Q: I have been on toprol for 1 1/2 years, 25 mg then 50 mg. My blood pressure is high 150/90 and the first doctor wouldn’t change it. I am now on my second doctor and he also will not change it. I asked both to try a different kind or combination and they refuse. The new doctor actually told me to stop taking my blood pressure at home!? Is it time for a new doctor again?
A: At 150/90 your blood pressure does not seem to be in good control. You are not at the maximum dose of your current medication. Usually the dose of a medicine is increased before a new drug is considered. Rather than changing doctors, discuss this further with your doctor and find out why home blood pressure measurement isn’t a good idea in your situation.
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Toprol did not do it for me either. After a few months it went up and Dr. increased dosage but eventually changed it. I think our bodies get used to it and it stops working.
I too have taken LoPro, but in my case, it has been for 15+ years. BP increased from 145/90 or similar reading, til it reached 225/160+. Stupid doctor never did do anything else or than increase LoPro up to 100mg twice a day. @5 years ago, thought I was having anti-acid attack and went to emergency. MA was check’n me and found out I was having mild heart attacks and I was immediately prepared for an Angio operation & 2 stints inserted in heart.
I truly believe that jerk doctor should have check’d further and not increase dosage. Could it be that I may have possibly prevented a couple of clog’d arteries years ago.
Cardiologist stated problem was caught in time before major heart attack.
Ann Cooper is my name. I have been on Toprol XL 100 for 10yrs. my B/P begain to go sky high, over weeks I would have to be hospitalized (ER) they would give me a
clonidine don’t know what mg but it brought my b/p down within hours. However, they would not put me on it, I ended up at a cardiologist and he added 5mg Norvasc and McCardis 40mg and it is passible. 150/90, 150/100 I can’t get the Diastolic to stay down. What is the problem? I had to leave my regular MD because he just didn’t do anything but add fluid pill. I was and am so afraid, my pressure goes up down so much. I feel like I am ‘drunk’ and I don’t drink.
I have a friend with the same problem and he ended up in the ER. The ER told him it was an anxiety disorder (not panic disorder-that’s different)and gave him Xanax. Now his bp is normal.
have you ever seen an endocrinologist? hyperactive parathyroids can also cause weird bp issues.
Good luck and don’t stop looking until you find the right doctor. Don’t worry about their feelings-they aren’t worried about yours.
The problem with doctors is that they don’t care about patients until the bill is going to be big enough to pay their mortgages. Actually, I don’t know what is worst, the doctors, the hospital system or the insurance system.. We are so screwed in US on this matter. The so called 3rd world has much better doctor, hospital system and insurance that you wonder who really lives in the 3rd world…
Mate your problem sounds like mine.I was given all types of drugs but the BP remained stubborn.Shameful to say, it was not after 20 yrs when on a visit to AUSSIE that a cardiologist found out it was actually due to a small tumour in the adrenal gland.Better have a CT scan.Blocked renal arteries have the same effect.Check your K+ levels too.Otherwise you may just become another cow for the Docs and drug companies to milk like I was.Good luck
I just received a medicare card! with a drug program called Health Spring. Having been without insurance for years, I was really excited. When I went to get my Benicar40 filled, Health Spring denied it as it wasn’t approved. It took me a year or so to finally find the right BP medication. Health Spring didn’t care. They wanted me to try Avapro. Its been two weeks and my BP is up to 155/90 and my heart is skipping one out of every 4th. beat. Needless to say I am a little concerned. I am waiting for my Dr. to call to let me know what to do. I called Health spring and they said they would approve a different drug called Diovan. I don’t want to try something else!! I want what works back. What is the use of having a doctor if we have to have the drug company choose the medication anyway?! What if I die before I can prove that the original drug is “medically needy?” I think all of this is probably making my bp go even higher since I now have a headache!
Dear Laura,
I have been on Diovan for about 5 years, and it is a good drug. I have no side effects, and it has brought my blood pressure down to normal. Hope it works for you!
I too was on Benecar and my insurance failed to cover it. I was changed to Avapro and thought it was doing OK, but I kept having heart palpitations. Dr. put me on Metroprolol for the palpitations, but they continued. I finally realized that about 20 min. of taking the Avapro, the palpiations started again. I quit the Avapro and they went away. I am now trying Diovan to replace the Avapro but its too soon to tell if it will work.
