Losartan just starting

When I first started Losartan I used to feel light headed when standing up. It took quite a few months before it abated.

How low does your BP go before you don't take the next dose?

Personally I always feel better when my BP is on the igh side.

My BP was high when I initially started on the Losartan but it's only recently, probably in the last 3 weeks it was very low ie 90/60. I haven't taken another Losartan since then because I fainted. My BP today was 129/85 so it's starting to creep up again. In other words my BP is unstable but I manage it myself.

Once or twice a month I get lower night time readings than 90/60 and that that can be after a morning high of 200/100. None of the drugs I've taken over the past fifteen years have ever controlled my labile BP but Losartan does not give me or evidently most others much in the way of side effects.

Have you tried taking taking half a tablet night and morning ? With me it makes no different to my high morning readings.

Hello derek. Taking half a tablet twice a day has never crossed my mind but it's a very good idea. Will give it a try. It just might control my unstable BP.

I've tried all the permutations, Tablet in the morning, Tablet at night, Half night half morning but my BP is so variable it does not make much difference.

Perhaps what we need is a slow release patch.   

You should write to the drug companies and suggest a slow release patch. It's a good idea.

I Googled and found: The anti-hypertensive drug clonidine is available in transdermal patch form but perhaps not in the UK as it is only listed in tablet form in BNF. It evidently would not suit me as I have a slow heart rate. It is also prescribed as an anti smoking aid and for migraine and menopausal hot flashes... again not me:-)

From an America site. Transdermal clonidine comes as a patch to apply to the skin. It is usually applied to the skin every 7 days. Follow the directions on your prescription label carefully, and ask your doctor or pharmacist to explain any part you do not understand. Use the clonidine patch exactly as directed. Do not apply it more or less often than prescribed by your doctor.

Clonidine patch controls high blood pressure but does not cure it. It may take 2-3 days before the full benefit of clonidine patch is seen in your blood pressure readings. Continue to use clonidine patch even if you feel well. Do not stop using clonidine patch without talking to your doctor. If you suddenly stop using clonidine patch, it can cause a rapid rise in blood pressure and symptoms such as nervousness, headache, and confusion. Your doctor will probably decrease your dose gradually over 2 to 4 days.

 

If it's available in the US it will eventually be available in the UK at some point. Thanks for that.

My next hypertension clinic appointment is not until July but I'll ask at the pharmacy next time I have a repeat prescription to collect.

I do hope I don't get to fainting stage Matron ! :-)

I hope so as well linda. Just keep an eye on your BP. I shouldn't have let it get to that stage to be honest. I'm now being more careful.

Derek76..I'm sure you know..there isn't anything that cures high b/p. It can only be CONTROLLED. Some take longer than others to get it under control. As for the Clonidine patch, be very careful about what you ask for. There's an ingredient in that which may be to some peoples' detriment. Please read the ingredients carefully. Your physician should be able to coach you about this, especially if you already are taking bp

medications. 

 

I know that well as I was dignosed in 2000 and my figures are not that much lower now.

I said that that patch would not suit me as I have a slow heart rate. I am always dubious about drugs that also are prescribed for other conditions that I don't have.

The thing that's concerning me at the minute it the muscle pains I'm getting and joint pains ...if it is connected to the Losartan I hope it wears off.....I feel quite weak too. I hate medications, I'm always the 1 in 10,000 that gets effects lol 

You know linda there are so many viruses and bugs around your aching muscles and joint pains could be unrelated to the Losartan. You could always try a couple of paracetamol and see how you feel. It's just a thought.

Yes  did that , took paracetamol, not as bad as it was fingers crossed             :-)

Well I thought it was worth a try. Keep in touch.

Exactly what permutations have you tried?

When I was shifting myself from a daily dose to twice daily, I popped in a third dose a lunchtime for a while.

I also used 12.5mg doses to take me up slowly to 75mg bd over some weeks and monitoring with the BP machine.

I don't think I've had the great fluctuations except when in the surgery as the systolic can go right up to 190.

What are the dosages your are on and have tried?

Of Losartan?

I started with 25mg that was upped to 50mg and then 100mg. At that point I was also taking verapamil. I tried alternating them between moring and night and also splitting the dose between morning and night. Verapamil was stopped after my aortic valve replacement. Since then I have taken Losartan at night or morning or split the dose between morning and night.

For the past two months I have just been taking 50mg at night. At the begining of this month I stopped Losartan for two weeks to see what happened. My average daily BP went up slightly from 149/76 to 154/77 but I did not have so many very low readings. I went back to taking 50 mg at night after a couple of worrying morning highs of 208/83 and 217/101. 

It's getting too complicated for me but I would not change myself from twice a day dose now.

I was on 100mg at night, then 50mg twice daily, then 62.5mg twice and then 75mg twice daily, and my pressure went down to the 125s from 135-165 or so.

So, I'm very happy about my courage to disobey the "recommended daily maximum".

derek

Have you connected this to anything such as weather?  Benicar was working for me, but insurance says no without a coverage review.  BP would be 160/95 one day (rain/migraine) and 120/80 another.  Benicar did normalize it.  Took my first 50 mg Losartan, about 8 hours ago - No real change from about 150/85.  Benicar is more immediate.

Recently my BP has been much lower and I cut down to 25mg. I have now stpped taking it and not had a tablet for four weeks. I had a discussion prior to then with the consultant at the hypertension centreand he was quite happy with my taking it on an ocasional basis but to record when taking it on my BP records for him.