Airlinerg - My Inspra experience - dose, time and blood pressure , DASH diet

[Guest guest]

Hi Valarie,

Finally I can be a useful resource in this group. I have seen a

nephrologist, Dr. L, for 28 years and I am 50 years old, so I

started with him when I was 22 years old. I started Inspra the day

it very shortly immediately after if began marketing in the USA. I

know the whole story, but I don't have time to type it here tonight.

I forgot the date that I started Inspra but I think it has been

about 3 years now - does anyone know when Inspra became available in

the USA? I forgot.

I think my nephrologist Dr. L, said once that I am his only patient

on Inspra also, but he says he has other patients with hypertension.

____________

I have never tried Atavan, but I have 100 tablets of it in case I

ever need it. I think it might be expired. I was prescribed it,

filled the Rx, but never tried it.

____________

I still have over 1000 tablets of Spironolactone that I was

prescribed that I paid for, but I never used it after I got

gynocomastia with it, but it might be expired. I think I took it

several months before I developed gynocomastia.

____________

I am guessing it took Inspra about 4 weeks reach a stable dose with

me. I have always taken it in twice a day, about 15 hours and 9

hours apart as much as possible. For example, I take my first dose

usually at 9 am and my second dose 15 hours later at 11:59pm, and

then the next dose 9 hours later at 9am the next day. Of course this

is approximate and average.

___________

I have never missed a dose in the 3 years. Today for the first time

in my life, I skipped my AM dose of Inspra so it has been 24 hours

since my last dose.

I checked my blood pressure tonight and it jumped from the usual and

consistent 135/85 that it has been the last month or so (checking it

at different times of the day) to 145/95 - just from missing my dose

12 hours ago for the first time in 3 years that I have checked the

blood pressure before and after. If this is unclear, let me know.

SO IN MY OPINION AND EXPERIENCE - IT HAS A LIFE OF ABOUT 12 HOURS,

and IT MUST BE TAKEN TWICE A DAY.

------------

As far as I remember from beginning Inspra is this - I started it

originally at 25 mg a day. I took it for 2 or 3 weeks. I noticed I

was getting very bad headaches. I stopped taking it and told my

doctor I would never take it again.

I think I stopped for several months and went back on Midamor and

Norvasc. My blood pressure was about 150 over 100 on the average in

those days. Then I went to a different nephrologist a few times and

he told me to start Inspra again. I said I would try, but this time

I started at one fourth of a tablet in the morning 6 mg and one

fourth of a tablet in the evening. I took it this way and I did not

get the headaches. Blood pressure was back up. I increased it

about once every few weeks doubling it in the AM and the PM as

described in earlier emails.

It has taken me several years to get up to my current dose 100 mg in

the AM and 100 mg in the PM.

It worked for a while pretty good at lower doses but my doctor told

me to try increasing it. I resisted because it is so expensive.

Finally I said I would try an experiment and take it at a higher

dose for a few weeks and sure enough after a few weeks, my blood

pressure was lower on the average. I usually check it every day or

a couple times a week - unless I am out of town.

________________

Of course my body is not the same as yours nor anyone elses, but

that is my experience.

__________________

I hope you find this helpful, and if others are reading it and find

it helpful, let me know so I know you are interested in reading my

experiences.

__________

Personally and I might be guessing, but I think the DASH diet with

Inspra may lower my blood pressure about 5 points on the Systolic

and the Diastolic - that is all, but I may be wrong.

When I increase my salt for a day or 2 to high levels - eat out 3

meals a day - and lots of candy too, it did not affect my blood

pressure at all. I checked on DASH days and non DASH days.

Furthermore - I have never been on the DASH diet alone, and stopped

my Inspra completely - so I don't know what the DASH diet would do

for me alone with no medications - and a non DASH diet only alone

with no medications.

__________

EVERYBODY READING THIS, please respond this one time, no matter what.

____________

So my advice is never take your whole 50 mg once a day, always take

50 mg in the morning and take the 2nd dose about 12 to 15 hours

later, depending on when you take your AM medicines and your PM

medicines. I just take medicines twice a day.

Best wishes,

Airlinerg

>

> I didn't take any Ativan yesterday. Just got tired of feeling so

drugged

> out and I think it was causing the headaches. Anxiety was so-so

yesterday.

> Really, the last thing I need is dependence on Ativan. It did

considerably

> lessen the night sweats/urination for the nine days I took it - 2

mg/day.

>

> I took 25 mg Inspra last night and had a bit of nausea, but I had

also taken

> three ibuprophen for my near constant headache. Then, I spent the

entire

> night half-awake, urinating and sweating. Seems like I was not

quite as

> nervous though. I'm having muscle spasms this morning. I ate a

lot of

> garlic last night. I am craving garlic, potatoes and broccoli.

>

> I so wish I could sleep. I am awfully worn out and weak. Exercise

> devastates me. A 10-minute walk causes sweating and significant

weakness.

> It takes several hours to regain some strength. I am pretty

depressed at

> the moment.

>

> Took 50 mg this morning and had a bit of nausea. Still sweating.

I will

> try breaking it into two doses as you suggest. So far, 50 mg/day

is the

> prescription. I appreciate hearing your gradual experience.

>

> BP is running 150/87 this morning. Yesterday morning it was

162/96.

> Doesn't mean anything because my BP bounces around. I am 62. I

believe

> I've had whatever I have since at least 2002. Had high BP

beginning in

> 1997, parathyroidectomy in 1999. BP normalized after that until

2002.

>

> I am the first Inspra patient for my endo. She has some on spiro

but has no

> experience with Inspra. She's keeping me at 50 mg for two weeks

to see what

> happens to K. Last K was 3.7 (3.5 - 5.5). Does it take a long

time for K

> to normalize in the cells after it has been low?

>

> 60 - 25 mg Inspra cost $219 at Walmart. Is that about what others

pay?

>

> I've been going back and reading messages from the beginning, from

before I

> joined the group. My goodness, what stories!

>

> Val

>

> From: hyperaldosteronism

> [mailto:hyperaldosteronism ] On Behalf Of airlinerg

>

> Valarie - you tried to help me - now I am going to try to help you.

>

>

>

>

>