10 month into journey, suddenly my blood pressure is 160/100 , Headaches come with this . Is there a specific BP med that is safer than others ? I’m on Lupron/ Aberaterone/ Prednisone for PC
High Blood Pressure 160/100 - Advanced Prostate...
High Blood Pressure 160/100
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Pjford
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Maybe not enough prednisone.
prednisone & High blood pressure
according to what I read , prednisone can cause high blood pressure also ?
No. You read about adding corticosteroids, not replacing cortisol.
prostatecancer.news/2019/06...
Got it - that is a very informative link as well
Identifying the cause of sudden BP change especially with headache is the priority.
In no particular order
(1) that level of BP sustained, carries risks - eg stroke
((2) what dose pred are you taking? If 10mg or more it could be responsible
(3) have you consulted your oncologist?
(4) has you renal function been checked?
(5) high BP can be a side effect of abiraterone
(6) a remote possibility is that you have PRES - although I don’t think it has been reported with abiraterone
In the meantime your oncologist and primary care doc should choose the correct anti hypertensive drug while the cause of raised BP is sought. The choice of drug should not be suggested by anyone else.
Prescribed 5 mgs of Amlodipine a day for BP . I’m taking 5 mgs of Prednisone daily with 1000 mgs of Aberaterone.
ok pred unlikely to be the cause. Amlodipine is fine (if it is working) but causation is the question.
Prednisone can cause high blood pressure because of how it changes the fluid balance in your body, as well as how it can affect your weight.
This is a problem for you and your primary care doc to solve. I had the same situation 18 months into adt. Upping prednisone gave me blotches and bruising on my arms. We finally solved bp issue by adding diuretic to my bp med. But that’s my solution. Yours may be very different. Might help to have a primary care doc associated with a cancer center.
abi did that to me. Switched to Xtandi and the issue resolved. Maybe the prednisone, but I have taken that before without issue, so I really think it was the abi.
Lupron alone gave me life- threatening hypertension, so that is a possible culprit also. Nurses told me not to mess around with hypertension. It can create big probs. Good luck resolving!
Pjford
Sorry to hear about the BP issue.
I went thru that also.
My BP was under control for many years. As soon as I started Abiraterone/Prednisone it went thru the roof.
The MO prescribed Amlodipine, for all practical purposes it did nothing. The MO then reduced the Abiraterone to 750Mg daily with the same Prednisone of 5 mg. I had read on this site of adding more prednisone may help, but the MO would have no part of it. The reduction of Abiraterone to 750 mg did help but I was still higher than 145/70
The Cardiologist I had been seeing for some time tried adding a number of meds but for all practical purposes they did very little except give me more side effects. I did discuss the fact I was on ADT meds, but I really did not even get a reaction or any advice from him on that.
I have been an Engineer for decades. I believe in data. So along with taking a daily reading at about 11:00 am, I did chart an occasional entire day, The data showed me at 145/70 thru the day but in the evening and night I was significantly higher, into the 170/90.
I showed the data to him in both spread sheet and graph. He seemed interested the first time.
After things were still not keeping the blood pressure under control, I showed his a fresh batch of data. His reaction was "See you in 3 months". I said WTF. I asked if he did not believe my data, should he put a monitor on me. He said "no need", and told me "If a monitor is necessary, he would make that decision, not me". I said WTF for the second time and promptly left. The real thing that irked me was it appeared he was trying to treat me the same as I was not on ADT drugs.
Anyway I made an appointment with the MO and asked him, "Who is the Cardiologist that takes care of the cancer patients"? He immediately told me the name of this cardiologist. Got an appointment in a weeks time. Got all my meds changed up. I am now 118/62 thru most of the day with my evening and night in the 135/65 area. Much improved, but still needs help on the evening and night.
Also the new Cardiologist welcomes my spread sheets and graphs.
The result of this whole story, is if your current cardiologist is not helping you, MOVE ON.
There are meds that will help you and most likely it will be a combination of daily and night meds
Best wishes on your journey
What was the treatment that lowered your BP?
glgr
I am a firm believer that what one man takes, and works may not work well with another man. Please get a competent and caring Cardiologist to help you thru this.
