I take irbesartin which is a generic of Avapro, I don't see any side effects and yes my bp is always good. I take 150mg

I take Lisinopril 10 mg. and it's done the job along with decreasing salt intake and losing about 10 lbs. If this is what you're prescribed they will start you out at the lowest 10 mg. dosage to minimize any side effects and then increase the dosage if the BP goal is not met after the first month or 2. They don't want your BP to go down to a dangerously low level. I did not notice any side effects when I started taking it last year.

ETA: As a bonus, it is very cheap! I pay about $2 out of pocket for a 90 day supply.

Thanks, bengardening and Lone Jack. I exercise about an hour most days and diet is generally pretty healthy, but I need to lose about 15 pounds. Hopefully that'll lower it enough to where I don't need meds.

Sometimes it takes some try this, try that, to find the one that works the best for you. My current prescription works very well (lisinopril 5 mg.--not sure what LoneJack is referencing about 10 mg. being the lowest dosage). I have no noticeable negative side effects and my blood pressure remains so consistently good, I almost never bother to take readings anymore. My current doctor switched me from a combo drug, to a low dosage of just the one component, and that made all the difference. (The combo had me swinging from very high, to too low pressure, sometimes only several hours apart. Not fun!) So note any side effects from what is prescribed, and don't be afraid to try different ones.

I take two different blood pressure medications. Every morning at 7:00 a.m. I take 100mg of Toprol XL. The generic is metoprolol succinate. I get a generic, but I get the authorized generic which is manufactured by the same pharmaceutical company as the name-brand drug, but sold as a generic by a subsidiary or partner pharmaceutical company. Toprol XL is manufactured by Aralez, and Lannett markets the authorized generic. (Some people here will insist that generics are the same as the brand name, but they are not. Yes, they have the same active ingredients, but the inactive ingredients vary widely, and those "inactive" ingredients can cause different side effects in different people. Case in point - I received a cardiac stent a year ago this month, and was put on Effient [it keeps the platelets from sticking together]. I was given a generic. I was horribly dizzy 24/7 and nearly fell several times from the dizziness. Falls can be extremely dangerous for someone on a blood thinner. I switched to the brand name when I got my first refill, and haven't been dizzy since.)

Every evening at 7:00 p.m. I take 160mg of Diovan. The generic is valsartan. There is currently not an authorized generic for Diovan, and over the past year there have been massive recalls of valsartan made by various pharmaceutical companies. I take the brand name Diovan. (Some doctors will prescribed Diovan HCT, which is Diovan with hydrochlorothiazide -- a diuretic.

I have never experienced side effects from either of my blood pressure medications.

Quinapril & Norvasc, no problems at all. Works great

Gyr, I am hoping a low dose of just one will work for me as well. My bp is not very high, so hopefully they'll keep the meds low.

Lindsay, I am sorry you had to have a stent, that sounds scary. Did you have symptoms or was your blockage discovered by chance? Glad to read you are doing well and getting the meds that work best for you. I am finding more and more, we have to be our own advocate instead of just going along with what we are told.

Thanks, Joann. I am so glad to read no one here has major side effects.

I have tried a few. Several cause me to cough terribly. Currently I am on Norvasc and Metoprolol. I have severe PVCs which is why I take a beta blocker. My blood pressure is not great right now my cardiologist is working on trying to get it under control as well as my heart. The blood pressure situation just happened suddenly. I have had the PVC thing for years but it suddenly also went out of control. I was having 24,000 a day! Basically every other heart beat was a PVC according to the monitor that I had to wear for days. It has been a very difficult time. The Norvasc has a very long list of possible side effects. I am experiencing some of these.

High blood pressure runs in my family, and I inherited that as well. I take two in the morning and one at night. I take 1/2 tablet of Furosemide plus Cozaar in the morning and Dilitiazem at night. I have tried a lot of different medications that gave me side effects - the very first one (HCTZ) caused diarrhea (and it did for my mother as well), and fortunately I got that changed to Furosemide. Others that I tried made me very drowsy, and I got those switched as well.

Fortunately my blood pressure is normal now, but I would caution you to be on the look-out for side effects from any BP medication that you might be prescribed.

