I am a 19 year old female with HBP and had some adverse side effects in the past, what should I do?
Posted , 11 users are following.
I am a 19 year old female who was diagnosed with high blood pressure a month ago. At first I was prescribed amlodipine (2.5mg), but it gave me heart palpitations. Then I was prescribed lisinopril (2.5mg), but it gave me chest pains, lower torso pains, and pains "down there" (these pains were short and sharp yet dull) . (I took both of those medications during the day). Now I have been taking Bystolic (2.5mg), but at night to avoid side effects because I am a full time college student and I need to be awake and focused during class lol(though for like the first three days I woke up with a little shortness of breath). The only thing is it doesn't drop my blood pressure throughout the day like the others and today my blood pressure has been elevated causing my chest pains and slight tremors to come back. I am kind of afraid to take it during the day because I don't know how it would affect me. So I have a couple questions, what medication you would refer to a 19 year old who has a clean medical history? Why you think I may have had the adverse side effect I had in the past or what ingredient that's in those two medications you think I may be allergic to? What are the "safest" (I know no drug is truly safe to take, especially these ones) blood pressure medications? Also, how long do side effects last and if the effects went away after a few days because I was sleep and didn't know will they come back if I take the bystolic in the day time?
0 likes, 23 replies
jx41870 dungeonshawty
Posted
Yikes. Well, first, there are dozens of different BP drugs to try, until you find one that works for you. You tried amlodipine, a calcium channel blocker, which a lot of people don't like. You tried lisinpril, an ACE/ARB, which often has minor side-effects. You tried Bystolic, a new beta blocker, which often has minor side-effects at low doses and more side-effects as the doses increase. Another thing to try, and perhaps the least likely to cause side-effects, is a diuretic - hctz being about the most generic.
Of course it's unusual to have high BP at a young age. How can I ask this, um, could it be weight related?
All I can offer is to keep trying new stuff. I've had pretty good luck with olmesartan, an ACE/ARB. I also take some atenolol, an older beta blocker, it doesn't bother me at all awake, actually it bothers me more asleep as it makes me dream! I also take a tiny dose, 12.5mg/day, which is about 1/4 of a normal minimum dose. For me, that works great.
Of course follow dietary guidelines for BP, make sure you get at least a modest amount of exercise, and perhaps over time you can do without the drugs again.
dungeonshawty jx41870
Posted
Nope not at all weight related since I'm 5'6.5 and 120 lbs. I do excecise and I have been doing it more since all of this has been happening. The bystolic seemingly has a minor side effect but I have made an appointment with my doctor for next week about it and hopefully that side effect is gone by then. Thank you for your suggestions!
annie78444 dungeonshawty
Posted
How high is your blood pressure at home, monitoring during the day? How high was it before you started medications? Did you have a 24 hr bp monitor? i know the usa has different methods, so cannot comment, except to say that doctors would be very unlikely here in the uk to prescribe 3 different medications over just one month. All medications take time to adjust to, and to work.Also, there are other types of ACE, and there are ARBs, and other medications than beta blockers. And, if you had side effects, was it discussed with you to try reducing the doses?
Bystolic is what in the uk is called Nebivolol and in the uk it is usually used for older people who need to keep their pulse rate lower due to various issues older people get. I thought that was its main function. It has an added function in that it can lower bp as well, but it does not lower mine much. I use less than half of what you are using and still have side effects, but have to use it., as i am older. But you are young, and you have probably seen, on this forum, how difficult is can be to stop beta blockers, i would have a detailed talk with your doctor regarding your options.
dungeonshawty annie78444
Posted
I check my BP three times a day, morning mid day, and night time, before the meds it was around +125/+85 . It's called the same thing in the US I just like saying Bystolic lol. The medications have worked in lowering my bp, including this one, I've just had side effects that most wouldn't have. I'm sorry that your medicine is causing some side effects though you have to take it. prayers to you.
