Doxazosin
Posted , 4 users are following.
Been on 4mg Doxazosin as well as 3 other meds for last 9 months. Had to stop taking in the day because it was making me too light headed, so I took it at night. When combined with the other 3, my BP came down to about 135/85 for about 4 hours in the day going back up to about 170/95 for the rest of the day. The side effects make the drug very hard to live with, mainly dizziness, blurred vision, erectile dysfunction, migraines and the worst one, it attacks the bones in my feet. This week I have had 3 days off work unable to walk and in so much pain that put me to the edge. It starts like Gout in my big toe and the spreads around the foot finally hitting your ankle, my foot currently looks like a blown up glove it is so swelled up. I think it could be something that was eaten that could trigger it, as I have had 2 outbreaks before but with another drug (ending in 'INE) and one time I ate rich Ice-Cream (Ben & Jerrys) which is what I had last Monday night. I am also going to take Magnesium tablets because I think low magnesium could be a cause as well. My BP left untreated got to 245/130, yes I was being looked at like I should have been dead, which was unsettling to say the least. I have had CT scans, Ultrasound, ECG, 24hr monitoring, and there was no evidence of what is causing it, never smoked and drank 2-4 units a week. A specialist wanted to increase my meds, which would have made my life not worth living, so nothing really has been done to get my BP below 150/90. BP is in my Dad's side of the family and I think that is one of the reasons that it is so high, the main reason though is that at 5' 8" I am about 270 lb, about 100 lb over what I should be, so that is what I am working on now, basically if the BP does not kill me the Meds will, my advice if you have high BP and you are over weight, LOOSE it! Certain body types are prone to increased BP so why burden it with weight? This will help you lower your BP a lot safer than taking pills, quality of life will return and you will feel and look better as a result. (I live in the UK)
0 likes, 11 replies
MrsO-UK_Surrey tim82248
Posted
Tim, Snap! I've also been on Doxazosin for about 9 months. Already take Losartan Potassium 50mg, with several other drugs having been added tothis over the last couple of years but all falling by the wayside because of my sensitivity/side effects. Have been desperately trying to cope with the Doxazosin side effects as I'm fast running out of medications that will either work to bring my BP down or not produce horrendous side effects. Current side effects is muscle pain on walking and getting out of breath, also very swollen and inflamed legs and ankles with one ankle being quite painful and blocked-feeling - the latter not being helped by this spell of gorgeous weather! I have made an appointment with a GP for Monday - apparently a locum - poor soul will wonder what's hit him - can't take diuretics or many other drugs as I have only one kidney and that is now low functioning - a couple of the past BP drugs have had very deleterious effects on the function.
I so agree with your advice to lose weight. However, I was never unduly overweight before all these pills (10 stone and 5ft 4in) - alas they are now to blame for bloating me and making it impossible to fight the increasing pounds - now nearing 11 stone!
I don't have a clue what my blood pressure is doing - ceased taking it ages ago as got more fed up when seeing it was still raised in spite of drugs with horrid side effects. The last time it was taken by the renal registrar it was 180/75-ish (was 210/90 pre-treatment), and she told me if it was the same at home to increase the Doxazosin by taking another 2mg pill at night. Dread to think how bad the side effects would be if I did that.
Good luck with your plan to lose weight - you probably already know to avoid salt and drink plenty of water. Also avoiding diets high in refined carbs can help.
mike92384 tim82248
Posted
Hi tim8248...
It seems you're having quite a time with things. There are people out there who have resistent hypertension (no matter what's done, the bp is high), for no explanable cause..it is what it is, but that doesn't do the patient any good. We're always taught that if there is something going on in the body, it can cause the bp to be elevated, but when there doesn't appear to be anything going on, or the medical staff can't find anything, naturally our minds start to work. You definitely are doing the right thing by trying to lose weight. It's common that when people lose a significant amount of weight, their bp goes down, therefore the doctor reduces the amount of bp medications. You didn't state your age. Here in Canada most medical professionals don't keep increasing bp medication on people say, 60+ IF their bp is fairly reasonable say around 140/80...why? because the quality of life comes into play, & increasing medications only increases the chances of side effects, making the patient feel ill all the time.
Actually, you'd be surprised at the number of people who truly believe that the normal bp reading is 120/80...that's not always true.
Being 5'8" & 270 lb., most definitely losing weight will help you. Even if it doesn't lower the bp by much, you still will benefit health-wise at a lower body weight.
I take 50mg Atenolol, (1xday), 1mg Doxazosin (1xday) & Coversyl Plus HD 8mg/2.5 (1xday), & my bp is at 140/80. When my doctor stated the reading, I was a little surprised because I too had lost some weight..not a lot..about 10lb., I'm much more relaxed now (having gotten rid of the Dr. I had & back with him), so I couldn't understand 'why' it is still at 140/80. He said that I had the long drive to his office, etc.etc.& he was not about to start jumping up/down about it. He didn't change the meds. He's a very thorough physician, not one who's quick to write a prescription. If he told me it was possible for me to stand on my head, & spit out $1.00 bills, I'd believe him, that's how much faith I have in him as a Dr.
