mountainsoft
Thinks s/he gets paid by the post
My blood pressure got up above 140/90 a couple years ago so I finally started taking medicine for it. Unfortunately, I have had really bad problems with side effects which has made the last two years rather stressful and uncomfortable.
Doc started me on Lisinopril 10mg, but it left me dizzy, light headed, and headaches that never went away. It only dropped my BP about 5-10 points.
Switched to Losartan 25mg, which didn't have much effect, so was raised to 50mg, then 100mg. Still didn't have much effect.
Added Hydrochlorothiazide 12.5 mg, which made me urinate every 15 minutes. Obviously, you can't live a normal life like that, so discontinued that med.
Stayed on Losartan about 7 months, seemed to work OK, then developed really bad premature atrial contractions. Called 911, went to ER, checked out, said I was fine, and sent home.
Stopped taking Losartan and conditions seemed to improve. Doc put me back on Losartan 25mg and side effects quickly returned. More PAC's, weak, low energy, difficulty sleeping. Stopped again and side effects seemed to improve.
Doc started me on Amlodipine 5mg, and soon after Metoprolol 25mg. Fewer PAC's and BP came down around 125/75.
All seemed well about 5-6 months, then PAC's increased again and BP dropped to 110/65. Another month later diastolic was dropping into the upper 50's and pulse rate into the upper 40's. Started having low energy, blurry vision, and short term memory losses.
Doc switched from Metoprolol 25mg to Atenolol. After just two pills BP dropped to 99/50, major headaches, muscle pain, and dazed confusion. Immediately switched back to Metoprolol.
Doc switched from Metoprolol/Amlodipine to Diltiazem 120mg. Seemed to do okay about a week, though BP averaged around 135/80. Had another bad day of PAC's, ended up going to urgent care, checked out, and sent home. Chills, shivering, cold sweats, so stopped Diltiazem for a few days.
Don't know if issues were caused by Diltiazem or withdrawals from Metoprolol. I had stopped Metoprolol two other times for various reasons, and had a similar response about 7-9 days after quitting.
Urgent care doc switched prescription to Carvedilol 3.5mg, but I'm hesitant to go back on another beta blocker. Especially since the Carvedilol needs to be taken twice daily with meals, making it very inconvenient with my daily routine. So for now I'm giving Diltiazem another try.
All I can say is this journey has really sucked. The PAC's are the worst, and I never had an issue until I started the BP meds. Maybe timing coincidence, but still seems odd. I'm not against taking meds, I just wish I could find something that worked without making me feel horrible.
Doc started me on Lisinopril 10mg, but it left me dizzy, light headed, and headaches that never went away. It only dropped my BP about 5-10 points.
Switched to Losartan 25mg, which didn't have much effect, so was raised to 50mg, then 100mg. Still didn't have much effect.
Added Hydrochlorothiazide 12.5 mg, which made me urinate every 15 minutes. Obviously, you can't live a normal life like that, so discontinued that med.
Stayed on Losartan about 7 months, seemed to work OK, then developed really bad premature atrial contractions. Called 911, went to ER, checked out, said I was fine, and sent home.
Stopped taking Losartan and conditions seemed to improve. Doc put me back on Losartan 25mg and side effects quickly returned. More PAC's, weak, low energy, difficulty sleeping. Stopped again and side effects seemed to improve.
Doc started me on Amlodipine 5mg, and soon after Metoprolol 25mg. Fewer PAC's and BP came down around 125/75.
All seemed well about 5-6 months, then PAC's increased again and BP dropped to 110/65. Another month later diastolic was dropping into the upper 50's and pulse rate into the upper 40's. Started having low energy, blurry vision, and short term memory losses.
Doc switched from Metoprolol 25mg to Atenolol. After just two pills BP dropped to 99/50, major headaches, muscle pain, and dazed confusion. Immediately switched back to Metoprolol.
Doc switched from Metoprolol/Amlodipine to Diltiazem 120mg. Seemed to do okay about a week, though BP averaged around 135/80. Had another bad day of PAC's, ended up going to urgent care, checked out, and sent home. Chills, shivering, cold sweats, so stopped Diltiazem for a few days.
Don't know if issues were caused by Diltiazem or withdrawals from Metoprolol. I had stopped Metoprolol two other times for various reasons, and had a similar response about 7-9 days after quitting.
Urgent care doc switched prescription to Carvedilol 3.5mg, but I'm hesitant to go back on another beta blocker. Especially since the Carvedilol needs to be taken twice daily with meals, making it very inconvenient with my daily routine. So for now I'm giving Diltiazem another try.
All I can say is this journey has really sucked. The PAC's are the worst, and I never had an issue until I started the BP meds. Maybe timing coincidence, but still seems odd. I'm not against taking meds, I just wish I could find something that worked without making me feel horrible.