New to blood presure meds

BASIL

BASIL

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My doc put me on Lisinopril first. I made me full on seasick for the 3 days I took it.
So he put me on Losartan-HCTZ 50-12.5mg. Today is day 5 and I feel like crap, but
not as bad as the Lisinopril made me feel. Anyone have experience with this stuff?
And how long did it take for the side effects to go away?
 
BASIL said:
My doc put me on Lisinopril first. I made me full on seasick for the 3 days I took it.
So he put me on Losartan-HCTZ 50-12.5mg. Today is day 5 and I feel like crap, but
not as bad as the Lisinopril made me feel. Anyone have experience with this stuff?
And how long did it take for the side effects to go away?
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Sorry you're having issues. I'm only on HCTZ, though, which makes me pee a lot, so I can't help you with the other one. Hope things get better soon!
 
I take a low dose Linsopril. I've been on it for a month or so and have had no issues with it at all. Hopefully they'll find the right one for you soon.

I'd have to stop going to the gym to lose weight since its muscle and not fat. Oddly enough extra weight is extra weight as far as you bp and heart are concerned.
 
Fatigue and a 'meh' feeling are not uncommon side effects. You are on pretty low doses. If the side effects don't go away in a couple weeks, chat him up...he can drop the dose to 25 mg (starting dose is 50, but you can back down).
 
I take Lisinopril 10mg. No issues. What I do is cut the pill in 1//2. Take part with breakfast other with supper.
 
I believe the HCTZ is a diuretic part of the blood pressure medicine. To be honest, that is what threw me out of whack several years ago when I had massive amount of fluid build up do to a kidney problem. It through my K and Na levels way off.

I am on the Losartin now, after the Valsartin was recalled due to contaniments from China.... I don't have high blood pressure, but the Kidney doc wants me to keep it as low as possible to reduce any further kidney damage.

You will slowly get used to the medicine... try walking a bit each day to build up.... but it will make you feel sluggish, fatigued and like crap for a few weeks. BP Meds suck....
 
HCTZ is a potassium-sparing diuretic (as is Lasix, and some others), which is why a doc would wither put you on potassium supplements or check your labs. I am on a low-dose (12.5), so my K+ stays pretty good.

Lisinopril, losartan are different classes of anti-hypertensives and work differently, but most of them are paired with a diuretic for best results.

Using diuretics to manage high BP is different than using diuretics to manage heart failure, different dosing.
 
pee wee said:
I take Lisinopril 10mg. No issues. What I do is cut the pill in 1//2. Take part with breakfast other with supper.
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How in the hell do you cut that tiny ass pill? Lol
 
Damn if I know, wife does it.
 
Sorry to hear you're having issues with it. My doc put me on HCTZ solo a long time ago, and yes - it IS a diuretic! I 'bout peed meself inside out the first week! :eek:

He put me on HCTZ & Lisinopril (one pill) years ago when the BP started creeping back up; I guess I was fortunate to not notice any bad effects. Maybe it was the low dose and/or gradual transition (HCTZ for years beforehand)? But I don't notice any effects from my BP meds now, so take heart. I hope things even out for you quickly.

FYI, last time I got my scrip filled, Walmart said my pill/dosage had fallen off the cheap-o list, and they wanted to charge $21 for what had been $10. But the pharmacist said the higher dosage was still on the list, so he provided the double-dose pill, 1/2 the quantity, for $6. I use my precision-calibrated teeth to cut each pill in half every other day...

Ultimately, managing your BP is a time-adjustable activity. As you age and your body gets used to this or that, the meds may have to change. You just get to discover that on the front end.
 
BASIL said:
Thanks for your replies. If I don't start feeling better in a couple weeks, I'm just going to up
my life insurance, and take my chances without it.:(
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That is not a good option to use in this game of life.
Get with your doctor and keep trying different meds to find the right one.
In the mean time get out and walk, add a weighted backpack and get your body working to build up your heart muscles and cardiovascular system.
 
ronn47 said:
That is not a good option to use in this game of life.
Get with your doctor and keep trying different meds to find the right one.
In the mean time get out and walk, add a weighted backpack and get your body working to build up your heart muscles and cardiovascular system.
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This. There are dozens of BP meds and it's just a matter of finding what works for you. Hypertension is the silent killer; you don't want your kidneys and/or heart to be jacked up.
 
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I've had "borderline" high blood pressure since my teens. Well, that's how it's been described most times it was checked.

Because I'm not too bright, I'm on meds now. What I mean by that is my meds pretty much combat my lifestyle. If I would stop with the almost daily consumption of beer and eat like I should, I would either not be on meds or I would be on a lower dose. I've witnessed this. When I abstain and eat more primal-like, my BP pretty much bottoms out, especially in the evenings.

As far as meds and side effects, I currently take Tribenzor 40-10-25. I've been on it several years, but I don't recall ever feeling different after I started it.
 
I have to take metoprolol 50mg for heart palpitations. I probably could try going without it a check my heart out since I haven't had my thyroid flare up in a couple years.
 
@BASIL

If you don't mind me asking, what kind of numbers were you having that prompted the meds? My current doc says my numbers are perfect, but he also checks it manually. Even on meds, at my previous doc (he quit after the family practice was bought out), my BP would be in the neighborhood of 150/110. My current doc says that was most likely an inaccurate reading because they were using an electronic cuff. He says he can use one of those and get a reading from a bed rail by tapping the rail. Who knows?