So..stick to your plan of losing weight..walking, etc.etc. Exercise has also been proven to lower bp,but of course I'm sure you're aware that you won't see the difference overnight. It will take a little time.
From what you describe,it seems your bp spikes as the day wears on. Have you suggested to your Dr. that you take some of the meds in the morning, then the rest later in the day?? That can sometimes prove to be a good method. When taking your meds, be sure to take them with food. That can help with the nausea caused by the pills.
Sorry to be so long-winded but I thought you may benefit from my suggestions.
Good luck, Buddy!!!
tim82248 mike92384
Posted
Hi Mike
I am 44, and have had hypertention for 15 years at least. My average weight in that time has been about 235lb, so it seems to tie in with my situation. Definetly plan to do more excercise, I used to do a lot more than I did but I started a new job a year ago and put all my time to that.
When my doc took my BP, after I had a bad nosebleed last Nov, caused by having a cold virus at the time, which put my BP through the roof, the doc sent me straight to Hospital where they took a reading. The electronic one just said 'E' (Error) but the manual one said 289/165 you can imagine the look on the nurses faces, obvioulsy I got the 'fear' of being in a hospital as well which did not help the reading. That was when I was put on Doxazosin...
Bob37393 tim82248
Posted
My investigation into Doxazosin, after getting similar side effects to yours, established that it during its testing phase against a blood pressure reducing drug it was deemed 'more than 100% less effective' because of excessive outcomes of 'morbidity'.
?You can draw your own conclusions as to why it was withdrawn from the drugs trial as a blood pressure reducing agent.
I think these are likely to be in line with the comments in your paragraph.
?
MrsO-UK_Surrey Bob37393
Posted
Bob, could you please tell me where you read about "excessive outcomes of morbidity' with Doxazosin and where it says it ? was withdrawn from the drugs trial as a blood pressure reducing agent, please?
tim82248
Posted
Thanks for all your comments!
Finally able to walk outside today for the first time in 4 days! I cannot believe how much my vision has improved since I stopped taking it, it is like viewing everything in HD! The reason I stopped taking it was because it caused the inflammation in my foot to spread and get a lot worse after I took my dose on Weds night. I never planned to stop it totally, because I know it can be very dangerous, my plan was to lower the doseage and then stop.
I get the feeling that not enough research into high BP has been carried out. Peoples bodies are individual and all react differently to treatment. People like me, although overweight, does not add salt to food, ever smoked, and drinks maybe a pint of lager a week has a BP of over 220/120 yet there are people morbidly obese, takeaways all the time, smoke and drink every day, but their BP never goes above 150/90! It is very frustrating and has wasted a lot of my time and money because of going round in circles. I do not feel that any treatment I have had so far has helped me.
So, yeah the ball is in my court, and that is why I need to loose weight, because it is the only chance of lowering my BP whilst retaining a 'quality of life' I just wanted to help anyone else because my last week has been a living hell.
Bob37393 tim82248
Posted
Attempting to reach BP targets will for many make life not worth living.
tim82248
Posted
mike92384 tim82248
Posted
tim82248...The Pharmacist did you a huge favour, AND was doing his/jer job when informing you of the conflict Magnesium tablets can cause while the patient is on bp meds. Had you not been informed, you could very well have wound up a very ill person,& that pharmacist would have been negligent.
As for your weight...You most certainly are doing the right thing by trying to reduce your weight. You don't drink much, have takeaway only occassionally, & have started an exercise regime. I hear you when you say about those people who eat poorly, drink a lot, do a lot of fast foods, are overweight, yet don't have problems. I have a friend who hasn't seen a doctor in years, is overweight, doesn't eat the best, & "says" the bp is fine, which I don't truly believe. One reading here/there is not an indication that things are fine. However, the mind boggles when you know these things, yet you are engaged in quite the battle to restore your health.
Please let us know how you get on with things.
mike92384 tim82248
Posted
further...IF you are the one who decided to stop taking the Doxazosin, you are doing the right thing by WEANING yourself off. Doxazosin is one of the meds that should not be suddenly stopped. I never advocate anyone stopping medication without consulting their Dr. I hope you consulted your doctor.
Bob37393 tim82248
Posted
With regard to coming off Doxazosin, I experienced faecal incontinence after my GP upped my dosage and had taken three doses of it within 24 hrs. I had to do something immediately to stop it or risk confinement to the toilet.
?I filed an electronic Yellow Card report to the UK MHRA and asked for a GP appointment. The former was the quickest way of getting in touch with my GP.
?I told my GP I was going for a full 'drug washout' which he didn't agree with.
?However I had begun High Resolution Pulse Oximetry recordings during treatment that indicated drug related onset of Congestive Heart Failure so I had evidence to back up course of action.