annie78444 dungeonshawty
Posted
Hi, thanks for your reply. i am confused, if your bp, before meds, was around 125/85 or more, home monitoring, i do not see the problem?? Especially allowing for the fact that personal home monitoring has to allow for any unconcious stress involved (24 hr monitoring with a machine from your doctor or hospital, with readouts which break things down is the gold standard - I have had 4 of these procedures and all invariably show my bp significantly lower than my doctor's, my hospital's and my own readings ). How is 125/85 high blood pressure? Sometimes people with specific problems or long term chronic conditions may be adviced to lower their bp further, but for a healthy person, at least here in the uk, your results pre meds would be fine. What are the recommendations in the US?
dungeonshawty annie78444
Posted
In the US, normal blood pressure is around 120/80 or lower for young people. As you get older your blood pressure naturally raises so +120/+80 in adults probably around 30 years or older is considerably fine. I found out that my BP was high because it started affecting me physically. I got a head pains (not a headache) with lots of pressure one day and then over time the pains spread to my neck, arms, torso, and legs. My body began to get tremors and seemingly nerve twitches too. It wasn't until I went to the doctor when they told me that it was my blood pressure. Everytime they checked it and when I would check it at home it would be pretty high. I'd done home remedies and even cut out meat and salt but it was still pretty high. That's when they prescribed me with meds and hadn't felt like that since then.
Conns dungeonshawty
Posted
Twitching muscles (fasciculations) can be attributed to low potassium levels. If your blood plasma potassium comes back in the normal range, you need to know that this is not a reliable test. Potassium can deplete at a cellular level. Get it checked out.
Paul
SpenceK dungeonshawty
Posted
That's such a young age to have HBP. Have they looked for a cause.
dungeonshawty SpenceK
Posted
I have no idea. I also think that I have been having it for a couple years now because I remember my pediatrician telling me and my mom that it was pretty high for my age I was probably around 14 at the time. I don't really get it since I don't entirely bad and back then I exercised way more. I think stressed may have caused it.
Lolasmom dungeonshawty
Posted
Why have you not researched into lowering your blood pressure naturally? Especially at your age. There are so many ways to lower you bp.
What high is your be?
henpen1980 Lolasmom
Posted
Exactly, we need a bit more info before being able to make suggestions.
dungeonshawty henpen1980
Posted
I think I have had it for years since I remember my pediatrician telling me to watch out for that but it just started affecting my body a few months ago. I eat relatively healthy, always have and I am 5'6 120lbs and exercise every week. I think stress may have caused it I don't really know. Believe me I have researched so much that I had to be told by my parents to stop so it doesn't worry me into the ground. I am tapping into my own methods of naturally lowering it. Before I was on the meds, I tried eating nothing but fruits and vegetables and it was lower but not low enough (around 120-125/80-90.
henpen1980 dungeonshawty
Posted
Well, under 140/90 so 139/89 is prehypertensive. If you are in the 120s/80s STOP worrying. What was your bp before you started taking Rxs? Honestly, you do not want to be on these meds. They are not (really) good for your body. The more you panic about bp and fret to the doctors the more you will complicate the situation.
One month. So much can happen in one month. Try to relax and go have some fun. You are so very young at 19.
Here's a story for you.
I was a highly trained athlete growing up through age 40-41... my bp was low 90s/50s to 100s/60s which brought about fainting from time to time if I stood up too fast. The bp was a by-product of all the training. We never worried about it. My resting hr was upper 30s and now today is still upper 30s to low 40s which can freak out others.
A life altering event resulted in my stopping all training and competing in my early 40s. I gained 120 lbs, skyrocketing my BMI from 13% to 38% and I started to watch my bp increase. I'm mid 50s now. After a horrible scare two years ago which resulted in a five days stay at camp cardiac and TONS of tests and procedures including a heart cath which showed "excellent" heart function despite having a previously undiagnosed moderate sized hole between the ventricle chambers-never knew I had this, they now say its probably a birth defect which was never found. The hole now explains why I sweat profusely exercising...my heart beats faster to pump blood around my body...who knew?
