Hypertension

[kate38]

Hello,

I’m currently taking lonitin along with several other medications to control hypertension.My question is what is another medication that can be taken to control blood pressure and would be equally as effective in controlling it as lonitin? Also, what are the long term effects in using this type of medication? Other medical conditions: Diabetes, High cholesterol,and Asthma.

Have A Great Day!!!!

K

[CCF-M.D.-MJM]

Hello Kate,

That is a pretty powerful antihypertensive.  Please post you other medications so I can answer your question better.  How old are you--if you don't mind me asking?

[kate38]

MJM,

Medication: Clonidine 0.4mg,Toprol 100mg,Triam/Hctz 75/50,Diovan 320mg and lonitin.Age:40 B/P before meds
running 180's-230's/100-130's currently 140-150's/80-90's


K

[Christie2004]

It might also help if you would state your weight, smoker or nonsmoker, and what kind of exercise you do or particular diet you follow.  Just a suggestion--sounds like your hypertension was/is very serious!

[kate38]

Additional information, I don’t  smoke, drink alcohol, or take any type of drugs, other then what has been prescribed. Currently working on losing some weight, by exercising 5 days a wk. Take medication for asthma, allergies, diabetes, and hypothyroidism. Been having  difficulty with exercising do to rapid increase and weird beating heart as well as almost blacking out. Medication adjustment was made.

K

[CCF-M.D.-MJM]

Katie,

Theat is pretty high blood pressure.  Have you been worked up for secondary hypertension -- like ruling out renal artery stenosis, rule out endocrinologic causes of hypertension like renin or aldosterone secreting tumors or rarer things like a pheochromocytoma?  These are all things that can cause severe difficult treat hypertension--they are very rare but are also reversible causes.

Lonitin can cause extra hair growth, but if your blood pressure is still that high, it sounds like you need it.

The serious long term affects you should be concerned about are from hypertension.  As you know long term uncontrolled blood pressure can lead to heart disease and strokes.  The medications you are taking do not have significant affects on blood pressure.  As you stated, diet and weight loss may help your diabetes and is probably playing a part in diabetes.  Another medication you could try is norvasc or amlodipine, but minoxidil is much stronger.

I hope this helps answer your question.  If blood pressure remains out of control, do not hesitate to obtain a second opinion.  It can help and can't hurt....

good luck

[Barbarella]

I too take Minoxidil (generic name is Lonitin) 0.5 mg and Clonidine topical (patch) 0.2mg.  I also have to take Lasix 40mg(water pill) because my Cardiologist told me that the Minoxidil/Lonitin can cause fluid build up, and then I have to take a potassium pill because the water pill can cause potassium depletion.  I have no side effects whatsoever.  The Minoxidil caused all my hair to grow back (I had small spots of alopecia due to stress) which is a good side effect (all the hair grew back) and my eye brows turned black that is all. You know the stuff "Rogaine" for hair loss also contains Minoxidil/Lonitin. I have NO side effects whatsoever from the Clonodine patch or the Lasix except I think the Lasix caused my Cholesterol to rise (read on the Internet that this can be one of the side effects, but doctors don't want to acknowledge it) and of course now I'm on Zocor for that, no side effects yet.

Was your BP that high at home also before the meds?  Or only at the doctor's office.  I have severe white coat syndrome but since my BP went way over 200 syst. before the meds I was put on this stuff because the Cardiologist thought that my BP was also high at home.

[Barbarella]

I forgot to mention I also had my kidney's scanned and had the 24 hour urine test done to see if there was any secondary cause for my high BP every test came out perfect.  Not to mention the whole nine yards in the ER.  They did not just try to get my BP down but also ran all kind of tests, I went through this exercise for 4 solid hours till they finally released me.  Again, the tests the Cardiologist ordered all came out negative except for a leaking heart valve which has got nothing to do with my high BP and he told me it was nothing to worry about.

Make sure you get all your tests behind you like the doctor suggested above to see there is no secondary reason for your high BP if there is they will take care of it, if there is no secondary reason don't be afraid to take the Minoxidil I feel great, and my heart skipps a lot less since I'm on BP meds.  What dosage is the Lonitin you're taking?

[kate38]

MJM,

So there are no other medications  comparable, that one could switch to? And what about the long term effects of using lonitin, could you please clarify ?


