Question on Rising Blood Pressure?

[hopenowandtomorrow]

Hi ladies: Since May 2019 I’ve been on IBrance/Faslodex/Xgeva and my blood pressure is much higher. Almost always above 140/90. Typically, in the 150’s over 95 to 100. Has that happened to anyone else?

I already had hypertension level 1 before I started taking the MBC treatment. I am taking 2 hypertension drugs. The 2nd one was added last month by my cardiologist.

I read about Cardiac Oncologists who know how to treat cancer patients who are taking drugs that affect the heart. But we don’t have with that specialty in my city.

I appreciate any feedback you can provide.

[Godbeforme]

Hi. My blood pressure also went up taking ibrance. My doctor doubled my meds and it helped alot. After taking care of my father, my mother, my husband, all with high blood pressure, I have found there are a few drugs that don't do anything, at least it didn't work for my family, and that is metropolol and then just the other day, an ex-co-worker and good friend is battling hbp and doc has her on metropolol to NON-EFFECT, her BP is sky high and he won't change the meds! so I'm wondering what is it with this med? hubby takes atenolol, very effective and I take bisoprolol, also very effective. you can take bisoprolol with hctz which is a diuretic and I used to take that, until I was having a hard time controlling my bladder so I asked the doctor to please switch me to the version of it without the diuretic and sure nuff, I quit leaking as bad, almost not at all, plus I never had a problem with fluid build-up so don't really understand why I was put on it in the first place. My advice is try a different drug before they keep adding and adding others, so you will know which one works. My poor mother, God rest her soul, they had her on so many bp drugs it was pathetic, and her blood pressure STILL wasn't controlled! Another useless two, that didn't work for my family anyway, is carvedilol, and amlodopine. When I was diagnosed with high blood pressure at 40, the doctor tried several different ones before he found the RIGHT one. They don't seem to do this anymore, they just keep adding MORE DRUGS. That's my 2 cents, turned into a quarter LOL ... you did ask for comments ... God bless you and heal us all in Jesus name, amen! <3 xo

[hopenowandtomorrow in reply to Godbeforme]

Thank you for your helpful response. I’m on Losartan 100mg & Nifedipine 30mg (new). Only been on the Nifedipine for a month. No big change in BP yet. Cardiologist says to give it 3mos to see the results. That seems like a long time to me. But I’m not a doctor. This cardiologist is arrogant, dismissive & condescending. Other than that, he’s a great guy 🙂.

[Godbeforme in reply to hopenowandtomorrow]

lol @ "other than that" ... that doesn't make sense to me either as any bp meds I've ever taken work almost immediately or they don't work at all. we all know we have to protect our hearts against high blood pressure and that it can damage our arteries, I would find another doctor personally. when you get my age, you have alot of experience with health issues and I am appalled at the doctors nowadays that don't seem to know what they're doing. It's scary, I WANT to be the patient, I WANT a smart doctor! No, I didn't go to medical school but God did bless me with common sense. xo

[hopenowandtomorrow in reply to Godbeforme]

Thank you for sharing your experience & perspective! I’ll go in search of another Cardiologist who actually listens to & cares about their patients. ❤️🙏❤️

[Godbeforme in reply to hopenowandtomorrow]

I have a dear friend going through the same thing with her blood pressure. She is going to buy some garlique TODAY to try and get hers under control because the cardiologist won't change her meds and she said she's just tired of running to doctors. A few years back, I had lost weight and got off bp meds, then when it started to go back up I would chew garlic and IT WORKED, but after about six months of chewing garlic, I got tired of it and gave in to going back on the meds. I hope the garlique is as good as fresh garlic, I don't know anyone who takes it, do you? maybe it will help you until you can get an effective bp med ... and you are certainly welcome to my rants <grin> <3 xo God bless you and heal us all in Jesus name, amen!

[hopenowandtomorrow in reply to Godbeforme]

I’ll try the garlique too!

[Godbeforme in reply to hopenowandtomorrow]

I hope it helps you; I had no problem chewing garlic I just got tired of eating it LOL ... hope the garlique works for you and Christy like the fresh garlic did for me! <3 xo Be blessed in Jesus!

[hdhonda in reply to hopenowandtomorrow]

I am on losartan 50 mg. twice a day.

