Q: What happens when you go off Diovan blood pressure med. cold turkey?
A: Unlike some blood pressure medicines, stopping Diovan (valsartan) abruptly will not cause a sudden increase in blood pressure. Rebound high blood pressure is not a problem with this drug. Keep in mind, this drug is also used to treat heart failure and to reduce death from a heart attack. Depending upon why you are taking the drug, stopping it suddenly could get you into trouble fairly quickly. It is best to discuss stopping medication with your doctor. If your reason for stopping is difficulty in paying for your medicine, there are assistance programs for people in need. Refer to this page on Diovan.com.
THE MEDCINES PRICE SHOULD NOT BE OUT OF SIGHT WHERE PEOPLE HAVE TO GO FOR HELP IN PAYING. I HATE GREED.
There is so much greed in this country.
I did the same thing. I cold turkeyed. Iwas on 7 pills a day. And I felt sick most of the time. So I stopped everything. My blood pressure stayed normal for 3 days. Then I got the headache, a little dizziness and high readings again. I did though go off of diuretics which did not seem to be helping my bp after years of taking it. It also did not completely help with edema. I was worried about my kidneys. I am now back on Norvasc and have the same swelling that I had before. But the new doctor told me I was a ticking time bomb. So I am on Norvasc with great reluctance. I wish I could find an effective rx that did not give me discomfort or make me sick. This morning, my face was puffy. I have to believe it is the Norvasc. My hands and ankles swell too.
Suggest to check the patient information sheet. This may be a side-effect of Norvasc, and I am surprised if your doctor would think this is ‘normal’.
when i wake up in the morning my legs and ankles are normal, thru the day they began to swell. i am taking 1/2 of a 5 mg. norvasc.the only thing that helps is wearing the compression hose that stop below the knee, i am still swollen by the end of the day still but nothing compared to not wearing the hose.The Dr. doesn’t seem to be concerned about the swelling as much as I am. I think it comes with age.
That IS a side effect of Norvasc……..I got off that one immediately and take Diltiazem. Check with you Pharmacist for side effects. I also got off of the HCTZ and started taking torsemide. between the 2 changes, there was a change in my side effects that were more tolerable
INSIST to your doctor you want a change. There are many different drugs in 5 different drug classes for high blood pressure.
Ask your doctor about avapro . I’ve taken it for years without any problems.
I take Losartan Potasium 50mg and I have just bought Resperate (about 10 days ago) it seems to lower it quite a bit, will I be able to leave off Losartan Potassium by cutting down to 25mg then northing without any side effects from this drug
My bp was out of control 190 over 89 up and down and on diovan 320/25 i found that getting rid of the pillows and replacing them with a rolled up towel to keep my airway open led me to not wake up at night anymore. The results after about 30 days, pressure ranges between 130-150 / 69-75 still taking same meds just no more sleep deprivation, and my legs and hands don’t swell up anymore, hopes this helps everyone out there, Martin
I havde been on several different BP meds and a few months ago my doctor changed my BP meds and I am now on Olmetec so no more Norvasc, and no more Diovan and my edema has stopped completely. BP meds will surely react differently from person to person but Roberta ask your doctor about Olmetec. I don’t know if it is right for you but it may be worth checking out. Good luck.
I did the same thing, I was on 7 or 8 different pills a day, I felt like an anemic beaten dog with Alzheimer’s or something like that, on top of that I had anxiety about my BP with super white coat syndrome.
I know of 3 people who quit their cancer chemotherapy and all treatment, it comes a time when quality of life is important, if one cant function, make a living, fulfill obligations, enjoy life, being emotionally dead, no sex, then what?
That does not mean one has to be stupid about, it means one has to take charge for ones health, like quit smoking, losing weight, quit drinking, getting in shape, healthy eating, those actions individually or in conjunction will do more good than a handful of pills.
For instance making sure one gets about 400 or 500 mgs a day of magnesium, because magnesium is a natural calcium channel blocker.
Then there are some real valid medical conditions that need to be investigated if BP remains consistently high after those life changes have been achieved, then by a process of elimination a cause has to be found like arterial blockage in places such as the carotid or kidneys, but the most likely culprit is going to be hormonal and or metabolic with the suprarenal hormones being the most likely cause of HBP.
Emotions act directly on the suprarenal glands, the stress hormone cortisol will raise BP by gradually deteriorating the good functioning of the body, on the other hand adrenaline will raise BP instantly, adrenaline is the most powerful vasoconstrictor agent, many things will cause its sudden release or consistent high levels, just to give an idea of how some innocent little things can escape our vigilance, copper is an essential mineral necessary to build connective tissue, good elastic arteries are necessary for BP control, copper along with vitamin C are essential to build connective tissue, but too much copper will excite the nervous system causing agitation and high levels of adrenaline, meaning HBP.
Too little copper is bad and too much is also bad, that is why is best to eat naturally a balanced diet.
Very good info on Cortisol, hormones and adrenaline. I think most people forget the dramatic impact these things have on BP. I also have super white coat syndrome which falsely elevates my BP. The last time I got a 120/80 reading in a doctors office was when I went in with Swine flu 3 years ago. I was so sick it was almost impossible to be nervous about my BP.
You might want to read a book by Stephen t Sinatra called “The Sinatra Solution” It has a lot of information on some natural aids for blood pressure. He is a board certified cardiologist with numerous degreers in the field. I purchased mine from a health food store. It has helped me alot with my blood pressure and I needed something beside drugs as I am allergic to most drugs.