I was given Benicar and had the worse reaction than any other drug: severe abdominal pain, nausea, cough, body twitching, sore throat, earache, pain in mediastinum and in groin, headache, swelling of face. I immediately stopped it, but some of the effects, particularly the abdominal pain, hung around for quite a while.
The doctor said he was going to give me Diovan, but handed me a sample of Benicar instead. I wished he had given me Diovan. Seems like a milder, safer drug. The best drug I have found so far, after trying half a dozen of them, is Hyzaar. The best part is that it actually works.
i took 50 mg’s of avapro for about 8 yrs..it never really dropped my blood pressure down..its a designer product..more$$ switched to 40 mg’s benicar..went through your story but had dr write saying ok to use..benicar seems to work better
Try another Doctor. That is unacceptable. I know it isn’t that easy to keep moving from Dr. to Dr., but your life depends on it. Find a Doctor that will listen to you and take your concerns seriously. Doctors tend to treat everyone with drugs without giving any other information. Twice my blood pressure was rising with two different Doctors. Both times I figured out the problem and not the Dr. My BP was rising due to another medication I was taking. Both the Doctors wanted to put me on high blood pressure medications and it was not needed. Just be pro active in your own care and if you are not satisfied, find someone else.
My ex doctor went down swinging for ToprolXL. Said she would be a bad doctor if she didn’t prescribe it. My blood sugar got bad within two months of starting Toprol. Doc ignored the information about Toprol and diabetes. She had me on that and Avalide. ToprolXL gave me high blood sugar. I fought it for two years, then insisted on seeing a pharmacist. The pharmacist said that I didn’t need the ToprolXL,just the Avalide (wich is Avaro + a diuretic). My blood sugar went down as soon as I made the change. Now I only have to take one pill. Avalide keeps me well under control.
I am on IMDUR 30MG, twice daily with a gap of six hours.I am also on Tenolol and asprin.I am getting giddiness.Is it because my BP could have dropped and the dosage needs to be adjusted.While on this drug should i give up Alcohol.
I have been on lotrel for awhile and now w generic amod/beneze is what I use my doc ( a second one made my dose one half spread out in two times a day from 10/20 to 5/20 and it seems to be doing well my readings are okay at the doc at home I get different readings and belive the one at home seems off because of apprehension.
I don’t use much salt in my diet but what bugs m is the skin is so easily bruised that I have to be careful of accidently rubbing up against door jams for fear of that lousy looking bruise.
Being 77is probably normal the tissue is old as me so I accept it.
Don’t know if my rambling made sense but thats my story.
I would be interested why your HCP did not start with a thiazide type diuretic as the guidelines (JNC7) recommend. At 50 mg you are on the low end of the medication so you could easily increase the dosing.
Control is important so you do not damage your organs. Increase or change. Either way you need to get under 130/80 or 140/90 depending on other medical issue you have going on.
I was on Toprol for years and it sent me to the ER several times with uncontrolable spikes. I then google’d ‘toprol su…’ and I was amazed how many people had the same problem. My dr. said it was mental so i swithed doctors. The new dr. imediatly recognized the problem and put me on a different med. I’ve been fine ever since.
…what medicine did he change you too?
he changed it to micardis 80/12.5 in the am and cardizem 180 at night. because of toprol the old dr. put me on a clonidine patch to counter the toprol side effects. i’m off that too….was getting very expensive
Have you asked them why they don’t want you to change? Have you ever tried other meds? If no decent results, it is time to pound the pavement for a new M.D. If insurance allows, get an internal medicine dr. instead of a general or family practice for your primary.
You may have to ask your doctor to give you a water pill medication (simivastin) It might work for you. Medicine works differently by your body weight and size. Good Luck
Yipes! Lenora–there is no “simivastin.” You must mean Simvastin which is for high cholesterol. There are many diuretics outh there, usually called ‘thiazides.’ Careful what you tell people!