Today, with my electronic cuff, I usually float between 110/70 and 130/90, depending on time of day, etc.
 
kcult said:
@BASIL

If you don't mind me asking, what kind of numbers were you having that prompted the meds? My current doc says my numbers are perfect, but he also checks it manually. Even on meds, at my previous doc (he quit after the family practice was bought out), my BP would be in the neighborhood of 150/110. My current doc says that was most likely an inaccurate reading because they were using an electronic cuff. He says he can use one of those and get a reading from a bed rail by tapping the rail. Who knows?

Today, with my electronic cuff, I usually float between 110/70 and 130/90, depending on time of day, etc.
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Thanks to the newest guidelines, more people will be labeled with high blood pressure. This year the guidelines moved from 140/90 (with lifestyle management and meds to lower to max high of 130/80) to 130/80 (with more emphasis on med management along with lifestyle management). 120-130 systolic and < 80 diastolic is now considered "elevated." 120-130 with > 80 is "elevated at high risk".

Electronic cuffs should be correlated (that is within a 10 "point" difference) with manual cuffs; most electronic cuffs do correlate. If the reading is between 130/80-140/90, it should be correlated with a manual cuff. Those chairs at CVS with the electronic cuff? Horrible, and almost never correlate.
 
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kcult said:
Today, with my electronic cuff, I usually float between 110/70 and 130/90, depending on time of day, etc.
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I have been keeping a log so to speak. When I feel sick from the meds, it goes up. Sat it bumped 147/100 .
Before bead time it has been in the 120/low 80s range, or lower.
 
BASIL said:
I'm about 6' and 162lbs. No weight to lose.
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Unless you are all muscle, and a lot of it, you have weigh to lose. I dealt the the meds for a couple years and got sick of it. They suck. Ruined my ability to deal with cold weather, which made hunting suck. I cut 40 lbs, then settled at about 20 less. 195 and I’m 6’1”. I’m currently off meds. At 215 my BP was high.

To the point above, the size cuff makes a difference too. If you are a bigger guy, and you are, make sure they are using a larger cuff. I saw a 10-15 point difference between a medium and large cuff.


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BASIL said:
I have been keeping a log so to speak. When I feel sick from the meds, it goes up. Sat it bumped 147/100 .
Before bead time it has been in the 120/low 80s range, or lower.
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I assume this is after meds? If so, what was it before you began medication?
 
Chuckman said:
Thanks to the newest guidelines, more people will be labeled with high blood pressure. This year the guidelines moved from 140/90 (with lifestyle management and meds to lower to max high of 130/80) to 130/80 (with more emphasis on med management along with lifestyle management). 120-130 systolic and < 80 diastolic is now considered "elevated." 120-130 with > 80 is "elevated at high risk".

Electronic cuffs should be correlated (that is within a 10 "point" difference) with manual cuffs; most electronic cuffs do correlate. If the reading is between 130/80-140/90, it should be correlated with a manual cuff. Those chairs at CVS with the electronic cuff? Horrible, and almost never correlate.
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He told me that I could bring my cuff in and they would check it against their manual readings. I haven't done that yet, but I may on my next visit.
 
My MD was good enough to explain the potential side affects and give me options up front. It took experimenting with several different meds before arriving at one I could live with. Strangely, I’m now able to take 1/2 the dosage as before.
 
Jeppo said:
My MD was good enough to explain the potential side affects and give me options up front. It took experimenting with several different meds before arriving at one I could live with. Strangely, I’m now able to take 1/2 the dosage as before.
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Yep, I'm done with this one. I'm sick as hell, from the med.:(
 
BASIL said:
Yep, I'm done with this one. I'm sick as hell, from the med.:(
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Get your doctor involved. My limited experience is that each med has unique side affects. Make him/her help you find the best one for you. In my case, the first couple caused exactly the side affects he warned me about (one of which he takes without suffering the complication that bothered me). Unfortunately, it’s trial and error.
 
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It took a while to find one that worked for me. I ended up changing doctors over this issue. First doc put me on something that lowers the heart rate. I'm a mtn biker. I moved to the mountains to be close to the good trails. First time up a sizeable climb on that stuff I thought I was going to die. It made me feel lethargic as well. No bueno. Doc didn't want to prescribe anything different so I went doc shopping. Found a doc who was also a bike rider and he got me on Diltiazem. It keeps the BP in check and I don't feel like a slug stuck in tar. There are lots of meds that work for BP. Do some research and see what looks like a good possibility for you. The only side effect I experience from this medicine is a heightened sensitivity to dehydration. If I get close to being low on fluid, I get a nasty headache. Drink some water and it's usually gone in 20 to 30 min. Other than that, it's been good stuff.
 
Losartan HCTZ here. Im diabetic as well so the diuretic effect sucks. I never even noticed the addition of the Losartan to my other medz as far as the way i feel. Hope you find something that works.
 
VA_GENTLEMAN said:
Were all getting older... and you know what happens when that occurs..... Cowboy Action Shooting....
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I lol'ed at this!! Took wife about a month to get over the lightheadedness and some nausea on linsinopril
 
Cocked & Locked said:
This sounds like a senior citizen’s forum. I qualify. Linsinopril but I forget the dose.
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Wrong...used to be on Lisinopril but made me feel like crap. Now on Amlodopine 10 mg and still feel like crap.
 
Had everything checked and my bp was medium high, cholesterol was mid 200's, allnother crap high.then went low carb for six months, blood pressure normal, cholesterol normal, all other crap normal. The nurses were shocked quite frankly. Lost 20 lbs of course but I think low carb also means you are generally eating unprocessed foods. If you are what you eat, I'm a pound of bacon. when low carb I eat five pounds a week on a slow week.
 
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