I'm a newbie here. I'm 34 years old and was told I had hypertension around two and a half years ago. I've been on a couple of BP tablets in the first few months which didn't seem to work for me, and I have been on Losartan 100mg for around 18-months. I've recently been experiencing dizziness, shortness of breath, and what feels like anxiety. I don't know if these symptoms are something linked to Losartan, but rest assured I will be speaking to my doctors about this.
Has anyone else experienced any anxiety like symptoms on Losartan, or other BP medicines?
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Dean985
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Hi Dean, I am on Losartan but have not had any problem with it so far, however I have just had my dose increased to 100mg so will see how I get on.
Definitely speak to your GP, they may want to try you on something else, or reduce your dose if your blood pressure is going too low. I have a home blood pressure machine so I can keep an eye on it myself.
Thank you Wendy, I have contacted my GP and they are scheduled to call back Wednesday. I have a blood pressure monitor at home too, it's strange that one reading is fine, but at times during when feeling randomly dizzy and short of breath the readings can be high.
It might not be linked, but hopefully the doctor will let me know.
Hi Dean I also have fluctuating BP readings ranging from 140/80 to 100/58 p 50ish and get very breathless... I am on Losartan 100mgs and Atenolol 100mgs...be interested in your chat with your doc... I am due to call mine in 10 days 👍
I've not used that drug myself but I would have thought if you had been fine on it for 18 months you wouldn't suddenly get a side effect after all that time. Usually the side effects present themselves at the start then fade over time. Have there been any other changes that might have caused the symptoms?
Welcome to Health unlocked. Perhaps it is time to have a detailed look at your lifestyle, in particular your weight and your diet. Is your waist half your height? Have you considered seeing a nutritionist to see if you are missing any vital nutrition needs or eating too many sugary carbs or pizzas or cakes?
Have you thought about your habits, smoking, snorting , drinking or whatever, etc. Do you lead a sedentary lifestyle that slowly degrades your muscles and increases your body fat instead? How much regular exercise do you take and how many times a week do you do it? How active are you on a daily basis?
At your age it is vital that you build up habits that will sustain into your 40's and fifties when your body, if left to itself, will lose muscle mass and replace it with fat, to the detriment of your heart and particularly to the flexibility of the walls of your arteries.
Doctors will prescribe medicine to try and rectify an unsatisfactory situation. However determined lifestyle changes now might stop you walking around with a box full of pills in a few years time..
Hi, thanks for the input. My lifestyle is pretty good to be honest, I cycle at least 100 miles a month, I run about 3-5k twice a week, diet is a meditrainin style diet, and I'm 6ft and 13.5st. I've considered speaking to a nutritionist to see if they can help, so I will possibly give this a go.
I don't drink, don't take drugs, and don't smoke.
The doctors suspects the high BP in my case is genetic.
At the best I'm getting 120's high 70's, avaraging 130-high 80s, and at my worse I'm greeting readings of 150-100,,, I don't have the higher reading often but I did get a high reading yesterday.
Hi Dean. I take Losartan and after a disatrous episode with Amlopidine switched to it. Sadly these drugs all have some side effects it seems. Its tricky working out if some of them are just us! I have seemed to have acquired some insomina recently (after a year on Losartan) and a sliglt itching in my lower limbs. What I have done is try to compare my health with that of the previous years. Like you I'm a non smoker non drugs healthy eating fit person. I have never had insomnia or itching therefore I can only put it down to the Losartan. Keep a diary and see if it goes away or improves. Im currently trying to find a replcement drug. My friend is a Pharmacist and had some good ideas for me. But he says every drug if you are unlucky has some type of reaction. Sometimes its so minimal we don't notice. Amlopodine gave me excruciating muscle pains. This new minor but annoying sleep and itch thing is a lot easier to handle! Hopefuly if I can find an alternative I will. Its still very tricky though.
Thank you for this info, this is somewhat reassuring. I also get itchy on my lower body, my ankles mostly but I never gave this a thought as whether it was to do with losartan. Have you tried any sort of diet to reduce your blood pressure?
Hi Dean. Well I eat pretty healthily and am at a good fitness level plus good weight 84.9 kilos (I'm six one tall) and perfect BMI index. I 'meditate' and practice thought clearance techniques to relax. I'm pleasantly busy and I don't live a very stressful life. The high BP issue started around a year and a half ago during an incredibly stressful project. I'm going to try to wean myself off tablets eventually if its humanly possible (it may not be!) I never had itching now I do. My ankles are the worst! It's definitely the Losaratan hence me trying to find yet another alternative.
I think mine started with stress aswel, I had a very busy year at work and then our first child, but things have eased off and BP at times can still be very high. I have started CBT, compulsory behaviour therapy, first session Thursday. I haven't tried meditation but might give this a go, any tips or places to look for meditation advice would be good if you have any suggestions?
To be honest in my mind Meditation is incredibly personal but like CBT it is a matter of you looking to see what it is that might be contributing to your high BP (I think a a new arrival fits into that category) I'm not one for these platitude filled books and chanting stuff. I am one for honest and calm examination of my feelings towards things. I like walking in the parks and countryside and letting my mind go blank. Just as I am for sitting quietly with a book and a cup of tea at set times. It's a signal to stop. I have a sign in my home office that says Rest and Repair. Finding just a liitle private time where you don't overthink everything is always good. Very importantly keeping an honest diary of how you feel helps you as you can start to identify things that wind you up and learn to create a coping strategy for each issue you identify. Setting up a favourite tracks playlist is a good idea as is buying a pair of good noise cancelling headphones! To me meditation is really about me having a quiet moment alone and looking at all the great things in my life. I focus on only the positive.
Muso20 this is really good and I like the sound of your approach, I may take some of these ideas and see if this can help me going forward. Thank you for contributing your thoughts and ideas.
In the good old days 140/80 used to be regarded as the top of the normal limit. I have an irregular heart beat so my readings tend to be all over the place (220/ 125) electronic, 140/75 manually) to the point where my cardiologist put a note on my file to state that manual readings only should be used. Modern electronic devices are a great improvement but blood pressure reading seems to be a matter of taking regular readings over a period of time, averaging them out and recording them over a period of time.
It may be worthwhile consulting a BANT registered nutritionist to check you are not missing any particular vitamins or other nutritional needs or deficiencies?
Yes. I started taking ashwagandha supplements (herb) which helps to keep me calm during stressful situations. I take ir at night to rest. I told my doctor and he had no problem with. Excercise, chamomile tea, and avoiding toxic people helps. Anxiety and stress are big factors with hypertension. Consider yoga or deep breathing as well. Wish you well.
I have been taking losartan for like a year. Started having AFib periodically..they put me on tambacor antiarrhythmic, metaprOlol which actually seems to help b.p...and losartan. All this time AFib progressive ly getting morE frEquent and severe...then ireadthe side effects of losartan and tambacor...both of them can cause atrial fibrillation and worsen heart disease. My doctor's are idiots or I'm just a guinea pig. I stopped losartan just to rule it out but as I type this iam in AFib...
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