And my heart has this crazy issue with recharging between beats-never knew I had that issue either-the cardiologists tell me I could drop dead due to the recharging issue... Oh, and blockages in both carotid arteries (30% and 50%) never knew I had these blockages either... and bp that suddenly would soar (stress and anxiety response) to 206/110 the doctors and cardiologists including a rhythm specialist have referred to me as an anomaly. Oh and they found a tiny tumor on my brain during my camp cardiac stay thanks to the MRI which was looking for signs of a stroke. The event that lead to the camp cardiac stay was CRAZY. Too much to write about but I walked out of the hospital with 7 medical issues I never knew I had. I entered the hospital via ER with no medical issues other than the bp increasing as my weight increased. Really weird stuff.
Anyhow, I climbed back onto my bike and started riding again this past summer. My bp dropped to 110s/70s average and sometimes as low as 100/68...down from crazy swings 130s/80s to 170s/100s last school year. CRAZY stuff. I take a super low dose of lopressor - precautionary in nature; lipitor - to keep the blockages smooth not jagged no cholestrol issues just to smooth out the blockages; and one baby aspirin a day - precautionary. As I gained weight I developed "white coat syndrome" which the doctors in the state that I live in really don't champion. Regardless, my cardiologists continue to be baffled by what happened to result in the camp cardiac stay which they did eventually after a 6 month EKG study reluctantly diagnosed that I had a NONSTEMI ST Wave Myocardial Infarction without physical symptoms other than my EKGs looking like a long flat line and troponin slightly elevated during the hospital stay. Three cardiologists are still scratching their heads, me too.
You are so young, get out and have some fun. You don't want to be clogged up with a month long bp issue with really normal, high range of normal readings.
Oh, I am still chunky and need to keep working at chipping off the chunk (fat) should take off 100 lbs to keep the glucose and insulin in line but the bp and heart has been a-ok. The bike riding is doing its job.
My point is stuff happens. At the moment, it sounds like your bp is under control. Your readings are normal (high normal) ranges. You do know that you should take the reading once in the morning and later in the evening over a period of days, then you average ALL of those morning and evening readings to come up with your average. Do not take multiple readings back to back. Once in the morning. Once in the evening. Try not to freak yourself out. Get some exercise on a regular basis. Find a friend or two to talk with every day. Go have some fun daily. Relax and do not fret. Hopefully, you will not be taking these meds much longer. You do not want to take them at your age if you can recover-which you should be able to do with exercise and diet management. Keep your chin up and good luck to you.
Conns dungeonshawty
Posted
To have high BP at your age suggests to me that you should be investigated first and not sent on a roundabout of trying one drug then another. When I was 24 a routine medical at college recorded 245 / 130. It took 8 weeks of inpatient hospital tests to figure it out. Have you had blood tests?
henpen1980 Conns
Posted
Totally agree. It is difficult to offer suggestions without more info. Very glad that you are doing well Conns. 245/130 and still kicking, good job! What have you done to help get things under control? Rxs, lifestyle changes, surgery? Again good job!
Conns henpen1980
Posted
Hi,
The eventual DX was Conn's Syndrome. Considered rare at the time but now much more common although difficult to DX. If anyone is struggling with resistant hypertension you must get checked out for Primary Aldosteronism aka Conn's. For me, it was suggested that I undergo a Sub-Total Adrenalectomy in 1977 although today, with Bilateral Disease (which is what I had), you are no better off with surgery. The surgery did't fix things. Consequently the key has been to negate the affects of the excess Aldosterone with drugs, and engage in the DASH diet which helps to ensure you hit your 4700 mg potassium. The reason you must do this is that Aldosterone holds on to sodium and excreets the potassium causing a major electrolyte imbalance. My case (I'm 67) is unusual in that my survival has been fairly long term having been told in 1977 that you usually see this in autopsy! In September 2018 I presented my Case Study to the American Heart & Hypertension Conference held in Chicago alongside my US doctor from Wisconsin (I'm in the UK so very grateful to have him onboard as he trained with Professor Conn who first discovered the syndrome in the late 1950's / early 60's).
VeeWat Conns
Posted
i remember you were going to chicago. is your presentation on you tube by any chance?
Conns VeeWat
Posted
VeeWat,
No I'm afraid it isn't. Hoping to publish in the US or UK at some point.
Paul
dungeonshawty Conns
Posted
Oh my that's scary. Yes, I have had MULTIPLE blood tests testing various things and they all came out fine. They also checked my thyroid and it was good.