One year update with Benicar

[Guest guest]

Hi all,

I would like to report that I finally seem to be improving again,

once I kicked that endless Upper Respiratory/sinus problem. The

Zithromax has slowly conquered it although I still get some residual

allergy type episodes (which I've never experienced before). I'm

wondering if it's fungal, even though I've been doing diflucan every

day for weeks now. One of the things that worried me was that I had

a stiff neck along with that whole respiratory business. The stiff

neck is finally starting to improve but has been disheartening,

because up 'til then, Benicar had taken care of my life-long stiff

neck problem. This stiff neck was in a different place, and the

Benicar didn't help much. I " ve been worried that the bugs have moved

and found a new entry point, and perhaps the Benicar somehow aided

that.

On the other hand, I've been on Benicar for a whole year now, and as

unpopular as the topic may be, it has truly been life changing. My

migraines are almost non-existent, all of the lower body and joint

pain I had is gone. My brain isn't foggy anymore. I'm still sleeping

better. The anxiety is still way down. Urgent bladder's still gone.

The problems I continue to have are still varying degrees of severe

fatigue, along with pain in my shoulders, upper arms and right elbow

region. It's not nearly as bad as it was, but it's still not good,

and the pain in my shoulders is still severe enough that I can't

sleep on my side comfortably (which causes a lot of tossing and

turning, since I'm a side-sleeper).

The only other possible negative effect I can see from the Benicar

is that I think I may be having some adrenal issues. Some of my old,

bizarre adrenal symtpoms are returning in a mild form (it's like an

internal allergy attack with severe INTERNAL itching). B-complex

vitamins definitely relieve these episodes, so I do believe the

concerns regarding Benicar and Alderosterone, etc., are legitimate

concerns which should be considered and researched. I haven't been

to my doc yet to be tested (just too tired until these last few

days), but the fact that the Bs relieve the symptoms is a good

indicator to me. Also, I've found that the old standbys of

magnesium, potassium, sodium and chloride are helping my symptoms. I

think this is probably somehow tied to the Benicar, but all in all,

for me, the Benicar has been a life-saver. If it weren't for the

severe fatigue, I'd feel like a pretty healthy person with a

shoulder problem. The fatigue is what keeps me real. And the excess

weight around my middle. :-)

penny