Is it possible to find a Hypertension tablet that does not cause bad side effects ?

Posted , 4 users are following.

I have tried so many B/P medications and altho thet bring my blood pressure down i get very bad side effects , I am on a beta blocker abd can tolerate that but nothing else ! I do have Fibromyalgia /cfs and i think that can cause an intolerance , my GP says i should be able to take one but at the moment im struggling with Losartan , it gives me so much pain i cry as there is no answer ! can anyone please help , the medical profession have no answers ! I have a pacemaker so need to have my blood pressure controlled , i am at my wits end ,, have also seen a cardiologist who ordered some tests to see if anything else causing it ,, all ok so he gave me spironolactone which brought my sodium levels down ! really fed up

0 likes, 12 replies

12 Replies

  • Posted

    Hi Gwen, we are, it seems "sisters in suffering".  I don´t think there is one blood pressure medication that has no side effects. They ALL HAVE THEM. I have gone through most of them - I´ll spare you the details. There are some lucky patients who do not suffer from any of the side effects, but I am not one of them. And obviously, you are not either.

    Keep trying and good luck

    E.

    • Posted

      Thanks for this elke ,,, now i know there is at least one person like me ! everyone i know manages to take one ! Looks as tho you got some horrible side effects as well ! The drs look at me now as tho im making it up !
    • Posted

      Gwen, I know the feeling. Fortunately my doctor (in Spain!) is very sympathetic and does her very best.  But, whatever I take - I still have the SE.  Calcium channel blockers, so very effective, are the worst. The ARBs I can just tolerate but they don´t do much to my blood pressure. And so on. I once wrote to a medic who gives advice in our local paper and his reply was:  .... it is just a trial with errors, finding the right one. As I said before, keep trying.

      Wishing you luck,

      Elke

    • Posted

      Thanks Elke , how nice to live in Spain , You are lucky to have a sympathetic doctor ,, here in England some are better than others , mine said i may have to settle for the one with least side effects , i would of course but she does not seem to understand how bad the side effects can be ! the medic is right ,it is hit or miss but most seem to find one ,, not me tho ! can i ask if you are taking one now Elke ??
  • Posted

    Hi Gwen!

    The ONLY BP med that I ever took was Benicar that worked well! There is no generic so it's pricey if you don't have the right insurance. It's the only one that has controlled my BP with no side effects.

    I am Losartan now and am suffering with back aches and weight gain and still high BP.

    I am hoping to get back in th corporate world again-to get my good insurance back.

    • Posted

      Hello Garcia ,many thanks for replying ,, i just realised i must be on the US website as you mentioned insurance ! I will ask my GP about Benicar ,one i have not heard of ! good to read that it was ok for you ! In the UK its up to the surgery to decide if they can afford a dearer drug , they are very much bound by price these days ! I too am trying Losartan and have suffered from lots of muscle pains ,the latest being back pain , its no fun ! And yes wt gain as well ! I hope you soon get back into the world of business and get insurance back ! thank you again ,i will let you know how it goes ! and if i manage to try Benicar !
    • Posted

      Hi garcia1774...I'm a little confused. You said you took Benicar & it worked well to control your bp. Why are you now on Losartan???

      Losartan is an ARB..but so is Benicar. They are both in the same class of bp medications. This is what confuses me. Perhaps it's the difference (if there is any) of the fillers? 

    • Posted

      Hi Mike! I was able to afford Benicar at $30 a refill when I was employed thru my corporate insurance-- but I got laid off and now belong to Kaiser. Benicar is not a drug found thru their pharmacy. Out of pocket for a month supply of benicar is about $210.
  • Posted

    The culprit "could" be the Fibromyalgia. I hear that's a very painful condition...& it could be what you're feeling is the pain from that rather than what's happening with the bp medications. 

    • Posted

      THanks for reply Mike ,, yes you are right , Fibro is a very painful condition and not understood by the medical profession ! I actually was not getting much pain at all until i started B/P medication ,, it seemed every time i took a tablet i would get pain somewhere ! Now i do wonder if it is the side effects and fibro rolled into one ! Many people with it have a chemical imbalance in their system ,,, but as there is no test no one knows anything about it ! I have now been reffered to a Rheumatologist but i do not think they can do much except prescribe drugs which will no doubt have more side effects ! Life as i knew it has gone !
    • Posted

      Hi again, gwen...I don't know if this would help...but why not try a massage. Most people find a massage to do wonders for pain. You never know your luck. 

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