Altace side-effects are driving me crazy..

[hpbguyfromca]

date: 3/1/03

Hi Everyone..

I am a 30 year old male and I just started taking Altace 2.5mg.

I have always had minor HBP of around 140-85, with spurts during the day of 150-90. I have been constantly successful in controlling my BP with exercise, proper diet, and a personal BP machine. (6'2" @ 209 lbs)

I recently started suffering from tremendous anxiety due to my sister (only 27) being put in the hospital for serious heart problems. She is now barely alive and waiting on a heart donor at Duke in NC. I believe that being so close to her as a kid has caused these, always minor, BP symptoms to increase recently. I am also taking Zoloft 50mg daily for the anxiety problem.

Presently, when I take a BP reading at night, I lie in bed and rest for about 15 minutes. I usually get around 133/82 at 65-BPM or lower, depending on my state of mind. Lowest has been 124/74 with a resting pulse of 61.

To help in relieving any Altace side-effects, I try eating something in the morning like some "Total" cereal. Then I have a snack at about 10am. I usually start feeling better at around noon which lasts me till the next day (assuming I can workout).

I take Altace/Zoloft at 4pm and have a regular dinner at around 6pm. I have found the having a light-controlled workout at home (8pm) helps to relieve most morning symptoms I sometimes have. I've been on Altace/Zoloft for the last 30 days or so.

These side-effect are: dizziness, constantly tired, lightheaded, ringing in the ears, numbness in the face-head, minor swollen calves and ankles, sexual decrease, and occasional chest pains.

I hope my HBP and anxiety are related to these family issues and hope they go away soon. Hopefully that will allow me to get off all these meds and get back to a normal lifestyle.

Sorry for the long message, I felt the need to rant since I fee like crap this morning and I feel the pain of all these other people suffering from these awful side-effects.

Thanks, Fabian.


[This message has been edited by flamaest (edited 03-18-2003).]

[hpbguyfromca]

Updated..


Finally stopped the Altace, is DIOVAN better?

Date: 3/18/03

Hi All,

Finally stopped taking the crazy Altace 2.5mg (3 weeks) after talking to my doctor. Geez, I felt great the very next day.

Question: My doctor started me on Maxzide-HCT 75/50 and i had one pill this morning. Oh My LORD, I feel really bad.. dizzy, fatigue, faintish. seem like this is the freaking highest dosage for this drug.. ***???

Also, How bad is it to take the generic form of this med..? is the maxzide that much better?

Is this better then Diovan hct???? Should I continue to push for Diovan hct?

HELP!!!

F.

[brynn311]

I have been taking altace since last thursday, with no side effects. I am also on Diovan hct. I noticed being a little tired the first 3 days, but now I am feeling ok. I hope that it stays this way! lol

[zuzu8]

I'm so sorry to hear about your sister...you must be in a chronic state of anxiety right now.
BP meds are a pain. They all have their own side effects and everyone reacts differently to all of them. Some people are lucky and do well with the very first med they are prescribed. Most of us have had to experiment quite a bit before we find one whose side effects don't trash us!
Altace made me feel lousy and produced a terrible cough.Like you I felt like my old self almost immediately after I got off it.
Dyazide (same as Maxide)...(diuretics) was the worst for me. Screwed up my electrolytes (potassium especially) and I experienced horrendous weakness, fatigue, dehydration, thirst, dizziness.
Now I'm on Diovan. Not Diovan HCT (which has a diuretic in it). It is an angiotensin 11 receptor blocker and is known to be a drug with WAY fewer side effects than the above.But again, if one can tolerate diuretics, like Maxide, studies show they are a great boon to medicine for the control of hypertension, and are often the first drug of choice.
That said however, if Maxide is making you feel lousy, ask your doctor if diuretics are necessary for you at ALL. And ask if regular Diovan ((NOT Diovan HCT) would be a sensible choice.
Have patience. There's a lot of trial and error with these meds. Bottom line is that no one drug is "better" than another, It depends on the individual, their general health, their metabolism, the degree of hypertension, a million variables.
Have a talk with your doctor. Diovan may be the answer. (WITHOUT the ADDED diurectic).
Let us know what happens.


[This message has been edited by zuzu8 (edited 03-19-2003).]

[hpbguyfromca]

Hi All,

Finnally got Diovan 80mg (non-HCT)in my system about 16 hours ago.

Although I feel a slight dizzyness (VERY SLIGHT) but no other side effects so far. I think it may be the Altace going away still.. we'll see..

Much better than Altace.. that is a bad bad drug..

When do you take your diovan..? PM, AM..?
F.