Raven, I am sorry. I have occasional mild PAC's and PVC's and I can't imagine having them that frequently. Only good thing is, they are pretty benign according to the cardio who diagnosed me with them. I hope your doc will get things back to normal for you quickly.

Lars, I am very suspicious of medications (my mother had major health anxiety and kind of influenced me) and I am certainly going to be very careful. Am hopeful since my BP is not too bad I'll be able to either get it down with lifestyle only, or maybe a low med and lifestyle at the same time.

I cannot take calcium channel blockers, only because I am terribly allergic (dangerously so) to Hydrochlorothiazide (HCTZ), which is a diuretic. The calcium channel blockers cause edema, and many people must take HCTZ to counteract that.

Most HBP meds do have side-effects, and you miight wind up trying a number of things before finding what works for you.

I have been taking 10 mg Lisinopril for several years. My BP is stable.

However, I have a cough that won't quit. I spoke with my MD about it and he declined to change me to something else. He said that I should lose a buncha weight before he would change the medication. I go through about 4-6 cough drops a day.

I am on 10mg of Bystolic. BP is great now. Seems like it took forever to get something that worked with no side effects.

Jim you need a new Dr. Lisinopril is extremely well known for causing a cough. They should change you immediately when you have a cough. Demand it! I know how horrible that cough is I experienced it frequently but got changed as soon as it showed UP. Atenolol was one that never caused a cough.

Kadefol you are correct, normally they are not dangerous. But at the frequency I have been having them they are dangerous, they over work the heart and can cause damage to the muscle plus the heart is basically just fluttering and not providing a very good blood flow. Which means I could barely move around. It is a bit better for now but I am hopeful I won't have to have surgery. I did discuss it with a surgeon.

I've been taking Lisinopril for the last 5 years, 10 mg once a day. I checked WebMD to review possible side effects - I've had none that were listed, and especially not a cough. I tend to tolerate drugs well, though, and rarely have issues.

raven, we seem to be landing on opposite sides of the fence a bit lately. It's not intended, I assure you.

Sushi, I hope I'll be put on a fairly low dose, maybe that'll decrease side effects. But if I have to try various ones, I guess it can't be helped.

Terilyn, I have asthma, so not supposed to take beta blockers. But glad you are well controlled and don't have side effects.

Raven, I did not realize that, I am sorry you have to deal with this. My best wishes for a quick improvement.

Jim, that sounds terrible, why won't the doc switch you?

Elmer, the drug wouldn't dare give you side effects. :)

Please use caution when asking about side effects. Unfortunately,
telling patients about side effects - makes them more likely to
experience them (nocebo effect).

I can totally believe that. Happens to medical students too, many experience the symptoms of the diseases they are studying.

Kadefol - in answer to your question, I was having symptoms -- chest pain. It started one night when I came upstairs to go to bed. It subsided after just a minute or two, and I didn't think anything of it. But then it was happening every night, with the pain steadily increasing in intensity and length of time. Then it got to the point where just turning over in bed brought on the pain. I'd have to stay perfectly still for it to subside. Then, on March 13, 2018, I spent the entire night sitting up on the side of the bed because any movement brought on the pain. Taking a shower the morning of March 14 was awful. Put on only a long "loungewear" type of thing that snapped all the way down from neckline to hem - no bra, no underwear. We were at the ER at 8:00 a.m. Had an EKG, blood work, chest X-ray, more bloodwork, then a nuclear stress test - not using a treadmill, but injected with something to stress the heart (the "nuclear" part of the name is because of the radioactive dye that is injected for imaging). It was, as they say, a "positive" test and as soon as the cardiac cath lab was available I was taken in for a stent. My right cardiac artery was 99% blocked. I was told that I also had three more blockages: Proximal LAD - 50%, Very Distal LAD - 90%, and First Diagonal (Ostial) - 70%.

Spent that night in the hospital's cardiac unit and was discharged the next afternoon.

