies to process or produce some key nutrients ... then adding those solve the problem easily.. and that brings me to another question... Have you ever been tested for Vitamin D deficiency?
Low Vit. D may increase BP, and produce deficiencies in autoimmune system that can translate in terrible joint pains...
I was diagnosed with essential hypertension long time ago, I guess I was so young maybe 14 or so. But I'm not following up with any dr at the moment, they don't know much over here! Like one dr who insisted that Cozaar has no side effects and it was all "in my head". But Cozaar has nasty effects on my body , so they just don't listen man!!!
Yes Jesus I was evaluated with MANY cardiologists, many have PhD from the US, Germany and the UK yet they couldn't find anything other than trivial metral valve imcompetance. They said it has nothing to do with my symptoms, I had many blood work and most of it came normal except my TSH which is 3.54 but it's still normal though!
Have you ever been tested for Vitamin D deficiency?
No we don't have the accurate blood test in Egypt, the other one we have is not the accurate and way too expensive ($125). I don't see the sunshine AT ALL, beacuse it hurts my eyes and even if I do all my body is not exposed to the sun because of the clothes. I'm not near the beach at all, I'm about 128 km away from it.
The joint pain I have is due o injuries so I don't think it's related to vit. D. But I know I might be Vit D deficient, I take around 5,000 to 7,000 IU a day (start 2 weeks ago).
I took a duiretic few hours ago but it caused a sensetivity to light, my bp is 145/95 right now
A bad functioning of thyroids can justify your BP, as you know the TSH only reflects the fact that the Pituitary gland is trying to make the Thyroid gland to work, the real test for the Thyroids are the T3 and T4 levels.
What is the diuretics and dose that gives you visual problems?
Considering that your BP is not that high, that you are young, a possibility could be suppress salt intake, continue with Vit D, stop medication and ,if you need it, try to loss weight and see how do you feel after 1 month. That constant change of medication, seems quite crazy to me.
Jesus
PS: As I told you the symptoms that you indicate are not normal from HBP.
The following user gives a hug of support to jeda: cartner (02-13-2011)
I started indapamide 1.5mg SR just 3 hours ago or so. My thyroid FT3 and FT4 levels are ok, only the TSH is 3.54 (ref range is 0.35 to 5.5) but in the US they say treat TSH if it's over 3.0 so I don't know . I take coconut oil which is said to be good for HypoT, but I had to stop most supplements now until I get this bp under control.
Yes I switched from Diltiazem, aftr 6 years, to Bisoprolol to Indapamide in less than a week. I feel crazy lol, I appreciate your help Jesus!
I might do as you say, this is my only way out as I see it!
Thanks alot man,
Mike
The Following User Says Thank You to cartner For This Useful Post: jeda (02-13-2011)
On a BB my heart rate is in the 60s, on Diltiazem (not Amlodipine) my heart rate is in the 70s. On a diuretic it's in the 70s too. Without meds it's in the 80s to 90s, with junk food it reaches 100s and bp spikes even if I take medication.
but I have heard of people using both successfully.
lol, I appreciate your help Jesus!