There is no drug called simvastin (sic). Simvastatin is a cholesterol-lowering drug. It belongs to a class of drugs called HMG-CoA reductase inhibitors, commonly called “statins.” Other statins include lovastatin (Mevacor), atorvastatin (Lipitor), fluvastatin (Lescol), and rosuvastatin (Crestor). Statins reduce cholesterol by inhibiting an enzyme in the liver (HMG-CoA reductase) that is necessary for the production of cholesterol. In the blood, statins lower total and LDL (“bad”) cholesterol as well as triglycerides. LDL cholesterol is believed to be an important cause of coronary artery disease. Lowering LDL cholesterol levels slows and may even reverse coronary artery disease. Statins also increase HDL (“good”) cholesterol. Raising HDL cholesterol levels, like lowering LDL cholesterol may slow coronary artery disease. The FDA approved simvastatin in December 1991. I take a blood pressure lowering drug and a statin to maintain heart health.
Do some research on Statins. Those are about the most dangerous drugs one can take. I quit taking them and Plavix. I have been taking certain homeopathy OTC vitamins & drugs e.g. triple strength fish oil, flax seed oil and hawthorne berries. I eat a lot of pinto beans and lintels. Much better now, and cheaper too.
I totally agree, drugs are a waste of time, I think originally they were manufactured to do some good, but all the pharmaceutical companies and doctors and insurance companies only care about the corporate profits and how much money they can make and how long they can keep people on these drugs and pretend they are doing good. I have lowered my LDL cholesterol and raised my HDL, also lowered my trigliceries from 335 to below 150 and my bp was 150/100 and now it is 130/80. No drugs, just exercise, healthy food choices, fish oil and some other supplements.
Simvastatin is given to lower cholesterol. It is not a water pull.
Lindy, you didn’t spell it right either. It is Simvastatin but yes the statins are for high cholesterol.
I am 68 years old, h/o Hypertension, Stroke w/o residual, TIA, Diabetes Type 2. Been on Lopressor 50mg, 2x daily, HCTZ 25mg once daily Metformin 500mg 2x daily, Crestor 5mg every other day, Enteric coated Aspirin 325mg daily, Avapro 150mg daily. I changed my diet to Vegetarian diet and do Breathing exercise 15 minutes 2X daily. My BP dropped to normal, dose of Lopressor is now 25mg 2X daily, HCTZ 12.5mg daily 2X daily. Diabetes is controlled by diet anf med.
That is great news. I also have a history of hypertension for over 12 years. Was 10 years on Hyzaar and tried other antihypertensives when i developed a cough that kept getting worse over a period of two years. I was a school nurse and was constantly exposed to sick kids in a small, poorly ventilated room, so it may not have been the drug’s fault.
I now have tried Resperate and it lowers my blood pressure to normal on individual instances as well as overall, during the day, and over several days. Now, when my blood pressure gets out of control (perhaps because I ate too much salt), I add .5 mg. Clonidine to my usual 50 mg. Hyzaar and Resperate (which I do not have to do daily any more. I watch what I eat and exercise. Exercise has proven very effective (yoga, aerobic exercise, and some weight training). I will be 70 next month, God willing.
I have been on toprol for 8 years, 25 mg then 50 mg. My blood pressure is high 160/90. Now with 50 mg it went to 131/86 by the pulse is low, always under 60 and I think that it is not good. If metoprol lower your pulse, it can be very dangerous. People never think about the pulse.
I tool toprol 25mg for about 10 years before my pressure started going up, then went to toprol 50 mg and pressure went low and heart rate flucated a lot. so now I take toprol 25 and 50mg of diltiazem with the 25 toprol and have’nt had any more problems. it controls my heart rate and blood pressure.
i quit taking blood pressure meds three years ago. i now take garlic and hawthorn berry extract. my blood pressure is stable and it is no longer high. i get it check every week. my daughter is a nurse and she checks it too. i feel better and am a firm believer in herbal remedies.
I also believe in the use of natural remedies. I’ve tried many, but nothing would take my BP down to a healthy level. My BP was 140/60 and sometimes higher. I now take BP medication and a diuretic the combination has brought my pressure down to approximately 130/60. My physician would like to see my BP at about 120/60.
