Re: Hypertension alternating with Hypotension (orthostatic)

[Guest guest]

Wow, that's a lot of meds. Is the pressure ever " normal? " Somewhere

around 120/80?

Dave

On Dec 15, 2006, at 1:46 PM, kimsstay wrote:

> Hello all,

> wondering if anyone else has had a problem with alternating

> hypertension and hypotension, specifically orthostatic hypotension for

> me. I am treating my hypertension pretty aggresively (100 mg Inspra,

> 180 mg Verapamil, 100 mg Toprol XL, 12.5 mg Maxzide). This past 2

> weeks my BP has been high a little over 1/2 of my readings, the other

> readings low, but really low for me, like 70-90 over 52-70 range. When

> my readings are this low i feel extremely faint and have to sit down

> quickly (or fall down!). I recently switched and now take the

> verapamil in the AM and the Toprol in the Eve, this is what my doc

> suggested. then i take 50 mg inspra at night and the other 50 mg in am

> with the maxzide.

> thanks for your input,

> Kim in MN

[Guest guest]

>

> Wow, that's a lot of meds. Is the pressure ever " normal? " Somewhere

> around 120/80?

>

> Dave

>

>Hello Dave,

yea, it is a lot. I have indicated to my doc that i want to reduce the

number of meds i am on, but she says i need them all...tried a bit of

experimenting on my own this past month -- dropped off one of my BP

meds at a time for 1 week (not my inspra, tho!) to see what would

happen. And sure enough, my BP climbed each time. Now (past 2 weeks) i

am back on everything but still having some high readings. In the 22

readings i took over 2 weeks, only 9 were at or under 120/80, and of

those 9, 5 were what i would think would be called " hypo " at under 110

systolic. maybe i need to increase my inspra (at 100 mg now) and then

try going off the toprol, verapamil and/or maxzide...

kim in mn

[Guest guest]

Hello athanks for the reply! see my reply to Dave re/why i am still on other meds...would love to just be able to chuck them all in the garbage. Do you find that you have lower BP all the time when standing, or just when you feel faint? Mine is lower when I stand, at least every time I have tested it. Usually somewhere from 10-20 lower than when I am sitting.Kim in MN> > > Hello all,> > wondering if anyone else has had a problem with> > alternating> > hypertension and hypotension, specifically> > orthostatic hypotension for> > me. I am treating my hypertension pretty aggresively> > (100 mg Inspra,> > 180 mg Verapamil, 100 mg Toprol XL, 12.5 mg> > Maxzide). This past 2> > weeks my BP has been high a little over 1/2 of my> > readings, the other> > readings low, but really low for me, like 70-90 over> > 52-70 range. When> > my readings are this low i feel extremely faint and> > have to sit down> > quickly (or fall down!). I recently switched and now> > take the> > verapamil in the AM and the Toprol in the Eve, this> > is what my doc> > suggested. then i take 50 mg inspra at night and the> > other 50 mg in am> > with the maxzide.> > thanks for your input,> > Kim in MN> > > >>

[Guest guest]

>

>

> When does the drop occur and when do you take your meds?

>

>

>

> May your pressure be low!

>

> Clarence E. Grim, B.S., M.S., M.D.

> Specializing in Difficult to Control High Blood Pressure

> and the Physiology and History of Survival During

> Hard Times and Heart Disease today.

>

Hello Dr. Grim, thanks for the post. sorry to be answering so much

later, but things got a bit crazy with the holidays...i think i have

figured out a reason for the hypotension...it only occurs a few hours

after i have taken Tizanadine ( a muscle relaxor i use for my chronic

daily headaches and migraines). At this point, this muscle relaxor is

my only pain relief/abortive for the headaches...so as long as the

hypotension is not dangerous, i'd like to keep taking it. Will let my

Internist know when i see her next, which will be in a few months. I

have asked her re/other meds to take instead of the verapamil and

toprol (due to the fact that they don't work very good in cases of

PA), but she seems to think that if it is working don't change

anything. Which i would agree with, but don't think it is working so

great.

I know the goal is to be below 140/90 and that the ideal if 120/80 is

probably a pie in the sky for me, but i am still getting alot of

readings over the 140/90 -- my diastolic is the one that is

persistently high, the systolic only occasionally and then usually

10-20 over. I have calibrated my at home unit with the one at the

clinic, so i know my readings are correct. I take one in the am at

the same time each day (sitting for at least 5 min prior to 1st

reading, than taking 3 total and averaging the last 2) -- right? I am

taking 100 mg of Inspr, split in two doses, one at night (along with

the Toprol) and one in am (along with verap and maxzide). do you think

I should pursue increasing the inspra, or adding another drug to the

" cocktail " -- hopefully in place of either the toprol or verapamil

since i figure they aren't doing much for me. what do you think?

sorry to ramble on and on...

kim in mn