There are many different meds which treat high blood pressure and they come with a variety of side effects too. I took 3-4 before finding one which didn't have troubling side effects. So don't get discouraged kadefol if you have to try a couple before finding one you like. It could be better not to read the possible side effects before taking the med! Good luck, and don't feel bad about taking BP meds. They help you stay healthy.

Lindsey, how scary. So glad you are okay now. I wonder why they didn't take you to have an angiogram right away? The soap opera actress Susan Lucci was in the news recently, she also had chest pains over a period of time and didn't think anything of it because she was slim and healthy lifestyle, low cholesterol and low bp, etc. When she was finally taken to hospital, she also had several severely blocked arteries.

Socks, thank you!! I am hoping that lifestyle changes (and weight reduction) will get it back to normal. But if not, I will definitely take meds. All of us who need meds are really lucky there have been so many medical advances to keep us healthier.

gyr_falcon - I'm pretty sure that my PCP told me that he was starting me on the lowest 10 mg. dosage of Lisinopril. Perhaps he was not aware that a 5 mg. dose was available. Thanks for the info!

I believe the DASH diet is still recommended for preventing and helping to control high blood pressure. It has been supported by research that showed effectiveness:

https://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health-topics/dash-eating-plan

I've been on BP meds since 1971. The high BP is caused, in my case, by constricted arteries and veins in my kidney. One kidney was removed, thinking that would also remove the problem, however the same problem cropped up in my remaining kidney a couple of years later. So meds it has been. And there have been many over the years. Many would work quite well for a period of time, but would eventually become ineffective and need to be changed.

Currently I am on Terazosin (Hytrin), Benazepril (Lotensin), and Atenolol (Tenormin). This combination has been working quite well for me for some time now. I was also on Furosemide (Lasix) for many years. It is a diuretic that can be used to help control BP by reducing swelling and water retention. But long periods of high dosages can also cause gout, which happened in my case. The Atenolol has a tendency to make me feel tired, so I take it at bedtime.

I honestly don't remember the names of all the meds I've had over the years, nor do I remember which ones had what side effects. But that is something that will vary from person to person anyway.

Lifestyle changes can make a difference! Your doctor probably already told you this, salt is a big culprit in high BP! And chances are you would be quite surprised at how much salt is consumed unknowingly on a daily basis. So when you shop, READ LABELS! ! ! All forms of sodium should be very limited! Walking is one of the best exercises for reducing BP. Unfortunately, walking has become very hard for me over the last few years. But I do try to go to Walmart at least once a week and walk pushing a cart. I do pretty good that way. And when I get home my BP is sometimes borderline too low.

Asking your doctor about side effects may or may not get you good information. Meds now days are accompanied by information sheets that will have all the info you need, including side effects, interactions, food restrictions, etc. A much more reliable source than asking friends.

Rusty

I'm about to need something, too. 154/90 is my 'new normal'. I know the standards for HBP have also been lowered, so I am not merely 'PRE' hypertensive today. Neither DH nor I are overweight. We could be more *active* though!

DH has done fine with 10 mg lisinopril for years. Our joint-MD tried me on 5 mg last year and I was immediately dizzy. This needs to be revisited.

I do have carotid blockage that I can see and feel in the left side of my throat. A cardio/ultrasound test shows decent function. Ah, but like Lindsey, I have had the chest pain at night several times. Over in 3 minutes with sitting up, but *scary*. I have a slight congenital mitral valve problem and irregular heartbeat. Both heart and lungs are slightly enlarged, probably due to fighting asthma for the last 35 years.

All of this has been pushed aside following diagnosis and treatment for multiple myeloma last May. We had our home BP monitor checked yesterday when I was having my now-monthly chemo. Pretty close to their automatic readings, taking within minutes.

Jim -- Maybe time to stop the cruising -- or visiting the Midnight Buffet? They are constantly pushing food at passengers. DH refuses to consider another cruise, citing his complete lack of resistance to all that!

Rae, we pretty much eat like this already and husband has perfect blood pressure. The only difference between our diets is, I have a wicked sweet tooth and he has major salt cravings which don't seem to affect his bp at all. I know I have to cut way back on milk chocolate and stick with a little piece of very dark when I have a craving, if not for the bp then for the weight reduction.

