Lisinopril and combo medications

[strong_one]

Hi all!

I have been on lisinopril 20mg for over a week now and my BP is going down. It was really down a few days after I started taking it but I think the Avalide I was on was still in my system.

I've been having readings of 130/88 as my approximate BP range. I have an occasional spike late in the evenings waking me up. One had to do with a dream I had and I felt as if I weren't breathing. I shook it off and began breathing again...scared the bejeebers out of me. Took my BP after that and it was 150/102. It went down again once I calmed down!

Anyway, I talked to a friend of mine who also inherited the BP from his family. His doc went to a hypertension seminar and came back agressively treating him with combination of drugs. He came back with the notion that every point counts in reducing both numbers. So my friend is now on 3 bp medications and is running at an average BP of 122/75 which is awesome! That's at a doctors visit!

What med could compliment lisinopril. My Mom is on Lisinopril, Atenolol and Hydrochlorized.

Is it possible to take Avalide (at a reduced dosage) and Lisinopril since it did bring my BP down considerably!

[Random2]

130/88 isn't horrible. I would try to make lifestyle changes before going on more meds..... trust me. Excercise more, avoid drinking, cut down on sweets & sodium & see if you can do it on your own. Monitor it for a month.

From my experience, the less meds, the better. At 130/88, you should be able to lower it on your own. Take a yoga class or Tai-Chi.

Anyway, I talked to a friend of mine who also inherited the BP from his family. His doc went to a hypertension seminar and came back agressively treating him with combination of drugs. He came back with the notion that every point counts in reducing both numbers. So my friend is now on 3 bp medications and is running at an average BP of 122/75 which is awesome!

I understand, I am on a combination drug (Lotrel) at 5/20 & a beta-blocker, Atenolol at 100 MGS. It puts me at 116/66 on average. I usually take my B/P once & throw that reading out & average the 2nd & 3rd readings. I'm 34 now. Even at 22, my B/P was 137/75 or so. At this 116/66 range, I feel a lot more lethargic & not like myself. In another couple of years they will say that 110/70 is the norm. We as patients have to understand that the only way that GPs make $'s is through repeat appointments & kick-backs from drug companies. #'s change from day to day (mine are pretty much the same). 122/75 is awesome if it causes your friend no side-effects.

What effect do these B/P meds. have on glucose readings+. My last blood test was in May. I had a full CBC & my glucose was 103. It was the only slightly high # that I had. I don't eat sweets & I don't drink more than 1 glass of soda with sugar. My diet is pretty low in carbs. as well. I am only 151 pounds or so. I think that the meds. might affect glucose levels. All of my other tests were fine & they did a he** of a lot of them.

[bharkins]

I take a combo of lisinopril, metoprolol, norvasc and hctz and it was a long time before I found the right combo. My blood pressure now averages 110/73. It used to be horrible. Every person reacts differently to meds so it is difficult for anyone to tell you what a good combo would be for you. I believe you are new at this BP game. You will have to join all of us in the "quest" for the right meds. Best of luck.

[Palamedes]

girlofsteel,

I was looking at some of your past posts. And, it looks like you are a veteran at this game. You've tried atenolol (a BB), verapamil (a CCB), Atacand (an ARB), Avalide (ARB + diuretic) and now lisinopril (an ACEI). It sounds like you dropped them for various side effects. Did any of these have a positive blood pressure response? It's strange seeing someone go from an ARB to an ACEI. Usually, it's the other way around.

Also, in one of your posts you indicated that you have a resting pulse in the 110-139 range. That sounds high. Is it normally that high? Or, was this from the Avalide?

I can relate a little of my experiences. I was on lisinopril + HCTZ for a few days. I had the cough and a nasty throat thing (throat felt constricted; may have been angioedema?) with it. My doctor had switch me to HYZAAR (ARB + diuretic). Wow, did that hit my BP for a couple days. That's why I had suspected a combo effect in your case. In any case, HYZAAR ultimately ended up doing absolutely nothing for my BP.

In my search, there were only two drugs that had any impact on my BP:

One was Cardizem (a CCB). The only problem I had with this one was that it caused a headache (obviously unacceptable). But, otherwise, it had a very good BP response. When I posted about the headache, it seems that others have had this problem. Also, it's available in generic form. So, it can be very cheap depending on insurance. Of course, if you are paying out of pocket, it's rather expensive even as a generic. In any case, this one might be worth trying. If after a few weeks, lisinopril is proving to be side-effect free and gives you some BP control (but not enough), this might be something to try adding to it.

The other is Benicar (an ARB). I am currently on the 20 mg dose (no HCTZ). It is working very well for me. Since, you've already tried two different ARBs and had side-effects, I doubt this one would be any better. Afterall, you did list Atacand (another ARB) as one of your worst.

Oh well, best of luck. And, most importantly, don't put up with side-effects. If they are bothersome, you need to keep searching. I know it is very frustrating.

Pal

[strong_one]

Originally Posted by Palamedes

girlofsteel,
Also, in one of your posts you indicated that you have a resting pulse in the 110-139 range. That sounds high. Is it normally that high? Or, was this from the Avalide?
Pal

Hi Pal,

Thanks for the reply. I did have side effects with Avalide and it did little to my BP. It raised my pulse rate to that range. My doc didn't want to change me so she moved me up to 150 mg twice a day. My BP stayed around (resting) 154/95 and during the day I could feel it go up and down the highest at 175/105. I got so sick one day at the grocery store where my arms and legs got so weak, I got winded just walking and packing up my groceries and I felt as if I were in a daze walking around the store. It was awful. I wasn't sure if it were the medication or because when I got home and took my BP it was 175/107.

So no, Avalide did not work for me. The lisinoril has brought my heart rate down to normal range 70's - 100's (average). My BP has gone down. Average around 135/90. Initially, it was really low 109/68 but I think it was because of the Avalide still in my system. Now that it has been a week, the average is 135/90. I still want to get that down and would like to add a combo or at least maybe up the lisinopril. My mom takes 20 mgs Lisinopril twice a day, a diuretic and it works great for her.

I just got lucky with the lisinopril because of my Mom. Thinking that I am of course of her blood, I may have the same reaction to the BP medicine as she has. Sure enough, I pleaded with the doc and she changed me but took me off the avalide.

I heard with lisinopril that you can't take diuretics with it and why is my mom able to? I don't want to add it because I'm afraid of the effects it will have on potassium levels. Is this true?