Where can I purchase Hawthorn berry extract? What type of garlic are you taking?
crazy that if you had bp of 140/60 any doctor would insist on giving you drugs when the drugs have such side effects. I have researched and found out that its safer to have up to 140/80 than to take drugs to get it down.
I think the new guide line is 120/80
you might want to check with your doctor .
My pressure is around 130/80
I take 320mg.Diovan once a day .also 50mg. of atenolol . My doctor says my presure is fine . I trust my doctor it took me a long time to find the right one who takes the time to explain things I ask about .If you can’t talk to your doctor keep looking until you find one who can take the time to explain things to you . I think your presure is fine .
like to know herbal remedies
what brand did you use. i am a firm believer that prescription meds are bad for you
maverick what amounts of garlic and hawthorn are you taking and in what form? I do believe that herbs are God’s medicine 🙂
Toprol XL – you couldn’t force me to take it again – did very little for my BP – but certainly screwed with my head – My Dr. put me on Bystolic and it has worked like a miracle – No like in none side effects !
Jeff:
Be careful about the bystolic, the drugmaker was cited by the fda for not disclosing all the information they should about the drug. It has only been approved since 2007. So you are basically a guinea pig for the drugs companies!
You don’t mention your weight or your lifestyle and both play an enormous role in blood pressure. I am a holistic practitioner and I have seen great success with breathing methods, stress reduction (both emootionally and physicaly), and diet. Sadly I have also seen clients who did not want to change their diet or lifestyle and were unable to lower their blood pressure with meds. While it’s true that blood pressure typically goes up with age and it may be considered normal, it’s neither acceptable or a natural phenomenon. There are many benign solutions without drugs that can be tried first.
i started taking azor and now i am having problems in with e d can anyone give me any ideas i never went thru this before dam
I have been taking Lavestra H 50 mg and my BP is down to 110/75
Sometimes you have to take matters into your own hands and do a little research on the web. Find out what you can do to help yourself. Doctor’s are sometimes in it for the money. They really use to care about you but now you just have to hope that they do! I would try a little apple cider vinegar along with your daily regimen and then check your pressure in a couple of weeks. See if this doesn’t help!!!
I have never taken Toprol, but I went many years with high cholesterol, and high blood pressure before a doctor did something about it. After I moved to a new state my very first doctor (specialty in internal medicine) aggressively went after my cholesterol. When the pattern of high blood pressure was establish he again started aggressively treating the blood pressure to bring it down.
Bottom line the medicines that he proscribe to me were the same medicines that he either took himself, or he had his parents on! Which is the good question, ask the doctor what he takes or what does he prescribe for/to his family.
Another bottom line, don’t mess around with your blood pressure or cholesterol because the longer it goes out of control the more damage that is done, and that damage shows up earlier! The doctor is supposed to work with you, not act like a god to you. If he does not listen to your concerns then he is not the doctor for you.
If the medicine is not controlling then it either needs to be changed, or increased. The less you have to take the better because it does give the opportunity to be increased if you need it further down the line. But if it takes high does right from the start it may not be the right one for you.
I hope this was helpful.
I was on lisinipril and over the years my BP kept going up. When it did, my doctor doubled the dosage. I finally asked him for a diuretic and overnight my BP dropped to 114/70 and I lost five pounds. (I woke up a few times that night). Now between Triamterene/HCTZ and hiking, my BP stays normal.
I would like to know if people using ‘micardis’ 40mls a day have experienced ‘ringing’ in the ears? or any other side effects?
i’m on micardis 80/12.5 and have tinnitis. but it varies during the day. was on a clonidine patch and thought it was that causing it. you might be on to something
I HAVE TAKEN MICARDIS 40 TWICE A DAY FOR 8 YEARS. NO SIDE EFFECTS AND NO RINGING IN THE EARS.