Barbarella,

I was placed on lonitin in the Emergency room,
and have been tested for most secondary causes.
Just looking for different medication don't care for side effects.
K

[Barbarella]

If you don't care about side effects why do you want to be switched?  Just courious, I thought you were afraid of the side effects.  I've been taking the Minoxidil/Lotrin for over one year now and feel great. I know its suppose to be powerful that is why I asked what dosage you are taking?  I have to cut the pills in half from 10mg to 0.5mg some people take a much higher dosage maybe then the long term effect can be of concern. With my BP being so high before the meds I don't care if the BP drug is powerful or not I don't want to stroke out yet or have a heart attack, but I understand your concern, statin drugs for example scare the hell out of me and I was very scared to take the Zocor but so far I worried about nothing, but don't know what the "long term" effects will have in store for me.  O DO understand your concern just thought I might help you when telling you that the Lotrin do not bother me at all and this for over one year now.

[kate38]

Barbarella,

Most secondary causes have been ruled out, wasn’t looking for a diagnoses or possible reasons for the hypertension  from MJM, been there done that, I was just looking for an alternative to the lonitin. I  realize the need to keep my blood pressure under control, I just don’t care for the side effects of lonitin,  and I was hoping with CCF being one of the top heart hospitals, maybe they new of other options. end of story. :)


What do you take for your cholesterol?  How long have you been on colnidine and minoxidil? I’ve used catapres patch, it was nice only having to remember to use it once a wk rather than setting alarms on my cell to remind me to take it though out the day. Had to switch back to the pill form do to a reaction to the adhesive, left red welts.

Also I appreciate your post,it’s been very helpful.


:)

K

[kate38]

Barbarella,

Our post must have crossed,sorry.Again,I do not care for the side effects of the medication. I really appreciate yours and the doctor’s comments and suggestion, I'm just a little frustrated about the whole thing. I’ve been taking lonitin for over two years. Was told if test checked out I could possible come off the hairy monster pill. I’m on 10 mg.


Sorry, I apologize if I seemed unpleasent.



Have a Wonderful Day!!!!!

K J

[Barbarella]

Don't worry, I know how frustrating all this is about meds, long term effect, side effects.  I've been on Minoxidil and the Clonidine patch for over one year.  For Cholesterol I was put on Zocor 20mg three weeks ago, so far so good.

I know what you mean about the "hairy" side effects of Minoxidil.  About 6 weeks after I started taking it I grew a mustache and had to shave it also some facial hair, but this has gotton less and less and I hardly have to shave anymore.  I guess my body has got used to the medication.  I think if I were young and single and dating this "hairy" side effect would've bothered me a lot more.  But I have a friend who is not taking BP pills but "hormone pills" and she too has to shave her mustache on a regular basis.

Good luck!  I know the docs are freaking out when they saw our high BP at times, but my grandma's BP shot at times up to 280 syst. for over 30 yrs and she died in her sleep at the age of 83.  Never had a heart attack or stroke or was taking meds for BP, I don't think they had BP meds back then.  She did go to the doctor on a regular basis.  I remember him saying "take it easy your BP is out of whack again, and to me he said "don't upset her".  Don't worry I'm not taking my high BP lightly otherwise I would not take meds for it.

Take care and good luck to you!

[Barbarella]

I forgot to tell you the patch too causes me to have red welts and itching like crazy but only for about 2 days and I don't say anything to the doctor about it, I don't want the oral clonidine, I'm taking all this other stuff orally this is enough for my stomach and liver besides they gave me oral Clonidine at the ER with ZERO results and then they finally put me on a beta blocker IV which brought the BP down almost instantly, but they waited 4 hrs to hook me on this bag don't know why I kept on telling them "I need something to calm me down otherwise my BP will NOT go down" but they would not listen and kept bringing me these Clonidine pills.  I finally tore the BP machine off my arm and insisted to give me something to calm me down or I will check myself out, and then finally they came with this beta blocker IV, and I could watch on the monitor how my BP was dropping.

[kate38]

Barbarella,

I really appreciate your comments,thank you. I just started taking Niaspan for elevated cholesterol,triglycerides. Do you  happen to know anything about Niaspan?

Kate  
:)

[yellowrose]

Hi Kate, just wanted to tell you about when i took niaspan, my dr put me on it for same reason , told me to take at night and to take a aspiran 30 mins before i took for at least two weeks, i did it caused me to have hot flashes but nothing i could not handle . than it happen i took one night went lay down it was late and all sudden my head started burning , never felt that before it went from my head to my feet it was so hot i though i was on fire , when it hit my heart , it went crazy beating so fast like it was coming out my body, never in my life have i felt that, i could not move .when it passed i felt weak from it got up to go bathroom on way back i passed out which i have never done before and not done again .call cardio dr next day , he said that was very common with that drug and thats why he could not take it did same to him, so all that said if you start burning belive me just bare with it , it will pass but, dont get up you might pass out and call your dr soon as you can, it wont kill you but omg its so scarey. it might not do you like that , my dr says some can take it but not me . good luck. barb

[Barbarella]

The same happened to me I burnt like a match.  It was horrible.  I tried everything BEFORE the statins because I was so scared of them.  I tried Policasonol and my Cholestorol went up instead of down (no diet or life style changes btw) I tried Apple Cider Vinegar with no results, oatmeal no results, then I got a prescription for "Colestid" which is a none statin and it only brought my Cholesterol down 20 points, the doc through a fit and insisted I need to be on statins NOW.

