Up-date re: BP Medication Journey

[Shadynook]

5th (and hopefully last) blood pressure medication!

Losartan gave me a very nasty side effect, after just 2 days my lips and face were swollen looked like I’d had an overdose of Botox and fillers!!

Rang GP told to stop immediately. After 2 days to clear it from my blood stream I’m now on Bendroflumethiazide another highly prescribed diuretic. Been taking it for 4 days feel fine but haven’t done any readings, waiting a week and hopefully it’s doing it’s job, my GP’s contacting me in 3 weeks to check . Bet he’s hoping I’m ok as it’s been quite a trial to sort me out!! He did say some people can be hypersensitive to blood pressure medication and I’m certainly one of them 🙂

[springcross]

He's not wrong there Shadynook but he should try telling many other GPs who I'm sure think that we, the sufferers, are making it all up (or they just can't be bothered). I hope this one works for you, it can be such a nightmare to get one that suits. I have been taking a particular brand of Amlodipine as the other brands make my feet and lower legs swell and cause a rash on my lower legs, it is on my prescription, but I have just been told by the pharmacy where my scripts are sent that they can't give me that brand as they don't have any so they sent me another brand!!!!! I have had to tell them that I don't want them as I can't take them so now my hubby has to take them back and pick up the prescription to enable me to get them somewhere else. You'd think that as it's on the script, they would have telephoned me to say that they don't have the prescribed ones and to ask if I wanted something else, not to just go ahead and send them anyway, it's just logic isn't it! Maybe that's too difficult for them to figure.

[Shadynook in reply to springcross]

It’s a nightmare. Best wishes

[Happyrosie]

Best wishes, Shadynook. I’m so glad that every med I’ve ever been given in my life has been free of nasty side effects.Except one: when I was fifteen we all had smallpox jabs and I was very ill. The site where the jab was given in my upper arm is still, almost sixty years later, sensitive. When I have my annual flu jab (and my vax this time) I have to tell the practitioner where NOT to jab me. But this is just a side issue!!!

[Brisk61]

That’s great news for u and long may it last. I am always surprised that GP are not more sensitive to patients who have a low tolerance of B/P meds, there is lots of discussion in medicine about this. I have a great pharmacy in London they always ensure they have my brand of Diltiziam . 🍀

[Shadynook]

It’s early days but fingers crossed the diuretics will be enough to lower it. Too frightened to check as I’ve only been taking them 4 days not sure how long before you see a change?

[jannie21]

You have my sympathy, I had to take long term prednisolone which sent my blood pressure through the roof. My then GP told me to double my dose of Candesartan. I had a blood test after 2 weeks and they found that the dose was having an adverse effect on my kidneys. I had already been through a lot of different BP meds but she told me to cut down on the Candesartan and prescribed me Felodipine to take alongside the Candesartan !!!!!!

I have been lucky and I did not have any adverse reaction to the felodipine, thank goodness. Good luck on your journey, I will keep my fingers crossed for you. Best wishes Jannie x.

[Blue-Anglia]

I am exactly like you and have been on a horrendous journey on BP meds. Similar to you and now after years I have now gone onto Bendroflumethiazide and aspirin. Touch wood this is working first month though. Hope it works for you too take care.

[Shadynook in reply to Blue-Anglia]

Have you had any side effects? I’ve only been taking the diuretic a week but have pounding heart beat in my head and palpitations on/off. I think they can cause pulsatile tinnitus. My GP is ringing me in 2 weeks for blood pressure readings so I will mention it to him.

Due to the terrible time I’ve had over the last few months I have made the decision that as from today I am going on a low carb diet. I’ve done it before and lost 21lb in 8 weeks. I reversed being pre diabetic and lowered my blood pressure to around 134/70. It was HARD but once I made my mind up I was resolute! It had crept back on over 2 years but I’m determined to do it again and this time keep it off. These awful side effects to every blood pressure medication is not for me!!

Best wishes Kate

[Blue-Anglia]

When I first started I felt as if it didn’t cover me for the whole of the day. I should explain gp said to take them at night. I have now been on them for my second month and I am feeling the best I have for the last year (as I have been on such a mixture over last 2 years). I had a lacunar stroke 5 years back and although I was lucky it was small different meds had some strange effects. All have different side effects some worse than others.

With the bendroflumethiazide I sometimes have a pulsating headache but doesn’t last long and also very slight tinnitus but doesn’t last. My readings have settled back down sometimes as low as 116/77 so pleased. Try to keep exercise up and reasonably good diet. The reason I was changed meds is after 5 years on Clopidigrel I was suffering hair loss so gp has now put me on aspirin. Keeping. my fingers crossed this works to stop loss.