Losartan/Weight

Thats very good to know MrsO, thank you so much!

i am sorry for your eye and other troubles. I hate taking meds for what they do to our bodies. I hope you feel better soon!!

Strange I woke up with a burst blood vessel in my eye earlier this month. A nurse once said that High BP can cause them. At that time I had several one after another.

Derek, I'd better check my BP then!  I stopped checking it a couple of weeks ago during a nasty chesty virus as I knew that coughing can raise BP.  The only other time I have experienced burst blood vessels in the eye (frequent ones) has been during the years I was on steroids, probably because they are known to have a blood thinning effect.  I remember at the time I also had a break from taking my daily fresh garlic due to try and reduce the episodes as garlic is also known to thin the blood.  Anyway, let's hope it's a one-off for both of us - would be more acceptable if it was around the time of Halloween! 

Mrs O,

I did ask another nurse who said burst blood vessels and headaches are not a common sign of hypertension.

I had resolved to go back on to Warfarin this year then the burst blood vessel and some strange bruises put me off.

Derek, I prefer the sound of the second nurse!!

​Would something like Clopidogrel or even aspirin be a safer bet for you, although they are still known to thin the blood.  Difficult one, Derek.  What does the GP advise?  Could the burst blood vessel and bruising be down to BP meds perhaps?

Mrs O.

The first nurse was at the eye hospital and the second at the GP's surgery.

I do take aspirin but I have twice stopped warfarin due to joint pain. The NOAC's are contra indicated due to my tissue aortic valve. I need an an ablation for my AF so need/should be taking warfarin. They offered to do it without but I ran a mile as it puts the chances of a stroke during it down to about  1 in 20 rather than 1 in several hundred. 

 

Derek, let's hope the joint pain sorts itself out soon so that you can get back on the warfarin even if for a short time to allow the ablation to take place.

​Just trying to get a check on the present situation with regard to one of my own valves (mitral valve prolapse), but GP won't do it without paperwork from a consultant agreeing that he thinks a check is necessary - haven't had one for 18 years since it was diagnosed!!  She also asked me to get it in writing from my rheumatologist that I need to be checked for any sign of aortic aneurysm due to my history with GCA.  Of course my rheumy has emailed me straight back with confirmation that I have to have annual X-rays.  It seems as though there isn't any money in the kitty, especially for 'oldies'!!

Mrs O. The joint pain has been gone since I stoped the warfarin in August 2014 as it did when I had previously stopped it the year before.

They said that my leaky mitral valve is not a problem and snap my aortic aneurysm has only grown from 3.1 to 3.9 cm in fourteen years. They are much less common in ladies who are not included in the national screening campaign.

My head MRI 'currently' showed no sign of GCA! I wonder why they said currently?

Derek, well the only reason I would have thought to insert the word "currently" would be that something had shown up on a previous MRI.   GCA can affect any area of the body (only being seen on special scans) but if it affects just the temporal arteries, then a temporal artery biopsy is usually carried out, although these are not always diagnostic as the large cells they are looking for can escape the tiny portion of artery removed.  Any suspicions, then just remain alert to any problems with vision and act immediately.

​Had to call paramedics to hubby this morning - agonising stomach pain.  They couldn't get a line in for intravenous pain-killing in spite of trying for an hour and a half so he's been carted off to A&E., which he and they didn't want but a phone call to the GP decided A&E was necessary.  So I'm waiting for a call from A&E......trying not to worry but not doing very well!