I have been on different blood pressure meds for 30 years and none of them have helped me. Finally the dr. said that she just did not know what to do with me anymore so she sent me to a cardiologist…[takes pictures of your heart]…he asked me if I ever had trouble breathing and I said yes, in the last 4-5 months and also even though I had a very active job, I felt so incredible tired. He told me that I was on the verge of heart failure, my heart has thickened and it is having a hard time…I cried all the way home, my husband called my work and told them I would not be coming back, it was too stressful, I went on a low carb plan and best of all I bought some STRAUSEE heart drops…my b.p. has gone from 198-97 to 126-73 in just 4 days. Look up strauss heart drops and buy them, they are excellent. Blood press. meds DO NOT WORK!!! Gayle
Gayle,
You are on the right track to understand that diet (and exercise) are what make the difference. I am not sure what you mean by lo-carb since vegetables and greens especially need to be in your diet. I just attended a lecture by Dr. Joel Fuhrman, and he has seen diet changes make big differences again and again. Meat is a no-no in any healthy diet according to research by a number of medical doctors. Check out JoelFuhrman.com
i also take medication but didn’t change my BP and always felt sleepy, i ask my doctor if he can change to any medicine but what he did is, he increase my intake and i felt worst, soo i decided to stop my intakes and go for exercise and monitor my BP on my own and drink a lot of water, i feel better now and my BP is stable to 130/90 not like before i hit the 185/140.
Michael, your second number is still too high, and that is the most important number, it needs to come down.
Before Hurricane Katrina bp was consistently in 120s over 60s on Atenolol, after Katrina it is crazy, rebuilding after losing everything is stressfull. Try the Deep Breathing, it helps. Clean out the arteries by Chelation Therapy, it is alternative medicine. It works it has saved me from bypass surgery, which you do not want. Since Katrina no medicine has worked to control BP. Control cholestorol by diet, avoid Statins; a statin gavie a heart attack. One side effect of statins is to give you muscle gramps; what is the heart but a muscle? You don’t want a gramp in your heart.
What I meant by low carb is no sugar or baked goods, breads etc….[you know, all the stuff we love]..we eat lots of salads , meat…[not too much]….anyway I still have 1 or 2 coffees a day but without sugar, didn’t think I could do it but it is not too bad…I started walking, enjoy it more than actual exercises…now I just have one more problem and that is getting stressed by everything, have to retrain my mind! anyway the best to all of you. Gayle
Hi Gayle: I just read your post and I would like to say that stress is really the culprit in a lot of high blood pressure cases. Many of us were born with a very sensitive nervous system and got into the habit of turning every triviality into an emergency and over-reacting, causing our blood pressure to rise. Why don’t you check out http://www.recovery-inc.org and find the nearest Recovery meeting in your state. Recovery has been in existence for over 70 years and has meetings in every state and seven foregin countries. It is a free self-help organization where you will learn to think and react differently. Along with diet, exercise, etc. we have to learn new ways of thinking. There is no magic pill to do this. We learn to do this by ourselves for ourselves.
I am taking Toprolol ER 25 and Micardis 40 twice a day and they control my bp without side effects, including no ringing in the ears. My weight and exercise seem to influence my BP the most.
I have been ob clonidine .3 3X day plus Diovan 160mg 2 x day
and I my BP continues to vari and steadily rise.
ranging from a high of 195/104 down to 123/70 with an average at the end of dose period of 165/88 Have tried Beta blockers with no effect. Don’t know where to go from here and neither does my Family Med Doc???
itake htzc2mg norvasc 10 mgand benzepril 40mg 2x aday and my new doctor lowered my beneptil to 20mg 2x a day and it sent blood pressureto 170 over 101 and she said that that was nothing to worried about and that what iwas feeling was all in my head
I have been trying diligently to see what it is that causes my bp to go so high….I went to the dr. this morning, it was 209-102, I know it always goes up preceding appts. but this is terrible. I am seeking help as I don’t like to be on so much meds. I am still on STRAUSS HEART DROPS, anyone interested should look that up on the internet and read the testimonials. Burdock tea [from the health food store is supposed to be excellent, I have some ordered,[ have 3 cups a day] Anyway we need to keep researching till we find something that works.
Hi Gayle I looked up the Strauss and it said only works for bp is its caused by clogged arteries, was that the cause of your hbp?
viv, 107-101 IS something to worry about!!!!! Dr.Oz is a heart specialist and has a show on t.v…..he gets concerned when it is [140-90, for example]. so that dr. does not know what she is talking about….why is the leading cause of death heart attacks and strokes? because alot of the drs. are not taking it seriously. You need to research it yourself and go to a dr. that will get concerned about it. YOU are worth it!!!!!
