Hi Trish 29 and can somebody help me please ? Re Blood Pressure tablets lrbesartanTeva 150mg!!

[trish29]

I was prescribed Irbesartan Teva by my new Rheumatologist and have been on them a week now but a week ago I also had a Depro-medrone 150mg injection and I am experiencing weird side affects.. Giddiness..I feel more drugged up than usual and also taking 14mg -13.05mg prednisolone and I am getting more exhaustion than usual . I am wondering if these symptoms will decrease the longer I persevere the only benefit so far seems to be slightly less pains in my osteo-arthritic hands. I was on 80 mg Propranol twice a day but rheumy said that he thought they were causing the pains in my legs . I've had PMR for 9 years and pray every day that I can feel better.. I get less and less done and always more tasks building up . I don't know which way to turn to get through the day apart from going for a lay down .. Has anyone experienced strange feelings with this medication.. I just feel so useless- so much needs to be done and I have a very caring partner who is at the end of his tether because I am so irratable as well.. Sorry to go on -there's other sufferers out there worse than me ..just hoped that the injection would have helped best wishes to you all. Trish 29

[polkadotcom]

Hi Trish, sorry that you are not feeling well. I haven't used it, but I checked the drug you are taking and it does say on the information sheet that patients may well feel tired or fatigued or generally unwell for a few weeks after beginning it. This doesn't appear to be stated in the side effects list - it's under 'Safety' so you may have missed it.

It's a shame that the Depo-medrone didn't help much, but I get the impression that they can be a bit hit or miss. I had a shot into my hip way back at the beginning of June and I'm just beginning to get the usual twinges now, so it has helped.

It's a bit negative to try and compare your pain with other people - your pain and problems are yours and

whether or not you feel others are worse off, that isn't going to make you feel any better about yours! As they are yours, you need to round them up and take control. Have you read 'A Gorilla in my house'? If not, google it and read. It made me laugh so much that I felt better immediately.

Try making lists (I've always been a list maker, so I had a head start with that) of the things you can do, things that you can do if they are cut up into manageable chunks, and the things you really feel you can't do right now.

I'm more than 12 years down the line, so I've had to pick up the pieces and put them together again many times and I suspect I will have to do it again and again.

Hope you have a good day.

[trish29 in reply to polkadotcom]

Thankyou polkadotcom.. for your comments . I have just woken from a couple of hours nap and not feeling great but there's not so much of a drugged up feeling there.. What I don't understand is why give me a new medication that will give me a double whammy with symptoms that the prednisolone already gives me ..and normally I'm not a negative person - I'm always writing lists and make myself get on with the day. I will get A Gorilla in my House downloaded .. Let's hope I feel better soon .. I just get so frustrated that I can't get to do all the things I want to .. Later in the day I usually feel better and I knit and crochet when I can to keep my mind off things and I love to read and do my puzzle books -l don't just sit and brood . Most of my pain is coming from the spine and I try not to take too many painkillers because they give you nasty side affects as well thank you for your support trish29

[ritter in reply to trish29]

Hi trish29 long time no speak.

[ritter in reply to ritter]

I have had the same problem as you i am really sickened by this illness as we all are,i have terrible pain in my back and side its like my liver is been put in a vice and pins and needles at the front and back of the liver it can appear sitting down or standing up no rhyme or reason and the fatigue well i can fall asleep at the drop of a hat well when i say asleep i,m not really asleep,also the dizzie spells a really getting me down i,v been walking like i,m on board ship for the last few months,my roomy want me to cut down on the preds and i am all for that except he would have me drop from 30mg,s to 10mg,s in just a few weeks,so i rang the nurse and he said just go with what your body tells you.its very difficult but do keep you chin up somehow my thoughts are with you and all our pals with this nightmare illness,.ritter Anne.

[trish29 in reply to ritter]

Hi anne. Ritter. Ooh thank you for your kindness and I wish you better as well . Your Rheumy is expecting a lot of you to come down so quick on the steroid.l am also trying to reduce but my new Rheumatologist is saying a half a millagram a fortnight which I hoped would be fairly straightforward it seemed to me that Yes I can do this!! but now with the hiccup of the new medication it's put me back a bit.This is enough for all of us to go through without coping with the pain in my spine and legs..life has changed for me since I suddenly couldn't walk any distance but I've got my scooter and go out when energy levels allow... I hope things improve for you and good luck with your reduction and I know we have to listen to our bodies as we are all different..keep in touch trish 29

[missrat]

Hi - I haven't been on that particular medication, but searched on one of the pharmacology sites and see that fatigue and dizziness )especially on changing position) are common initially. I'm sorry the Depo-Medrone didn't work. Has your rheumatologist offered anything like azathioprine to reduce the amount of steroid you need? The initial blood tests are a pain, but otherwise so far, so good.