[kate38]

Babarella and yellowrose,

I just recently started taking 1500mg of Niaspan. I was taking Lipitor, muscles ached,felt like I had the flu. How long does the burning feeling last with the Niaspan? Also, did the doctor say why it caused you to pass out?  

Thx for the info.

K

[kate38]

Babarella and yellowrose,

I just recently started taking 1500mg of Niaspan. I was taking Lipitor, muscles ached,felt like I had the flu. How long does the burning feeling last with the Niaspan? Also, did the doctor say why it caused you to pass out?  

Thx for the info.

K

[kate38]

Sorry about the double post, see that’s what happens when you try typing with not enough lighting or before you getting your morning coffee.


K

[Barbarella]

I didn't pass out but the horrible burning lasted several minutes, but that does NOT mean that this will happen to you.  I know of people who take Niaspan for yrs and have NO problems.  My husband btw could not take it either I don't know what his side effects were he just said "this is not for me".  He had side effects with EVERY statin drug i.e. bad hip pain and muscle pain, his Cholesterol never went over 206 total but he was suppose to take statins.  He told his doctor "cholesterol drugs don't agree with me" and his doctor said "I guess you have to live with it".  They don't argue so much with the men but we women get all the talk and details why we should take statins, but my Cholesterol was a lot higher than my husband's (280 total) Can't wait to see how much the Zocor lowered it for he already said "I should be on 80mg".  Am taking 20mg now.

[~*CaMeO*~]

I've been following your comments in here and am tickled to hear that the Zocor isn't causing you any sides.  When are you scheduled for your next blood work to see how well it's working for you?  Keep us posted!

Good luck, Kate.  Just keep on plugging away and trying different things ------- there is something out there that will work for you with minimal sides.

[Barbarella]

The doc wants to see me again the middle of March.  I'm sure he will order a lipid profile then.  I used to check my total Cholesterol at home can't think of the name of the kit but you can buy it in all the drug stores cost around $20,00 for two checks.  I followed all the instructions to a T yet my home results WITHOUT fasting were 50 points lower than the Cholesterol check at the lab WITH fasting.  I finally stopped wasting my money.  I used to get so happy thinking I dropped 50 points and then came the mind blower from the lab and the lecture again from the doc :)

[yellowrose]

kate , the burning only lasted a few minutes but it seemed like forever oonce it moved to my chest area everything went crazy, after that was so stuned and scared that i lost rest. my cardio says it makes some people have what they call a cardio attack,  not all but i did pass out and so did my dr he said never take again . do you take a aspiran before you take it and do you take just at night ?  i was on it for about 2 weeks before it happen . i now take liptor (liptor) 10 mg never had a problem with it and in 4 weeks took mine from 235 to 170 so i hope another 4 weeks it be really low. gl on yours . Barb

[kate38]

Yellowrose,
I’m really glad the Lipitor is working for you, I just didn’t care much for the muscle aches. I was on 20mg, it didn’t seem to be lowering my cholesterol much, and so I ask to switch to something else. My cholesterol is over 320 and triglycerides 600-700.I’m hoping the Niaspan with diet and exercise will bring it down, so I can hopefully stop taking it. Both parents had high cholesterol so I guess it’s a family thing, Sorry about the rambling. Anyway, I take 750mg of  Niaspan in  the morning and 750mg at night. I can’t take aspirin it causes severe Asthma problems. Thx again for the info.

k

[Barbarella]

Since you asked me to let you know about the Zocor whether I've side effects etc.  I got some very good news.  My TC dropped from 302 to 209 in EXACTLY one month, and get ready for this: I take the 20mg of Zocor "every other night" instead of "every night" as I'm suppose to.  My HDL is 57 and my ratio is 3.6 which is EXCELLENT I was told.  There is a hospital which gives  cholesterol checks every Wednesday and then you can get it checked every 90 days.  They give you the TC and the HDL# and the ratio.  At the end of March I will see my doctor and he will do the whole nine yards i.e. lipid profile which gives the LDL# and the Trigs # also.  I just wanted to see if my "every other night" of 20mg Zocor brought it down some if not I'd have popped the Zocor every night because I'm tired of hearing all the lectures from my doctor what a "walking time bomb" I am.  Oh yes, before I forget so far I have NO side effects from the Zocor whatsoever.  And I stopped logging on to the "Zocor Side Effect chat room" once I read all these horrible side effects these people have I got scared to death to take this stuff.