I know its was amlodipine!

Hello Steve. I am under no illusions when it comes to G.P's! Believe me you will not find a more cynical or realistic person than myself! Behind most professionals/officials there is a boss/superior as there is behind them etc influencing decisions and manipulating situations to as you put it "suit there own agenda" and when you reach the top it's usually the government! For the majority of diseases and illness's there are no cures only defenses i.e medicines (drugs) and why, because the PROFIT is not in the cure! That is why after perennial visits to the doctors and hospitals etc all you ever seem to get is help to LIVE WITH IT! Get to the next stage as it where. Example, most intelligent people know If these medical boffins can, grow genetically identical organs with stem cells not to mention transplant them, give a couple a child with IVF and all the other medical feats to numerous to mention, then they could cure the common cold anytime they like but they don't, why, because you wouldn't see all those ridiculously priced drugs (Beechems Lemsips pain killers etc) on the shelf in the supermarket! It's like the comedian Chris Rock says, our government can put a man on the moon but they can't make a car where the bumper doesn't fall off?? If you fall ill you need to have adequate insurance cover, were all going to die but at least if your covered you'll die on a mattress lol! Maybe this is just me and i'm overstating but i believe given the time they've been around for horrific things like cancer and sti's like hiv/aids should be curable but given the the profit the treatments generate not to mention keeping the ever increasing population at a near manageable level, the powers that be will not do it! I could go on forever mate as you've probably gathered it's not a good idea to get me started on a philosophical debate on the state of the world ha ha ! Peace

After visiting a consultant with reference to a previous eye operation my blood pressure was taken as a routine. I am an active, fit 64 year old male and not overweight but did think my blood pressure was high even myself - you can feel it. Anyway three new BP tests were taken over the next two weeks and my GP wanted to see me. After a probing discussion which seemed to me focussed on the side effects of Amlodipine he prescribed it for me. My late wife died 10 years ago, ostensibly from breast cancer but there is evidence it could have been as a result of misdiagnosis to the point that her consultant admitted giving her the wrong drugs for her condition. Armed with this new understanding of drug prescription I took the doctor's advice to Boots. The chemist there was also probing and, for the first time in my life wanted to actualy phone me, at home a week after I was supposed to start taking the drug, to check on side effects. I was suspicious and, because I was due to take a long Christmas tour of the south to visit my kids and grandchildren this weekend (Sunday 29th Dec 2013), decided to postpone starting the treatment until tonight. However, still reluctant to be a guinea pig, I checked online and found this site, I am pleased to say.

The blister pack is back in its box and going back to Boots. Apart from my experience with my late wife (she was 45) I have been involved in pharmaceutical engineering as a professional, and am aware of the vast profits made and now that the patient is a free test vehicle - Look round any GP surgery and find how many drug company adverts there are, disguised as advice for sufferers of this or that - my GP's pen was from a drug company! - I do not intend to advise readers here, only to say that I am not going to take this drug.

I think you are very wise Michael. I was very interested to read that the chemist wanting to phone you after a week to check on things. Recently my chemist said it was a new service being offered whereby if a patient went on a new medication they would phone to see how things were progressing. I had to sign to agree that I wanted this. They phoned me every couple of weeks to check. HOWEVER, the new medication was for BP ie the dreaded amlodopine, and then 2 different diuretics - so I wonder. Incidentally I don't think my chemist took my complaints about side effects that seriously (anymore than the doctor I saw).

I seem to have been unlucky with the diuretics as a blood test revealed very low salt readings and I have now been taken off them too. Appointment next week with GP - what next I wonder!

Michael, I do so understand your predicament especially following the very sad experience of your wife.

As far as Boots Phamacy is concerned though, I don't think you need to be suspicious. Like Annie, I was also contacted by Boots a week after commencing Amlodipine, with the pharmacist saying that they have started doing this when people are prescribed any drug for the first time. They rang a second time (obviously following the 'rules'), but I must admit that when I mentioned swollen ankles, they weren't forthcoming with any advice other than saying to check with GP, so a bit of a waste of time it seems.

I know of so many people taking Amlodipine now, without any problems - my hubby is one. He has taken it for several years and in the early stages when the dose was increased he suffered swollen ankles so the dose was reduced back down to the starting dose and another BP pill added.

Yes, I guess that Amlodipine is being commonly supplied because it is cheap. I suffered it for two months and was switched to Diltiazem. I still have the swollen ankles side effect, so guess I would have it from all BP drugs. However, for me many BP drugs are out of bounds due to having a sole kidney which is not quite up to par.

It might be of interest to you and others 'looking in' to hear that magnesium and pomegranate juice can help to reduce high BP. I have this information from a medical research scientist. I'm not going to try magnesium as I know from a recent blood test that my magnesium levels are normal. I am, however, drinking pure Pomegreat juice (not from concentrate) daily. Have exhausted all the other avenues: walk daily, keep to normal weight, no salt in my diet, and no caffeine.

I wish you luck with your BP and that it restores to normal without the intervention of medication.

