In Reply to: Stubborn Hypertension posted by Earl on November 04, 2000 at 16:17:24:
Earl - you don't say anything about your age, weight, height, lifestyle, fitness etc. You could be anything from 25 and morbidly obese to 50 and a triathlete! So its hard to make comments. Norvasc dilate blood vessels in the periphery - I got a few headaches while I was on it and also lead legs when I ran (I'm a runner). It didn't do anything to my heart rate.
You don't say what your untreated BP is? Do you have a monitor of your own? I have just bought one and am finding my BP at home is way under that in the docs surgery. In fact it looks like I can throw my pills away.
If I were you I reckon I'd be sick and tired of all this hassle - especially the headaches. NOT knowing your history is it worth going back to basics - make sure your weight and fitness are good, eat well, sleep well, don't be stressed - and that includes about this. And then maybe try going to a good herbalist and getting them to make something up for you. I have a friend here in OZ who has done this and now doesn't take any meds at all. There are herbs that will lower BP - I posted a useful link a few day ago and you can search that for likely plants. But a herbalist will know. I don't mean going to the health food shop and buying capsules, I mean taking that brown foul smeeling liquid which is the real stuff.
There is also a proprietory tablet available in the states - a herbal one - I don't know if it works or anything and could tell you the name but the listgod will wipe this message.
Good luck.