Ann

[trish29 in reply to missrat]

Hello Ann. ( misrat). Thank you for your reply and I tried to answer you this morning but found the website wouldn't let me get through to you , it was very slow and I had to leave it in the end to go to the Hairdressers.. I hope you are having a better day today with not too much pain.. Where would we be without the wonderful people on this website giving us information that they can .. We must tolerate the hiccups that happen..there is a big improvement to a few weeks ago when the Forum first changed over. Anyway I'm persevering with the lrbesatan 150mg and had a chat with the Boots Pharmacist in Leatherhead Surrey today and he could see I was shaking and that I have developed cold sores on the side of my mouth.. He advises that I take half the tablet at tea time every day and not the mornings until it gets into my system properly and to inform my Doctor in a weeks time if things don't improve , so I will go along with that for now.. I don't see my consultant until the18th December but my GP at long last is going to keep an eye every month which has never happened before to keep an eye on my B/pressure.and steroid reduction. I have been on Azathiaprine in the past and Methatrexate and Salfasalaziene and they all made me Nauseuos and awful migraines ( I have a very sensitive stomach) which causes problems but he is willing to try Leflunomide or Methotrexate again in injection form..we will see as time goes on.. take care and I hope things improve for you ..and we can all fight this horrible condition together Trish 29

[Celtic PMRGCAuk volunteer in reply to trish29]

Hello Trish

I tried to reply to your original post a couple of days ago but was having problems with both the speed of the site and sending the post, and I now notice that it didn't appear. Mainly I was trying to say that as you only started Irbesartan just a week ago and at the same time stopped taking other BP lowering drugs, then the "giddiness" could be down to your body adapting to all the changes. I've run into horrid problems with my BP and side effects of the first trialled drug at the moment and have had to stop the first one and am about to start another, but have been advised not to start them until the side effects of the first one have resolved, which can apparently take two to three weeks. Perhaps, therefore, you will also need that length of time for your body to adjust. I do hope you are starting to feel better now.

[trish29 in reply to Celtic]

Hello Celtic ..I tried to answer you this morning but there was obviously a problem with the website as I couldn't get it to go through to you . Thank you for your information . I had to go out to pick up my medication today and the Pharmacist told me that I should have been weaned off of the Propranalol before taking the lrbesartan. I then called in to my Daughter-in-law for a cuppa on the way home and she was shocked at the state I was in and rang my GP's practice for advice and was told exactly what you have just put on your post and I have an appointment with my GP on Friday Afternoon..nothing was said to me about the effect of coming off Propranalol and of course on top of that I've got down to I3mg on the Prednisolone. I am going to get as much rest as I can for the next couple of days to see how things settle down .l hope to see you on the 27th but Pete has got his cataract Op on the 23rd August and won't be able to drive.. I hope you are doing OK and feeling better than when we were last in contact .. Take care Trish 29

[Celtic PMRGCAuk volunteer in reply to trish29]

Hello again Trish

I once had similar advice from a pharmacist after I'd abruptly discontinued a Beta Blocker some years ago and ran into problems. I had asked a heart consultant if I should wean off it slowly but he said that wasn't necessary as it was a low dose (he didn't realise how awkward I am!), whereas the pharmacist said that an average guide is that you should take a week for each year on certain drugs to wean off them. Propranolol is also a Beta Blocker so no wonder you've been feeling so rough. I think good pharmacists are worth their weight in gold. I do hope you will start to feel better in the next few days so that you can just concentrate on PMR, which is more than enough to be going on with! I hope you can make the meeting on the 27th - meanwhile good luck to you, and to Pete with his cataract op.

[trish29 in reply to Celtic]

Good morning Celtic.thank you for your reply. Hope you are OK today as you are obviously still having BP problems .I thought when I came off the Ramipril that things would improve as that got stopped the day I saw Rheumy on the 18th july.and as you know I never liked taking that ,but I never expected what I've just been through for the last few weeks with the shaking and giddiness. Anyway I've listened to that nice Pharmacist and I took half a lrbesartan at tea-time yesterday with my meal and straight away it seemed to relax me but I had a restless night and I'm a bit muzzy headed this morning . Pain level just bearable but morning PMR in my right upper arm, shoulder and kneck but will take my steroids shortly. l am going to have a quiet day if I can and wait and see what my GP says tomorrow ..Thinking of you and so glad my Osteopath found YOU and PMR/GCAUK . I know I still have this horrible condition but it's good to share it with other sufferers and to read all the advice given to them when they ask their questions and now I've got my new consultant and under the new hospital I must keep going forward take care Pat. ( trish. 29

[Celtic PMRGCAuk volunteer in reply to trish29]

Good luck at tomorrow's appointment, Trish - hope you get some good advice to make you feel better.

[trish29 in reply to Celtic]

Hello Celtic. I hope you have had a good Day .. I had a good meeting with my GP this afternoon and he was most concerned at how unwell I have been with the changeover of my B/pressure tablets ..He has decided to take me off Blood Pressure treatment for now and wants me to go back to 14mg Prednisolone and I have to see him next ..Thurs 22nd Aug to see if there is any improvement.. So at least he's keeping an eye on me now which makes me feel a lot better .. I hope you have a nice weekend best wishes Trish 29

[Celtic PMRGCAuk volunteer in reply to trish29]

Hello Trish

That sounds like a successful appointment - coming off the BP pills for a while whilst slightly increasing the steroids should clear any confusion as to what's causing what. Important to keep a close eye on the BP though especially as steroids are known to be a possible risk factor for raising BP. It must be so reassuring to know that your GP is keeping a close eye on you now.Take care and enjoy your weekend too.xx

[missrat]

I wouldn't know I was on azathioprine - apart from arranging the blood tests! I'll be glad when the boiler stuff is over, but it is a start on really sorting the house out.

We had an interesting meeting of our local PMR and GCA group yesterday. I just wish I could attach names to faces!

Ann