Who do I trust - just tossed Amlodipine - again!
Posted , 5 users are following.
Two years ago my GP said my BP at 185/90 was to high. I finally gave in on the arguement and agreed to medication. (Male, 67, 250, bad knees prevent any real exercise, like long walks on the beach, camp fires - oh, sorry wrong forum.....) So my doctor started me on the usual program, Lisinopril and Amlodipine together. Train wreck in three weeks. Got all the side effects. My body has a habit of rejecting "everything" Took a statin for two months in the hospital for a week. Doctor stopped the Amlodinpine - said it was usually the problem maker. Yes it was. Stayed on Lisinopril. Three months before all this I was having heart pounding late at night while sleeping. Decided to take a low dose asprin which worked great. Between that an the Lisinopril we figured out a magic formula. Took six months but took a Lis/Hctz 10/12.5 MG (Hctz = Dieuric) morning, Lisinopril 20 MG morning, 1/2 .81 Asprin morning. At night I took a Lisinopril 20 MG and 1/2 .81 Asprin. No side effects (a little sleepy once in awhile) After 18 months BP down to 135/70 and cut my stress down 80%. My GP and I were both thrilled at the continued progress.
Last month get a new cardiologist and he puts me back on Lisinoprile and Amlodipine. Two weeks = Train wreck. I tell him he's going for a long walk on the beach if he does that again. Now I'm on Lisinopril 40MG Mornings / Carvedilol 25MG Twice a day. And he's on probation for 30 days. 135 isn't good enough for an overweight 70 year old? Fine, I'll work down to the goal of 125 with a couple of pizzas along the way.
0 likes, 13 replies
michelle95137 ryan1947
Posted
Very funny post. Lol. These doctors- have to go messing with a good thing. Glad you are back on track. I no longer take amlodopine either. I can't take Lisinopril either. Had allergic reaction to that. My eyes swelled up. I take atenolol and nifedical. 😀
ryan1947 michelle95137
Posted
Hi Mi....
Why is it that I have never heard of more than 1/2 of the medications people are taking on here. I managed to nurse myself on to Lisinopril slowly and it seems to be working. My body rejects medications faster than I can get them out of the bottle. I read where taking an aspirin early in the day was useless. So I split my .81 and take half in the morning and 1/2 in the evening. Huge difference - no more night time chest pounding. Your BP goes down with some decent sleep.
Of course cutting .81 aspirin in half and then finding the pieces is a job. This is my wife in the kitchen: "Stop swearing....and stop cutting those damn things in half if you can't find them!" Yeah, she was always there for me.
Just had my second night on 2> 25 MG Tabs a day of Carvedilol which replaced Amlodipine. Thought I was going to die. Jumped out of bed three times with my throat swolen shut so I couldn't breath.
Anybody know if there are any sides effects if you accidently kill your Cardiologist?
Now, I'm going to immediately cut my dosage 75% and try to work my way into a manageable dosage. If that doesn't work - we'll get a new Cardiologist. I'm 10 points away (135 down to 125) that even my insurance company would love - so I don't see why the sudden NEED to plunge to the lower numbers.
So Mi, what numbers are you working with? Does anything work for you and do you feel that you can make enough progress to eventually slide down some on the dosage requirements?
I get the feeling whatever they give me will eventually create other problems and I'll be juggling 25 medications like a few friends of mine.
Wish you well................and as for atenolol and nefedical, I'll look them up. Never stop looking...................! ry
lily65668 ryan1947
Posted
Hi Ryan, I suspect from some of the content of your posts that the reason you haven't heard of half the meds (particularly brand names) mentioned in here is that you might be in the US. This is a UK-based site and most contributors - though by no means all - tend to be British.
I also noticed something else on re-reading your highly entertaining posts. That 250 - it'd be pounds? (I sure hope it's not kilos!) Ahem, I'm sure you're well aware of this already but by my calculations, at that weight you'd have to be 7ft tall to come in at normal weight (i.e. BMI <25) or 6ft 4in to be in the overweight range (<30). Oh, don't thank me - it's just what I do!
Seriously though, even losing a bit of weight can really help. I was only in the overweight range (BMI around 27) when my BP first started going up nearly 20 years ago, but just losing a little weight helped significantly. The other thing that helps a lot of people is cutting back on salt. Depending on the cause of your hypertension, this can sometimes bring immediate results. Reducing carbs helps too, but that one is more long-term.
Sounds to me as if you're someone like me, who does better with self-management and just a little medical intervention.
Loved the description of your home life btw! Do you blog? (But if you do, you can't post the link in open forum.)
ryan1947 lily65668
Posted
Lily
So if I come back to the UK, I'll be 7 feet tall? Even 6/4 would make me an impressive human figure. Yeah, that's pounds, could not do the kilos thing unless I got my computer fired up and working. I was in London (tourist) back around 1970. Has it changed?
