High Blood Pressure

Hello Everyone

I hope you are all coping well today

I have been battling high blood pressure now for 12 months

Initially I was taking Amlodipine 10 mg and Ramipril 5 mg

I am now on bisoprolol 1.25 mg and Candesartan 8 mg

Meds changed because of side effects

My blood pressure when I started meds was between 160 and 170 systolic

My diastolic has always been ok

I have just recently submitted a 7 report taking my blood pressure at home

The average over am and pm read for 7 days was 135/66

I then got a call from the nurse saying the doctor wants to add another tablet

Doxazosin

When I have looked on different sites online my numbers seem to be sort of ok

I am 72 years old

Also recently I’ve been recording average readings of 125/61 because I am a bit calmer as I have had my echo

I have been stressed in recent weeks as I had an Echocardiagram appointment (now completed )

Still waiting for result

My problem is , I don’t want to be over medicating

I would be really interested to know other people’s take on this

I will be going to see the Doctor next week,but I really want to avoid more meds if I can

Thank you for any input you may have

[Happyrosie]

I assume when you take your pressure at home you sit down for ten minutes beforehand and do the whole thing in a calm way, Which you can’t do in the surgery.

I’d certainly say that 135/66 is on the high side of acceptable so you’ve managed better than this.

[Hidden in reply to Happyrosie]

Hi Happyrosie

So the 125/61 is better i can understand that,

but the numbers the doctor was looking at

were the 135/66.I just don't know if i want to

add more meds to be honest.

The nurse i spoke to said,try to relax because

you don't want to end up on too much medication.

Finally , she said if my blood pressure goes up

to 160 i need to check it for two days and if it

remains there to get an appoitment to see her

That's why i am thinking another tablet might be over medicating

Thank you for your reply

[Happyrosie in reply to Hidden]

I think your nurse is right.

[TheJazzSinger]

135/66 looks ok at 72 as you are allowed higher blood pressure when you are older. There is a tendency to over-medicate people these days. A chat with your GP to explain why he wants you on another tablet would be the way to go.

[Hidden in reply to TheJazzSinger]

Thank you so much for your rely.The problem with my G.P is he expects me to have the BP numbers of an 18 year old 😂 but will add more and more meds to achieve these numbers

[29METAL]

Hi how many readings are you taking per day I take 4 readings at 2 minute intervals twice a day the first reading is always 90% of the time alot higher than the next three 10 or even 15 points higher I do not know why this is the case From my experience 135/66 is not a crazy reading for someone 72 years old many would be happy with that . Ref the medication I was on Amlodipine but had to get of it as the side effects were crazy Was changed onto Ramipril which worked well and acording to my research is one of the best and safest BP meds you could be on with many doctors taking it themselves which I found enencouraging I dont give medicial advise as I am not qualified to do but my experience the more tablets you are on the more problems they create fighting with one another I would be looking to try something like Ramipril on its own take it at night before bed as there are less side effects you said you had side effects while on ramipril and amlodipine but my guess would be that they are coming from the Amlodipine if you are on a singe tablet you can then see what good it is doing or not doing what side effects it has if any and also I was fit to reduce the starting dosage to half over a short period of time if you are on three different meds how would ever know which one of the three is doing its job If on a single tablet you can experiment with the dosage and monitor the results . This is only my experience and we are all different so take medicial advise but getting a good doctor who knows what he is talking about or even cares about your BP is a lucky dip process example beeing I have a virus rang the doctor today and told him I had not taken my BP meds for a week because my reading were getting very low he said I done the right thing and that a virus can bring down your blood pressure readings But go onto any wed site on the internet and the advice they give is a virus will increase your BP readings so who is right Hope this helps God Bless

[ETHEL103 in reply to 29METAL]

My gp says 140 /70 is an OK reading,I'm on 2 different medsAs we age our arteries get stiffer.Stick to your guns ,keep taking your readings. Your doing great.

[Hidden in reply to ETHEL103]

Hi ETHEL103

That's good to know that your 140/70 is an OK reading,

I think so too

I intend to tell my doctor at the moment i am not adding anymore meds

When it was in the 145 and 147 range my nurse just said if it hits 160 three times

To go back and see her

However i have had reads of 125 /61 recently

Stay well and take care

[Hidden in reply to 29METAL]

Hi 29 Metal

The amlodipine really agravated my gerd problems and ramipril gave me a constant dry cough unfortunately and i was really losing sleep.I also think 135/66 is ok and that is why i am going to tell the doctor i am not adding more meds.When im asked for readings fir 7 for doctor i do 3 reads ( best of 3) which id usually the third reading and i do them morning and night for 7 days. Then they average them iut and thats were the 135/66 came from.I don't know why he wants to add more meds.I know doctors are doing their best for people, but i know people with my numbers not even on meds.I don't know why my is not ok.Well i think it's ok,It's better that it was.Sorry for the huge reply but thanks again for your reply.Stay well and God Bless you too