Having said that, I take a Edarbyclor 40MG (Azil -Sartan) at 5:00 am. This is the heavy lifter for daytime. The Abiraterone (still on 750 mg) is at around 7:00 am. The 5:00 am dosage gives the Edarbyclor, a head start on the Abiraterone. Then at 9:00 am I take Spironolactone 25 mg, a potent diuretic. Then to get ready for evening and night, I take Doxazosin 2mg, (both for BP and BPH) at 5:00 pm. The Amlodipine 10mg is at 7:30 pm. (used for relaxing vessels) (I do not think it does much. Next candidate for trials to remove from dosage), and lastly Carvedilol 25 mg (beta blocker) also at 7:30 PM.
You ask what lowered my BP? Above is the current cocktail. Please do not attempt to debate me on any of the meds. I use a good competent cardiologist to do that with,
You should have seen what the other one had me on. It was a wonder I survived.
Thank you.
Thank you - that’s some detailed list . I’ll keep testing every morning for now . Three days in so far and it’s ticked down a little bit
PJford
Yes it has been quite a ride on the BP.
Have you got your radiation schedule yet? Just curious.
I’ve been done with radiation for 6 months .
I don’t think it’s uncommon with ADT, I’ve had to adjust my BP meds a couple of times with the help of my cardiologist and GP. Seek out a professional.
Ed
Curcumin and magnesium, google it. It works and be careful with the amlodipine because it can cause edema. Also Berberine is good for bp and acts as a diuretic. I have white coat syndrome so I always take my bp the night before a doctors visit and a pic to show the doc. I always take two readings with two monitors for doc visit. These numbers are late evening and totally relaxed so slightly higher in midday. God bless.
A
Not sure if this will be of any help but I had similar BP readings after suffering from an AFIB episode in 2018. Took a few years to figure out what was causing it (doctor originally thought it was a pinched nerve in the neck). She then asked me if I snore (YES!) and recommended a sleep study. Turned out I had severe sleep apnea and was fighting to breathe all night long. Sleep center prescribed a CPAP and my BP immediately went back to normal and I was off BP meds in days. Have been using it ever since and still does the job even after my PC diagnosis in Sept 2024 (currently on Orgovyx and Nubequa, and done with radiation about 4 weeks ago). Just something to consider
Amlodipine.
One particular class of antihypertensive drugs has shown a very strong anticancer/antimetastasis effect as well as managing hypertension, either alone or combined with another drug such as low dose diuretic. The two medications most well documented for helping with PCa are: Prazosin and Doxazosin. Of the two I prefer Doxazosin as it has a longer half life for steadier levels. Search " doxazosin and prostate cancer" or "prazosin and prostate cancer" and you will find the research to discuss with your doctor.
ONe strong precaution with either of these meds that are alpha-blockers: They must be started at very low doses for the first few days so the body adjusts to them. Otherwise they can result in postural hypotension, fainting upon standing. The low dose (1/2 mg of doxazosin) should be taken at bedtime the first few days. And if you get up during the night, sit at the bedide for a minute or two before fully standing. After a few days this generally goes away and the dose can be gradually increased to achieve good BP control. It is worth the trouble to get the double-barreled benefits on BP and on the cancer. I take 2 mg doxazosin morning and nights along with low-doose diuretic (25mg Chlorthalidone) and have Excellent BP and my mHSPC is fully contained (PSA undetectable for 3 years). Paul/MB
I take meds to Lower the pressure to normal levels
To quote 85236442968:
If your current cardiologist is not helping you, MOVE ON.
Kick him in the balls before you move on, if the doc is a female, kick her husband in the balls then move on. That's quoting me.
Good Luck, Good Health and Good Humor.
j-o-h-n
Hypertension can be a side effect of long term treatment, especially if you are gaining weight. A BP that high consistently, will need to be treated. You should contact your primary doc and set up an appointment. I usually advise patients to keep a BP log. Once a day, different times, take your BP and record it on a spreadsheet including date/time/reading. Once daily is sufficient. Bring this log in when you see your primary. We treat the trend, not single readings. I would also encourage you to exercise daily and a low salt diet.
To my knowledge, none of the commonly used BP meds cause issues with your treatment. Assuming your kidney function tests are normal (BUN, creatinine) you would be started on an angiotensin releasing inhibitor or blocker.
Ditch the prednisone and take dexamethosone. I did it and my BP dropped like a stone.
My situation similiar to yours as am on abiraterone, prednisone and ADT (orchiectomy). My BP was around 160/100. Finally got it under control with dual medications of 100mg losartan (morning) and 5mg amlodipine (bedtime). It's been at 120/80 now, even at the doctor.
I am on Lupron, abi, and pred (17 months) as well. I take 320mg of Valsartan for my high blood pressure; which I had already been taking for years, but I still have pretty high BP.