Rusty, that sounds like quite an ordeal. Is it congenital? I guess it's not like a heart where they can do a bypass? Agree about the sodium and I do try to avoid it. I am not a salty snacker, unlike husband who has perfect blood pressure anyway. We rarely buy potato chips because he will eat a bag in one sitting. I am the opposite, all about sweet stuff.

Chisue, be careful with beta blockers, I was told those of us with asthma shouldn't use them because they can constrict bronchial tubes. My systolic is not that elevated, but I can't seem to get the diastolic below 90, which is not good. Could your chest pain be due to reflux or muscle issues instead of heart-related?

Jim, I also was prescribed lisinopril and also developed a terrible cough. It definitely is a known side effect, and my doctor changed me to losartan. The cough immediately disappeared. Now my medical records show that I have an allergy to lisinopril. Please insist on a change in your meds. Good luck!

Thanks for the information, kadefol. I am going to make more effort to take my BP regularly. If no improvement, I'll contact my internist...again. I have no reflux but have had unexplained nerve sensitivity across my midriff since starting chemo -- not a known side effect of Velcade.

DH had to up his lisinopril to 20 mg from 10 due to concern over his DW with her d@mn MM. Maybe he can go back to less once this becomes our 'new norm'. It took two months for his BP to go down when he first took lisinopril. Suddenly...good result. Our internist was upfront with the 'cough' side effect; he never had it.

I had no idea there were so many varieties of BP meds -- or that people take two kinds, morning and evening.

This age thing is one rotten discovery after another. I've *shrunk* two inches in two years -- which has also created a puffy midriff and 'fat rolls' on my back. I'm still 105 lbs. but it's all in my middle while my arms and legs are like a spider's.

Chisue, I feel for your husband. My bp goes up from stress and fretting too. But at least you know he loves you. :)

Yep, I've heard women are usually about 2 inches shorter in their 70's than they were in their 20's. Supposedly it's due to the spine curving, but (also supposedly) one can do posture exercises to straighten the spine and regain most of it.

Kadefol, I have no idea if my condition is congenital or not. As for a 'bypass', they did try something very similar to that first, with the thought (hope) that a normal blood flow into the kidney would open up the constricted veins, but it didn't work. After a couple of months, there was no change in the veins, and the BP had come down very little, therefore the kidney was removed. After that, I needed only low doses of mild BP meds. In time, the same condition appeared in the remaining kidney, so higher doses of more potent meds are necessary.

All in all, I am very VERY thankful for all the advancements in medicine, and these meds over the years. And for the doctors that had the foresight and the tenacity to pursue finding a way to make it possible for me to live a fairly normal life. This could very easily have been fatal for me. This was back in the 1960's, not all that much was known about blood pressure back then.

Rusty

Kadefol, to answer your question, "I wonder why they didn't take you to have an angiogram right away?"

An angiogram is an invasive procedure that has serious risks. Also, you need an interventional cardiologist to do the procedure. I underwent a nuclear stress test, which also reveals blockages without being invasive (and a cardiologist was present during the entire procedure).

In my case, I have no complaints or problems with the way I was taken care of and treated that day. I was having an EKG done in under one minute from the time I entered the waiting room of the ER. I was not alone for even one second, except when I went to the restroom before going into the cath lab, and even then there were two RNs right outside the door. I was at an extremely busy Level II trauma center, and as soon as the cardiac cath lab was available, I was taken in. Also, as long as I was just lying there on the gurney, I wasn't in pain because I wasn't exerting myself in any way (and I had been given pain meds).

"The soap opera actress Susan Lucci was in the news recently, she also had chest pains over a period of time and didn't think anything of it because she was slim and healthy lifestyle, low cholesterol and low bp, etc. When she was finally taken to hospital, she also had several severely blocked arteries."

Susan Lucci's most severe blockage was 90% - mine was 99%. I don't know what her cholesterol numbers were.

My total cholesterol was 155, and my LDL (bad cholesterol) was 101. Even though those are considered to be good numbers, I was put on Lipitor following the stent. Less than 3 months later my total cholesterol was 92 and my LDL was 33. My Lipitor dosage was cut, and I'll have blood drawn again in two weeks. I expect my numbers will be higher than when last tested, but they'll still be good.