Hello Mrs O, thanks for your comments - I am now looking at less dangerous options which seem to include a small amount of dark chocolate, bananas, baked potatoes, aspirin, berries - I already eat a lot of those - red wine and some nuts - I rarely touch salt or caffeine and avoid processed food. Living alone now I find a healthy diet easier than with the kids here. I always have a bowl of fruit, satsumas, apples, pears and enjoy walking. I am not in any way "green" or a veggie, but I just enjoy what's on the list fortunately. As a virually self employed temporary lecturer (apart from anything else) I don't have the luxury of paid time off work and do need to be presentable for students so the whole scenario became impractical as well. However I am glad your husband is responding well to Amlopidine. Apparently my blood is in good nick, according to the hospital so have no idea but it is interesting that emotional (mental) stress also contributes to BP problems but that is not often addressed.

Hello again Michael

Yes, the foods that you mention are all high in potassium which is supposed to be good for reducing high BP. Your diet sounds much like our's (well, apart from over the current Christmas period! ) and it certainly sounds as though you can't do no better diet-wise.

As for "emotional (mental) stress also contributes to BP problems" that has certainly been my experience. It was hubby blacking out on the bathroom floor in the early hours recently that resulted in me having dizzy turns a couple of weeks later and finding my blood pressure up in the very scary 200's. Wonderful treatment by paramedics and local hospital fitting a pacemaker has restored hubby to normal - now puss cat is poorly so more stress!

But you are right in saying that stress-related BP problems are rarely addressed - in fact, I am occasionally having reflexology sessions as a form of relaxation.

Interested to read that potassium is supposed to be good for reducingt BP. Just had another blood test result and now whilst my sodium level is okay, I now have a high potassium level. Got to repeat blood test at end of week.. Eagerly awaiting to see GP next Monday when all results should be in. Am concerned that as I am not taking any other medication other than valsartan which I have been on for ages, that my BP is now going to be high again.

Annie, if you haven't got a home blood pressure monitor, then you could always pop into the pharmacy and arrange for them to check it. It would save you unnecessary concern until your GP appointment next week.

Thanks Mrs OMy doctor actually gave me a BP monitor to use at home at my last visit. Took it yesterday and it was 151.91. I know this is high but it is about what it was when he took it a couple of weeks ago. However now I am off the diuretics. My ankles are getting a little bit puffy, and also I am noticing I am becoming more breathless again when doing stairs etc. This had improved whilst on them. Can’t seem to win, whatever.

Glad I went to theses post. I have the same problem started amlodopine 12 days ago and have all same things going on so I stopped the pill lat night and have felt a lot better today. Going back to my doctor .later in the week.

I'm now having the same problem with another BP med (Diltiazem (Adizem)) as I had with Amlodipine after taking it for 6 weeks. I'm sitting here with puffed up ankles and swollen legs and even my toes on one foot are swollen. I have been told by my rheumy that all BP pills can cause swelling, so not quite sure what the answer is going to be for me.

Sorry to hear about your problems MrsO. Although the diuretics i was prescribed caused me other problems, they certainly cured the swollen ankles and legs very quickly. Evidently they widen the blood vessels so help with BP. Might be worth asking your doctor about.

Thank you for the diuretic suggestion, Annie, but not too sure whether they will be advisable for me as I have just a sole kidney which is not filtering out at 100%. I fear that diuretics might put too much strain on the kidney. Actually, having had the sole kidney for very many years now, plus advancing years, is probably the reason for my high BP. Off to see a kidney consultant who also has a special interest in hypertension tomorrow so no doubt he'll be changing the pill yet again or adding in another. I'm quite pill-phobic and only believe in putting healthy foods into my body so I'lll probably come away somewhat depressed tomorrow! Interestingly I have recently seen a rheumatologist in whom I have great faith and he recommended that if the Diltiazem that I'd been prescribed caused side effects like the Amlodipine, then perhaps I could try a Beta Blocker called Sotalol which he said caused less side effects. If that caused problems then he recommended Irbesartan which I believe is from the same 'family' as the Valsartan that you take? He also referred to Bendrofleurozide (sp?) - is that the diuretic that you took? I did once take Candesartan (which again sounds like part of the same 'family') but the first blood test after starting that showed raised Creatinine so was taken off that quite promptly. However, a kidney consultant at the time said I should have stayed on it as it's 'normal' to see raised creatinine on Candesartan! I happen to recall that over all the years of having blood tests everyone has been quite happy to see that my creatinine has remained normal!!! Sorry I'm probably boring you now so I'll stop wittering on!

Not boring me at all Mrs O. Lots of helpful advice on this thread. Yes Bendrofleurozide was one of the diuretics I was put on. In fact I had 'no' side effects at all that I was aware of until the blood test revealed that it had obviously washed out all the sodium too.

My appointment is with my old GP (one I have had for over 25 years, but who is unfortunately retiring next year and has cut back to one day a week at the surgery.) I trust him implicity, he listens to me, and he treats people as people - not just names of patients. I had another blood test done today, so he should have the results of that plus the result of my renal scan and I will certainly mention IRBESARTAN to him. I am sure that I will need some medication to reduce my BP.

Incidentally what is creatinine, I have not heard of this before.

Re creatinine - see https://patient.info/health/routine-kidney-function-blood-test

Alan