I've put on 10 quick pounds just in taking the last two perscriptions. (30 days) I'm eating less, but the medication attracks food like a maginet. And I'm hitting some BP measures in the mid 120's now - so I may just dump all the medications except Lisinopril and Aspirin and go for the weight loss.
We just finished building a new house on the side of Black Mountain overlooking Las Vegas. Not hard getting a perscripton around here - "you want to be able to fly?"
Thanks for the heads-up on the UK thing and I dropped salt already. Now if I gave up the beer - I could disappear.
Keep in touch.....
michelle95137 ryan1947
Posted
Hi Ryan. You are pretty funny. 😜 Makes an enjoyable read. I can't believe your doc is wanting you to go lower than what your BP is. Mine would be very happy with that. I am losing weight right now. That will help bring it down too. Not sure what mine is at the moment. Haven't been to the doc in a few months. It varies it seems. One place it might be really good and another place it might be a little high. I know that when I get my weight down some it gets better.
coastalks19 michelle95137
Posted
lily65668 ryan1947
Posted
Of course 135/70 is good for a 70-year-old - or anyone else for that matter. What is it with these some of these doctors?
Had the same problem with my old Mum. After a minor fall at age 75, she was found to have 190/140 in A&E. That was when I discovered her GP had never taken her BP in the 15 years she'd been going to him with asthma and regular attacks of bronchitis. (She was very independent, and would never let me go with her.) His reason when politely questioned - by me, obviously: "Well, she never had any symptoms of hypertension".
I'm not making this up.
Anyway, he put her on verapamil (an older CCB) which worked a treat, with only very minor ankle swelling at the end of every day, and her BP was soon down to a steady 130/80.
Fast forward 7 years - by which time she was still fairly independent but allowing me to go in with her at the GP's - and we found she'd been transferred to another doctor at the practice. He said 130/80 was way too high (for an 82-year-old!) and immediately changed her to a different med. Can't remember which as this was nearly 20 years ago and I'm knocking on a bit myself now, but I'm guessing from her symptoms it was another CCB.
Within a week she was getting headaches and severe swelling of her legs, with serous oozing through the skin as well. I had to make a huge fuss to get her transferred back to her original GP and the verapamil reinstated. If I hadn't been there (or if I'd been less stroppy than I naturally am!) she'd have suffered misery for the rest of her life.
Good on you for standing up for yourself and challenging your doctors!
ryan1947 lily65668
Posted
Lily
"my old mum" ? Had to stop reading and give you a hug. My wife's mother is here visiting and as Scottish as can be. Married 25 years and I have never understood a single word her father has said. I finally started calling my wife's mother mum as a sign of respect. She comes here, picks up my wife and they go travel the world. I'm home with the TV and the remote - yeah I know - it's like I'm stealing from them.
Thanks for your response - I'm starting to get into the friends on here. Thanks for stepping up for your mum. Imagine how bad you would have felt if this all came to your attention after she passed. I have no patience for lazy fools. I"m always looking - will check out that "verapamil". My wife and I just had a talk and I could get down to the 120's with a better diet and a little exercise instead of dropping a bomb on my BP with a massive new perscription. I may just do that instead. Thanks again for the "connection". This is Ryan prison number 1947 signing off......................
lily65668 ryan1947
Posted
Our posts crossed. Your latest confirms my impression you're stateside. Thanks for the good wishes. I was born in England and lived there for almost half my life but I've never understood some citizens of Glasgow either!
Just checked out US brand names for verapamil on the Mayo site: Calan, Covera-HS, Isoptin, Verelan. But the fact that it worked for my mother without causing side-effects doesn't necessarily mean it would be the same for you.
ryan1947 lily65668
Posted
Thanks - I"ll be back...... ryan
coastalks19 ryan1947
Posted
Amlodipine is a generic drug. I found that they sometimes coat the pills with Soy (I am allergic to soy) also they coat the pills with lactose and also just about anything the companies feel like as they are not registered. My Pharmacist (a new one) just located the one that is Soy Free. I am able to take Amlodipine again without bad reactions. Don't blame the pill until you have checked all the coatings you may be allergic to.
ryan1947 coastalks19
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Dear Coastalks19
Hope you're doing well on whatever you're taking. I can't keep up with the different medications let alone the 100's of generics out there made by different companies. Now you're telling me to check the coatings? Are you kidding? Do I check dissolve times after that?
The fact that you can take Amoldipine again with a different coating I consider amazing and a stroke of good luck. I just don't think I have a coatings problem. But now I have new concerns bouncing around in my head.
Guest coastalks19
Posted
Hi coastalks, glad you are going well with Amlodipine.
I am a bit concerned when you say 'they are not registered' - do you mean the drug companies?? And why would they be able to use anything they feel like? Can you provide more details on how I can check?
Thanks
Sue B