Rusty, I remember the "good old days" when normal BP was 100 plus your age. :) Yes, medical advances over the past 50 years or so are pretty amazing, one has a much better chance to live to a ripe old age. I was born in the 60's and would not even have survived childhood if it hadn't been for penicillin.

Lindsey, I was not trying to imply that you were not treated correctly. The only reason I asked was because we have a friend who had major chest pain and was immediately taken to have an angiogram (3 blockages as well, but the doc was able to place stents). So my question was only based on what he told us.

I wish you great cholesterol results, and continued restored health!!

Well, you just said "based on what he told us" so I am going to presume that your friend is male. Men and women differ in the signs and symptoms of heart attacks. So, based on his gender and symptoms/complaints, it might have been more obvious as to what was going on, which is why he would have been taken for an angiogram without any other tests having been done first.

Like I wrote above, I meant no offense and was certainly not trying to imply anything.

No offense taken. I was simply trying to explain what I had gone through, and why your friend's experience was different.

Lindsey is correct about men and women. But there is also the thing that because of some type of bias doctors tend to discount when women present with health problems that if a man presented with the same symptoms they would immediately be sent if not to the hospital for at least testing.

I take the 5 mg of Lisinopril however I have problems with BP dropping after eating. I become extremely light headed and feel like my body is oozing into my chair. I am expecting to have a change in medication when I have my yearly later this year.

kadefol ask that your husband be checked for adrenal problems as craving salt is one of the symptoms. I am lucky in that my high BP is not salt reactive because when I do crave salt my doctor at that time told me it was a symptom of an adrenal problem. Once I have salty food for a couple of days the problem goes away for a couple of months.

Maifleur, thanks for that info, I had no idea. He recently had a very thorough medical checkup and he doesn't have any adrenal symptoms, so hopefully it's just normal cravings. I guess major cravings is not correct, just that if there are potato chips in the house he has to eat them, same for me with chocolate.

Maifleur, if you are having such a reaction I see no reason to wait for your yearly visit, or until you pass out fully and bonk your head on something and end up with a head injury. Give the office a call -- even a 5 mg dose is not the lowest made, or perhaps another med needs to be considered.

"But there is also the thing that because of some type of bias doctors tend to discount when women present with health problems that if a man presented with the same symptoms they would immediately be sent if not to the hospital for at least testing."

We all know of many manifestations of the unenlightened times many of us lived through years ago but that ship should have sailed long ago. There are lots of female MDs around, in all specialties. If you think your doc has a gender bias (which ought to be a rare and isolated individual to still act that way), find a female doc or a younger doc of either gender.

I just googled it and found info in an article citing the Journal of the American Heart Association
that kind of verifies what Maifleur posted. I also found similar
European studies, but of course those don't necessarily apply to the US. It goes without saying this does not apply to all women. It sounds like Lindsey, for example, received (and continues to receive) excellent care.

Women with Heart Disease Report Worse Treatment and Patient Satisfaction Than Men

The worst doctors I have ever had for listening and treating health problems were women doctors so the idea of just going to a woman doctor is simply not realistic. While some people may find one that works for them that was not what I found. A simple problem that could have been easily fixed by a blood test to see why I was having health problems was simply me wanting attention or I was depressed or it was just one of those things.

I have mentioned to my doctor about becoming lightheaded and feeling weak. His suggestion was to come into the office when it happens.

Maifleur, could you buy a blood pressure device for home use and check your blood pressure when this reaction happens? or do you have someone at home with you who could do the check? Does it last long enough to get somewhere (not you driving, of course!) to have it checked -- like a fire station? It seems you need to collect the evidence for him to respond to. A pity.

raee I have one and have done it. I live alone except for my cats and none of them have a drivers license. Doctor is unconcerned. Other than this he is through, actually listens other than wanting me to take statins which effect my mind. Until I reached real menopause in my mid 50's my normal blood pressure was in the range of 89-95 over 55-60. Last time I checked was 120/69. Should be less now as I have much less stress.