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Heart Disease (Expert Forum)
blood presure medication
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blood presure medication
by cmb724, Oct 29, 2001 12:00AM
I'm a 56 yr. old female and have been taking blood pressure meds. for about 12 yrs. I'm currently taking triamterene and atenolol. I've been getting headaches off and on for the past month where I mostly feel very light headed. I also get Charlie horses in my calves at night and I have had chronic muscle pain in my calves for almost a year. I saw my doctor last week and my blood pressure was elevated (160/100) and so she added zestril to my meds. My blood pressure was only taken once during the office visit. Enough? When I checked my BP at home this morning it was 137/81 I'm wondering if either the triamterene or the atenolol can be giving me the headaches and/or the muscle aches. I skipped the triamterene yesterday and only took the atenolol and zestril and I felt great. This morning I took all three and so far, I still feel pretty good, except for the muscle pain in my calves. I will be going back to the drs. office this week to have my BP checked.
Suggestions? Thanks.
Suggestions? Thanks.
Doctor's Answer
by CCF-M.D.-CRC, Oct 29, 2001 12:00AM
Dear cmb,
Triamterene can cause low potassium and calcium which may cause muscle cramps. Although headaches are described in the package insert for triamterene as a possible side-effect it is not commonly reported. In would be unlikely that atenolol or zestril would cause these side-effects but cannot be excluded for sure without a trial of stopping them. I would ask your doctor about stopping the triamterene. In addition be sure to show him the log of your home blood pressures. This will assist him in adjusting your medicatons.
Triamterene can cause low potassium and calcium which may cause muscle cramps. Although headaches are described in the package insert for triamterene as a possible side-effect it is not commonly reported. In would be unlikely that atenolol or zestril would cause these side-effects but cannot be excluded for sure without a trial of stopping them. I would ask your doctor about stopping the triamterene. In addition be sure to show him the log of your home blood pressures. This will assist him in adjusting your medicatons.
Member Comments (2)
by terre, Nov 08, 2001 12:00AM
To: Re: triamterene and leg cramps
I was on triamterene for over a year and had constant leg cramps at night or the feeling of leg muscles "crawling". I am on zestril alone now and have lost the leg cramps so I'm assuming it was from triamterene. I've have a sense of smell disorder which I just realized started around the same time I started taking Zestril. Everything tastes and smells like some kind of chemical. Anyone have this with zestril?
