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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There are no real doctors anymore – they are all prescription bureaucrats who follow the same guidelines. So, changing your doctor will not change anything.
GaryA, I couldn’t agree with you more! So horribly true.
I whole heartedly agree with the above statement. The first line of treatment for most docs is reach for the RX pad. They pooh pooh natural ways of healing and complementary medicine. Big Pharma has a noose around our necks and a hand in our wallet.
Medicine used to be a healing art. Unfortunately, it is not often practiced that way anymore. Now it seems to be a money making business; the sicker they make you, the more money they make. All of them. May God help us all.
How old are you? What was your blood pressure measurements when they first put you on Toprol? Is your BP measurements higher or lower when it is taken at the doctors office than taken at home? Have you made any lifestyle and dite changes to lower your blood pressure? Do you exercise or walk 30 minutes a day ? I was 67 when they mistakenly put me on 5 BP medications. the fools over medicated me. I stoped taking three of them and am slowly gettingthe rest. I changed my diet,lost 40 pounds and got off the couch and started exerciseing. Don’t depend on doctors for help,they will kill you like they almost did me.You might also try the resperate to lower pressure. Fish oil,green tree extract,garlic can all help.
A doctor who would forbid taking blood pressure at home with a quality, accurate device should not be practicing medicine.
Best bet for a bp device is one of Omnron manufactures. Check the review at Amazon.com and ConsumerReports.org.
Did we consider maybe the taking of the BP made the person hyper. He or she sounds like someone keeping too close an eye on the readings and could be upsetting them and raising the BP.
My doctor had me on one BP medication and as a result I became physically disabled at 60 and social security put me on disability. Eventually the pharmacy notified me to have blood test to check for bad side effects. Surprise! The medication had depleted my blood potassium. By quiting that med and taking potassium supplement, my disability was reduced to bearable. My doctor was very skeptical but after one week I was much improved.
MY DOC REGULATED ME AFTER SEVERAL COMBINATIONS OF MEDS, BENICAR 40 MG, LISINOPRIL 10 MG, AND HCTZ 12.5 MG, ALL 1 A DAY, I TAKE THEM IN THE MORNING. ALSO 4 OMEGA 3 1000 MB, 2 IN MORNING, 2 AT NIGHT; WITH A SINGLE ONE-A-DAY MULTI VIT IN THE MORNING. WORKS WELL FOR ME. I GET THE EXPENSIVE BENICAR ($163.00 FOR 112 PILLS) FROM CANADA, AND ALL THE REST AT $10.00 EACH FOR 90 PILLS FROM WALMART INTERNET PHARMACY, 6 DAY MAIL DELIVERY. HOPE THIS HELPS!
Oh my! Both doctors should have their licenses lifted. Home blood pressure monitoring is essential if your blood pressure is getting that high even with medication.
The beta blocker you are on can produce weight gain which can make the problem worse.
If due to having had a heart attack, they want you to take a beta blocker, a low dose of Carvedilol, a newer beta blocker, may not cause weight gain. Taken with an ARB or an ACE-inhibitor that doesn’t make you cough both at low doses may lower your blood pressure better with fewer side effects.
If neither doctor has you successfully started on eating a DASH II diet, that can help a lot with both weight & blood pressure.
The Resperate or doing daily Tai Chi can help also.
Last, fire ANY doctor who won’t work with you on the drugs you take to lower your blood pressure. You deserve better!
A friend of mine was just put on two bp meds. She is at least 40lbs overweight, never exercises and doesn’t eat much in the way of fruits and veggies. Seems to me a Dr should first encourage all of the above before putting people on often life threatening medications. Even though they know zilch about natural products most of them should be aware of Omega3 fish oils and the DASH diet.
I have had high blood pressures for years. I am 88 years old. I took Sectral for years until a few years ago because it wasn’t working any more. My cardioligist put me on Carvedilol and clonidine, and a water pill, Lasix. I also have to take 2 Potassium pills a day. So far my blood pressure is under control. My last reading was 125/75. Thats the lowest it has ever been.
