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I was at the dermatologist for a MOHS procedure and was very nervous (about the cost---no insurance) so I had very high BP when it was checked. It was like 185 over 125. That freaked me out tremendously and the nurses insinuated the procedure might not be done if it was that high. That news didn't lower it!
It's never been that high before---we have a home machine and it was usually 140/80, not enough to worry about (said the doctor).
The procedure was done, no problems, but of course I was advised to go on BP meds.
I hate meds and am not on any, so this is a worry for me, regarding side effects. I was on a BP med temporarily 2 years ago and half of my hair fell out.
So, I'd like to hear if any of you on BP meds have experienced side effects and what were they? I went online to read some but these days, they list every side effect possible, so it's hard to tell.
I don't know of any blood pressure meds that cause the hair to fall out. I've taken a number of blood pressure meds for years, including meds that also control my heart rate, and long ago adjusted to them, so had no side effects beyond a few days to two weeks at most. I take losartan, chlorthalidone ( for blood pressure), metoprolol and diltiazem ( for heart rate control but also work as blood pressure lowering drugs) and the side effects for those, when I began taking them was for the most part tiredness and lightheadedness. That was about it. I've never taken Lisinopril so can't speak to the cough it causes in many people, and haven't taken Amlodipine so don't know if I'd develop the leg and ankle swelling some people get with this drug.
If your blood pressure was that high one the one occasion in response to facing a Mohs surgery ( mine probably would be too!) but not under normal conditions, you might want to get back to your PCP for his/her advice and maybe to monitor your blood pressure. I'm not sure I'd follow the instructions of docs who saw you maybe 2-3 times, and observed a high blood pressure in response to stress, to jump right on blood pressure medication. If normally its not that high, you might be able to keep it under,control with diet and exercise, but I'd check with your doctor in any case as you might be on your way to having chronic hypertension.
They suck and I have tried a lot. Allergic reaction to ACE, coughing, tiredness, lightheadness, swelling, racing heart . . . but YMMV.
Many people on low doses of one med have no or mild side effects. I "get" to take more than 1 med at high doses so it only makes sense it would be more bothersome.
But you should log it daily at home before discussing with your doctor so you have data. In stressful circumstances of course it will go up.
My blood pressure eventually got high enough that my doc insisted on treating it, and I gave in.
I don't remember what the med was but I felt like I was having a heart attack a few hours after taking it. But I've never had a heart attack so I don't know what that feels like. I almost went to the ER. The same thing happened the next day after I took the med.
I never took it again. I only had to lose about 20 pounds for my BP to get back into the normal zone again, but I felt a lot healthier after losing a bit more. Everybody's situation is different, but so long as I can control my BP by maintaining a healthy weight, I'm never going to take a drug for it again.
When a new drug is being tested on pts, ANY & ALL complaints made by a pt during thr study period (months on end) must be included in the "Side Effect" profile when the drug is put on the market...That's why things like headache, constipation, diarrhea, pruritus are almost always listed-- because those are common complaints experienced by at least a few people randomly over the course of months...What really counts is the difference oin the rate of complaints from the contril group (placebo) to the experimental group.
To be licensed, the new drug must show an acceptable rate of improvement in the condition as well as an acceptable safety profile....These are expressed as rates-- and rates are based on population numbers- the group- and rates can NEVER be applied to the individual.
Most side effects are just nuisance problems, not serious, although some can be serious. For BP meds, easily the most common, more serious effect would be too strong a dose causing fainting/passing out... If the med causes a slowing of the heart, that can lead to dysrrhythmia in susceptible people...Vasodilators given without a diuretic almost always cause swelling of the feet/legs...Beta-blockers can affect memory. mentation & reflexes.
You can't predict who will get a side effect. but the odds are against it-- most side effects occur in single digit percentages. If you get an undesirable side effect, you quit the stuff and try something else or adjust the dose.
I'd rather have a little memory loss or swelling than a stroke-- but that's me. You're free to make your own decisions based on your naive fantasies and unfounded fears. Strokes are fine when they kill you, but most don't. They just leave you with paralysis, weakness, dyphasia etc for many years. Maybe you'll get used to it.
When a new drug is being tested on pts, ANY & ALL complaints made by a pt during thr study period (months on end) must be included in the "Side Effect" profile when the drug is put on the market...That's why things like headache, constipation, diarrhea, pruritus are almost always listed-- because those are common complaints experienced by at least a few people randomly over the course of months...What really counts is the difference oin the rate of complaints from the contril group (placebo) to the experimental group.
To be licensed, the new drug must show an acceptable rate of improvement in the condition as well as an acceptable safety profile....These are expressed as rates-- and rates are based on population numbers- the group- and rates can NEVER be applied to the individual.
Most side effects are just nuisance problems, not serious, although some can be serious. For BP meds, easily the most common, more serious effect would be too strong a dose causing fainting/passing out... If the med causes a slowing of the heart, that can lead to dysrrhythmia in susceptible people...Vasodilators given without a diuretic almost always cause swelling of the feet/legs...Beta-blockers can affect memory. mentation & reflexes.
You can't predict who will get a side effect. but the odds are against it-- most side effects occur in single digit percentages. If you get an undesirable side effect, you quit the stuff and try something else or adjust the dose.
I'd rather have a little memory loss or swelling than a stroke-- but that's me. You're free to make your own decisions based on your naive fantasies and unfounded fears. Strokes are fine when they kill you, but most don't. They just leave you with paralysis, weakness, dyphasia etc for many years. Maybe you'll get used to it.
I think you forgot the electrolyte imbalances caused by the meds - had those too and landed in the ER. Potassium issues.
They are not a walk in the park for everyone. No other med has landed me in the ER twice in the first 6 months - or at all in fact.
Was lucky not to make it more times when I passed out after a dose change. At least I didn't hit my head somehow - I was on the sidewalk so not near any soft landings. Or if I did, I didn't know.
I will agree that for many people none of those things will happen but I am not a special little snowflake who is the only one it does happen to either. From all accounts I'm in pretty good shape, considering they have done test after test to see why I am resistant to the meds and found. . . nothing.
Last edited by ihatetodust; 11-12-2023 at 06:23 PM..
I've been on irbesarten 150 MG (75mg am and 75 pm) for many years and don't think I have any side affects.
Had a heart attack in 2017 so it's good to keep BP low.
I almost always come in around 117/70. But like you get it taken at docs office and it is always higher.
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