[29METAL in reply to Hidden]

Yes the Ramipril can cause a cough It didnt happen to me but if it had I to would come off it to I also lost a bit of weight not intentionally but I took anxiety from the amlodipine and did not feel like eating some days but I think the weight loss and sensible eating have help my numbers hope all goes well for you God Bless

[onadiet]

I've just seen Consultant and she took me off Amlodipine which was causing me bad health side effects. She told me to only take Bisoprolol if BP goes over 160/90.Im 73 & she reckons that is my cut off. So I'm enjoying respite for now .

[PecanSandie]

You didn't say whether you are in the US or UK. In the US it seems that the only acceptable BP is 120/80. My doctors no longer get alarmed if it's slightly over that (in the 130s) but I can tell that they want it to be lower...lol. My BP finally appears to be under control but I do take a lot of drugs. I also have kidney disease so that complicates things a bit. I take 100 mg of Metoprolol (50 in the morning and 50 at night), 360 mg of Valsartan (180 mg in the morning and 180 mg at night), 5 mg of Amlodipine (at night), and one tab of Furosemide in the morning. (I used to take 10 mg of Amlodipine but my ankles got swollen and my nephrologist didn't like that at all. ) In fact, I feel like it's the Amlodipine is the "glue" that makes all the other medications work well together. That's a lot of medication but I am now quite used to it and it took a lot of trial and error to get my BP under control. I absolutely hate taking all these drugs because it goes against my grain, but I know that they are helping so I persist.

[Hidden in reply to PecanSandie]

Hi PecanSandie

I am in the uk and the amlodipine caused more gerd problems and previously i had it sort of under control, once i started amlodipine it was really bad.My doctor said no amlodipine would not cause any gastric problems.However once i got a cardiologist she swiftly changed my meds and said of cousre they do.Also the cough with ramipril , my doctor said not ramipril so wouldn't change them.Cardiologist said rampiril was the cause of the constant dry cough which kept me awake most nights.I was absolutely exhausted.So i've decided i am not adding more meds at the moment on candesartan and bisoprolol i feel ok now although i did feel deadful until my body got use to them. Stay well and hope you are doing ok

[PecanSandie in reply to Hidden]

Lisinipril was the first BP medication I ever too and it gave me a cough so I got switched to Coreg. That was when I first had BP so many years ago! I read somewhere and have no idea if it's valid but that sometimes 5 mg of Amlodipine is just as effective as 10 mg. Weird, right? I get Gerd sometimes and it never occurred to me that it could be from Amlodipine (or maybe the other drugs). So far, it has been mild so I haven't even mentioned it to anyone. As long as you are feeling well with what you are taking then carry on. That's what is important.

[Catlover1981]

Hi

I was on 3 different medications Ramipril, Amlodipine and Doxazosin. My blood pressure was still in the 180s so I said these aren’t working and luckily my GP agreed with me and took me off all 3 and started with Candesartan 8mg. To cut a long story short I ended up in hospital and so they added Indapamide and now I am having readings of 120/80. My recent readings have come back as normal and to keep on taking the same medication doses. They sorted me out good at the hospital I don’t recommend it but they did sort me out and when I think 3 lots weren’t working but now on 2 I am sorted.

I am 43 and would have thought they were normal readings for someone in your age group. Amlodipine made my ankles swell and Ramipril gave me a bad cough and Doxazosin didn’t even touch my blood pressure. At first I thought it was stress after losing my dad and then my children decided they wanted to live with their father.

[Hidden in reply to Catlover1981]

Hi Catlover1981

I am so pleased that you have had your

medication sorted.You must be really thankful

after the other meds were not working

I am going to see my doctor next week and ask

to prescribe Indapamide instead of the

doxazosin which i am going to tell him i am not

taking

Also i will ask if i can come off Bisoprolol i am

only taking 1.25 mg

Will just tell him i want to give it a go on the two meds

I hope you continue to be controlled

Stay well xx

[Catlover1981 in reply to Hidden]

Thank you and hope you get your medication sorted. I have also been put on Verapamil for my high heart rate and Indapamide is a diuretic I don't know if Doxazosin. Indapamide doesn't affect me with toilet wise. Good luck xx

[Catlover1981]

My mum's heart rate on Bisoprolol was 46 she had a heart attack 2 days before she had me and touch wood she will be 87 on 16th December and is in a care home.