I was also put on benzoflumethiazide 2.5mg daily. I took them for two years but one I visited the healthy store and I was advices to take vitamin D tablets, Busy B tablets and garlic and hawthrong tablets and my BP has been controlled and no more side effects
What did people do before all the drugs???? Why is there such a blood pressure problem in this day and age? It might be helpful to do some research on your own and get your own answers.
to the person who said “what did we do before we had blood pressure meds?
My mom was 71 yre old when she passed away in 1964, well in those days while she was an adult they had no blood pressure meds.. So after years and years (she was in her 40’s when she had it) she wound up with an enlarged heart, from her heart working so hard. I remember how she suffered from dizzyness and her face would get red as a beet; she was always sleeping. Her life was horrible…. I have the same thing as she did ,same age but I am 77 yrs old and I don;t have it so bad at least I have medication to survive.. she didn’t…
I am 74 and have had a BP problem since my late 40’s. My BP spiked the other day after having a reading of 119 Over ?, I can’t remember the bottom number. That was Friday and on Monday, it had spiked to 164/84. I was really shaky that day, but went to the gym on Tuesday and did cardio exercise for 40 mins. and my BP dropped to 144/64. Also, most everybody’s BP is high at the Doc. office. It’s called white coat syndrome. Also celery is said to be very good in lowering BP. And also yoga or deep breathing exercise. Stress will always make your BP go up. So try to relax. Maybe the docs are stressing you out too much. Stand your ground. There are a lot of natural products that help with lowering your BP. Check a good Health Food store.
Please give regular exercise, fruits and vegetables (some raw) a try in addition to your meds. Believe me, it works! It eventually got me off meds. Now my BP only goes up when I don’t exercise and start eating junk foods, sugary foods, etc. Good luck!
P.S. Resparate helps too especially when I can’t exercise due to weather or busy schedule.
i am on two types of anti hypertensive amilodipine 5mg (for a year) and doxazosine (for seven year) 4mg(control realease). since last year i started to have pains on my left arm of which i have been to the doctors . i am now having lots of parlpitation and pain towards the uper part of my abdomen. myblood pressure has gone high 148/103 and i am worried mostly the pains at my left arm. iahve booked to meet with my doctor but the problem is my mind is no longer on these medication because of the lots of side effect. do they have those with less side effect? i need help
Have you had a stress test????
I think in this situation I really would try ‘Resperate’ and stop taking BP at home. May be the doctors are right. May be the elevated BP is caused by anxiety.
Doctors are expensive and human; they make mistakes as do plumbers, auto mechanics and bankers. Accept it; try not to rely only on drugs; the harder way is to control your life, food intake, exercise, weight, anxiety levels. All this takes some doing and in my case losing 30 Kg, swimming 500m a day,
gently working out with weights 3 or 4 times a week and relaxing has regularly brought my BP down to 115/85; it rises when I get stressed. We must work with our doctors; change our lifestyle before relying on pills in many cases! Yes the docs use pills because we are generally too lazy to be responsible for this part of our lives
The doctor is wrong. There are many meds besides Toprol. I hated that drug. I now take Benicar with hct.
It is best if you take a combination drug. Get a new doctor. I am a retired RN. If I don’t like a doctor I move on. You know from your statement that there is a problem. That drug made me short of breath, my feet and ankles swelled and creates hair loss. If you do your reading on htn you will know a combo drug is best.
Asides sugary drinks and sweeteners,what other drinks do you recommend 4 a hypertensive patient
Drink lots of water. According to a license nutritionist: divide your weight by 2= number of daily ounces.
BP measurment is always complicated thing. While you are taking Bp measurement at home, it will be normal than taking at clinic. Always remember that at least 3 continuous measurement should be taken. The average number of 2nd and third measurement will be taken into consideration. IN clinic they are taking BP check once and they will decide he is a BP patient and will start medication.
Things that help (in order of importance for me) Finding the Joy in life every day, Beet Root Juice 30mL (2TBS) per day on an empty stomach (first thing in the A.M. is best and chilled makes it go down more easily). Resperate twice a day when possible. Low sodium diet. Exercise. Stress control. Sensible diet. Medication as needed.