Switched from lisinopril 10mg to hydrochlorothiazide 25mg

Bazzank...you've tested just fine 8 or 9 times on 3 to 4 different manual machines. Perhaps when at the Dr., you are suffering from "White Coat Syndrome" which is VERY common. It's when one gets nervous in the Dr. office..& this causes bp to spike. Otherwise, the patient's bp would be normal. Did you know that bp can spike as many as 20pts in a Dr office??? It's true!.

Hi MrsO-UK Surrey...Idapamide is a different type of diuretic..actually it's better than HCTZ  but is usually found contained in a bp medication. In any event...for teresa06 to say her Dr. believes the Losartan would be too strong for her...that boggles me. Taking HCTZ along with something else DOES help reduce bp readings. It doesn't have to be the highest dose...start out low, then work up if necessary. The pharmacist was quite correct in saying the Losartan has the lowest side effects, but so does Valsartan. Both are in the classes of ARB's. My own Dr. prescribes Valsartan. It isn't any wonder she had a cough while taking LIsinopril. It's in the class of ACE's..which are known to cause hacking, dry cough. 1 in 4 get the cough while on ACE's. Honestly, I think she'd have better luck with a low dose Losartan along with HCTZ.

I only wish the pharmaceuticals would come up with ONE bp pill..one that does the trick for everyone...very few side effects...very effective, etc...but that's dreaming isn't it. Sometimes the medications themselves make us sicker than the ailment.

I so agree, Mike.  Isn’t it amazing though how some people can take a whole stash of pills without any problem?  Goes to prove how different we all are and let’s face it they only test these drugs on quite a small percentage of people when you consider how many of us are in this big wide world!  Even a recent change of eye drops prescribed made me itch all over.  I have decided that as  I was ‘made’ on a Friday when “the children were coming out of school”, I was a rush job with everyone dashing off early for the weekend!  

MrsO-UK Surrey....good laugh!!!!!!!! I was born on March 13...oh but it was early SATURDAY morning!

I do wonder at times why I have such rotten luck. I hate meds...& currently stopped taking the Tecta & other meds for the Gerd. The Gastroenterologist said it was ok to do this because they weren't helping anyway, but if I decide to start back..that was fine too. Or I could chew on Gaviscon. We're doing Gastroscopy May 17, so we'll see what's going on in the stomach. 

MrsO-UKSurrey...thanks for the good wishes. I'm hoping the Dr. does find something. At least this way, we know what to do. If it's nerves (I do have a neurological problem) then that does present a problem for me because the nerves could do damage elsewhere as well. I must think positive though.

Again...thanks!

Hello there. My mind is boggling over the fact that her Dr. stated that perhaps the Losartan would be too strong for her. Say, what!!??? Losartan is an ARB..not an ACE. ACE's are known to cause dry hacking cough, whereas the ARB's are not known for that. My GP usually prescribes Valsartan, which is also a member of the ARB family. If a higher dosage is first prescribed, then the patient is at risk  for side effects. Start with a lower dose, see how it goes, & if it works...great. If it's not quite doing the job...increase the dosage a little. The Dr. never gave her a chance...that's how I see it. BP of 139/90 is not high..that could be monitored for a while without meds. It may be considered high-normal, but isn't anything to worry about.

A racing heart at 105 when resting certainly is cause for concern though. It isn't any wonder she's experiencing headaches, dizziness & a foggy feeling. 

She made mention of perhaps going back on the Lisinopril, but what's the point? It interferes even with her job because of the cough., & the persistent cough certainly does put pressure on one's head. Think about it. This could be a cause of the headaches as well. I'd be very inclined to suggest to her that she get back to the Dr., & ask to try the Losartan...at a small dose..see how it goes.

'Saturday's child works hard for a living'............!

So glad she saw another Dr. in the practise. Some people will actually suffer at the hands of a lazy doctor. Yes, I find this sort of thing to be lazy. Automatically, the Lisinopril is blamed for the cough. 

Honestly, I do wonder at times how some people manage an M.D. license when their common sense isn't so common. A layperson could have said to that Dr. about checking her ears, throat, etc. But no, a lot of doctors think they know it all.,,& we know nothing. A BIG reason why I left the Dr. here in the city where Iive is a classic example of this. He was a young, cocky know-it-all..spent his time on the computer & I couldn't tell if he was listening to me or not. I got so fed up that I returned to my previous Dr's practice. So glad I did. I feel secure in his diagnosis& I can discuss anything & everything with him without feeling nervous. Also, I don't feel rushed. 

WE are the doctors' employers...Don't ever let a Dr. say to you.."now dearie...don't worry about things" That's blowing the patient off. A Dr. should be explaining things in plain English so the patient has an understanding of what's going on. They have the right to know..it's their healthy, their body. 

Ah, but some doctors don’t credit their patients with being able to understand!

MrsO-UK Surrey..I couldn't agree more! I have a friend who truly is a real dummy when it comes to anything medical. This may be a harsh thing to say, but she doesn't ask questions., doesn't ask when should she come back etc.etc. She has a longgggg history of having difficulty with bowel movements. Her doctor (the one I left) has prescribed this/that for it...nothing really works. He has put it down to a syndrome where people simply have difficulty with bowel movements. Get this..he has NEVER suggested she have a colonoscopy & she's 75 yrs of age!!!!! I mentioned this to her if the Dr. suggested colonscopy & she said..."Well, I'm not going to mention it to him". How risky!!!! She brews a sort of 'tea'...which means she has to stay in the majority of the day. "Once I get the plug out, I can go".she says. She could have an obstruction. Also, she just recently had a blood test...the 1st one since joining his practice..& she's been with him 4 years!!!!!!! Her potassium was on the low side, so she was eating bananas. I asked her when she goes back to see the Dr. for another blood test to see how the potassium levels were working out. She said.."I don't know"...& she didn't ask.

Carlessness going on here for sure...but ignorance of the patient as well. 

I struggle with 10 mg lisinopril and 7 mg carvedilol per day.