OmegaQ Plus has helped my wife STABILIZE her BP, along with her heart meds. We have proven it! (BioSolutions)
I just wanted to say you should check out Dr. Oz on t.v. He is a heart specalist, talks alot about bp….also if you have a juicer, beet juice works great to bring down bp….you can throw in an apple and carrot too if you want, it tastes great. The STRAUSS HEART DROPS I am taking are garlic plus drops, there are many wonderful testimonies about them…check them out.
beet, apple carrots juice sure taste great but it is murder to a diabetic
I have been taking Micardis 40/12.5HCTZ for about 4 years. My doctor gives me samples which helps defray the cost of this medication which is not on the accepted list of my Part D insurance. Cigna. No side effects but I really have not been checking my BP as often as I should. I am a snowbird and don’t have a device with me that works. The upper arm one which I had for my mom gave up the ghost and the wrist monitor is at home.
Is anyone out there on Norvasc or atacand? I take both but I find walking a couple of miles does more to lower my BP
with meds what is accpetable bp..my dr says 130/80 ok..not so surethough!
no two persons have they same effect. if benicar or diovan is good for her or him it doesn’t mean it will be the same effect in you.. that’s why most doctos just keep trying different kinds of meds until they find the right one..i don’t know if its possible to identify what type of hypertension before giving a medication
my pulse rate goes as low as 35bpm. ECG tests reat ‘borderline normal’ sometimes i have somekind of dizzy feeling/darkened vision that gets me scared. this feeling was steady for more that 1 year. i was placed on lincinopril for a long time, but the feeling continued.i stopped taking the drugs some months ago, and the feeling stopped. sometimes though i feel that way for a short while. my blood pressure has however not gone above 140/90.
I feel that regular and good sex relieves stress and reduces BP. This is a natural medicine go for it.
Just wait until Obamacare kicks in. You will have even a harder time getting the medication you feel you need.
I had bp of 240/180 which to most doctors means I am dead for 36 years. I was on clonidine and still am which allows me to treat and go to sleep at night. I am alergic to most meds. I have been on Benicar 40mg for 2 years. My blood preasure now is 180/120 which I feel fine. Medicos,aliopaths, are clueless about certain human beings. I get my meds on line from Canada because the laws in this country only protect the pharmaceutical manufactures and not us humans. Any third world country is better than this one and toronto is only a busride from the us. Good luck with these looser doctor who are being replaced with nurse practicioners who only use walmarts list of approved drugs to dispense in their cost order.
I just read in my local paper today that too much salt is hidden in Americans’ food, and regulators plan to work with manufacturers to cut back – but the government isn’t ready to go along with a major new recommendation that it order a decrease. Americans eat about 1-1/2 teaspoons of salt daily, more than double what they need for good health and enough to increase the risk of high blood pressure, strokes and other problems. Most of that sodium doesn’t come from the salt shaker on the table; it’s hidden inside common processed foods and restaurant meals. Don’t wait for the government to “do something”. Take charge of your own health and read labels, exercise and learn to relax.
I had high blood pressure was high in September 09 ( 150/98. I was reluctant to use medication. I stopped taking salt and fats, add more fruits and veggies, walk 1 hour every day. I managed to loose weight. Then I go an invitation to try herbal blood pressure control from Health and Harmony. The first week I had my capsule one with lunch and one with dinner, my blood pressure went down and now I maintain the same reading 130/78 or 128/75 like that. It is really a god send for me. But it works better when you reduce weight. I am 62 years old.
Thanks.
Munira
Every mediation has its risk and benefit. One must weigh those in consideration of rather a specific drug it right for them. Does the risk out weigh the benefit of any given drug. Of course this discussion should be with your treating physician. I was put on Clonidine 0.1mg TID, Coreg 6.25mg – BID and Diovan 320 mg – daily.
In retrospect I would not take Clonidine again; and to wean off it immediately i impossible. Even weaning by 1 pill daily, for a week or ten days at a time, it has tremendous side effects. Never will I take this medication again. Now I will admonish people on this medication to be aware of effects for them. And if you miss one dose during your treatment plan, even taking it 1 hour late, the effects have been horrific.