That has worked for me. Blessings Hannah

[Barbteeth]

Mine is always raised when I see the nurse for my bloods and bp check...usually about the same as yours...nobody seems concerned

However I bought an Amron bp machine and I check it myself...it’s usually about 125-130/70-80 at home....could be the hospital environment that raises it...also they take it immediately after I’ve got up from the waiting room and walked to the examination room and sat down...no time for it to normalise

Yours isn’t very high anyway...wouldn’t worry...my opinion

Barb xx

[hopenowandtomorrow in reply to Barbteeth]

Thank you Barb!!!

[mariootsi in reply to Barbteeth]

Happens to me too at the cancer center! Otherwise, it is in normal range.

[Red71]

Like Barb, my blood pressure tends to be up when I first walk into the office but if they take it again 15 minutes later it is down, so I’d ask to have it taken twice.

If you don’t think your doc is listening to you, please tell him your concerns. Rather than abruptly changing docs, I would suggest telling him that since his treatment doesn’t seem to be working and he doesn’t want to change anything, you are going to get a second opinion. That gives you the option of switching or staying without ruffling too many feathers!

I know it can be a problem finding the right combo of drugs. I was also on Metropolol and then Lasix was added. They worked but not well. After my first surgery my anesthesiologist suggested to my internist that he should try Aldactone on me because of how how one of my blood tests was trending, I forget which one right now. I’ve been taking it since with great results. It’s not very commonly used but it works for me.

Good luck, it’s hard to juggle two medical problems at the same time. You don’t know if it is the Ibrance, the meds you are on not working, or stress making your blood pressure worse.

Elaine

[hopenowandtomorrow in reply to Red71]

Thank you ❤️🙏❤️

[Lordmandy]

My BP trends higher on Ibrance and Femara. Used to always be 110/60. Now runs around 130-140/70-80.

[morty87]

Initial BC diagnosis in 2006. Chemo, surgery and radiation. 2015 - heart event due to chemo affects from 2006. (They don't tell us that it can affect our hearts!) Diagnosed with CHF with less than 25% EF. Medication has brought EF back to normal at 55% EF. MBC diagnosis in 2017. My blood pressure continued to go up too with Ibrance and Letrozole. A cardiologist increased my Coreg and it seems to be better. Good luck.

[hopenowandtomorrow in reply to morty87]

So sorry you’ve had to go through all this! Glad you are doing better. Do you take your BP meds in the morning or at night? I’m considering moving to night because I have difficulty with the side effects during the day. Thank you!

[Francesca10 in reply to morty87]

Hi I have some questions for you. My heart got hit by Herceptin n perjeta. My echo’s are abnormal-Ef

Down to 46 but bnp sky high. I have doubts about continuing treatment when after three treatments I lost 5 on ef. How did yours go back to normal? Did they stop chemo? Did you have symptoms? Were you on cardiac meds during treatment? I appreciate you sharing your experience about this. Thanks♥️

[morty87 in reply to Francesca10]

My issues came within the 10 yr window AFTER chemo. I thought I had bronchitis, instead I spent a week in the hospital diagnosed with CHF. I was immediately put on meds, 12 weeks of cardiac rehab and low sodium diet. So far so good almost 5 years later. Meds seem to be doing the trick. I do have a yearly echo to verify all is well.

[morty87]

I take one in the morning and one in the evening at bed time. I think they are 12 mg each. I will say over time the side effects did subside. Hang in there.

[hopenowandtomorrow]

Thank you for all your replies. With your input I changed my BP meds to take in the evening (to not have all the side effects during the day), added garlic to my food & supplements. Today my BP was the lowest it’s been since my Dx last April. 128/84! I read garlic works very quickly. Apparently it does!!! ❤️🙏❤️

[Godbeforme in reply to hopenowandtomorrow]

yes, my friend is getting lower bp from the garlic as well, I was afraid she would fall out with a stroke hers was so high! Thank you, Jesus!

[SoCalLady]

Have been on Quinapril 40 mg for a number of years for high BP. Starting going up 150/80 when I was on Ribocliclib (same as Ibrance). My internist added 20 mg of Quinapril at night and my last BP was 130, which is normal for my age.