Blood pressure

[DeusXM]

I come from a family with a significant history of high blood pressure (everyone on my dad's side gets diagnosed with it in their early 20s). I have been treated with losartan but even with 100mg of the stuff I was still getting BP readings in the 140/90 range. My doc wanted to put me on additional meds but I suggested to him I swap from an ARB back to an ACE inhibitor first just to see if that might work better.

I've been on lisinopril for two weeks now. For the first week, I was told to take 5mg a day, then increase to 10mg for week 2, and then 15 for week 3.

On the first week I went down to 135/75. By then end of the week I was at 118/72. So far, so good. But at the end of the second week, on the 10mg, I was at 137/70. Bit weird. Now I've tested today, the first day of the 15mg, and it's now 111/59. Frankly, I feel a bit light-headed and woozy. I will be speaking to my doctor but I want to get a feel for whether this could wait until Monday - I know the 59 is a bit low but not by much, so I'm wondering if this is a bit like when you've had high BGs for a long time and then feel hypo in the 5s. Or is this going to get more pronounced as I continue to take the larger amount each day?

 

[LeeLee]

Hi Deus, I too have a strong family history. Add in the D from the other side of the family and the heart disease risk soars. Anyway, I'd suggest not increasing your dose any further without consulting your doc. Though you're nowhere near the highest possible dose (I was on 80mg/day until recently), you could be close to the max that your own body can take.

 

[Northerner]

Hi Deus, I too have a strong family history. Add in the D from the other side of the family and the heart disease risk soars. Anyway, I'd suggest not increasing your dose any further without consulting your doc. Though you're nowhere near the highest possible dose (I was on 80mg/day until recently), you could be close to the max that your own body can take.

I would agree, wait until you have seen the doc. I was supposed to raise my dose of candesarten to 8mg from 4 but on the first occasion I did it I experienced very low BP so I stuck with the 4 and was later advised by the doctor to stay on that - maximum dose was 32, so it appears I reached my 'ceiling' well below that.

 

[trophywench]

I go with the "high BG/lower BG but not hypo" hypothesis Deus.

Can recall being told when I very first started on a ~pril to take care when I stood up etc at first ! - not that it was actually high per se, just the protective thing.

Just watch it and see how you go over the weekend - but don't obsess.

And take care when standing up, getting out of bed and esp if you go up a ladder or need to eg stand on a char to reach summat high - or, I find when getting the cobwebs down/dusting lightbulbs, stuff like that - I can go quite dizzy. And always did anyway. But once on the level again and any time BP measured - it's tickety boo.

 

[DeusXM]

Yeah, 15mg was supposed to be the max dose I was put on before review anyway so I certainly won't be increasing it - I'm just wondering if it's safe to keep at 15 as I've got it into my head that ACE inhibitors are a bit cumulative ie. I might be alright with 10 yesterday then 15 today, but not 15 today and then 15 tomorrow.

Managed to get a phone appointment with my doc for later this afternoon so I'll let him take a decision. Ideally I'd like to run my BP as low as possible because of family history issue but I nearly had a blackout singing in the shower today which might well be beneficial for anyone listening but isn't so good for me!

 

[LeeLee]

You won't suddenly drop dead if you don't take any tomorrow, so if you're more comfortable waiting until you've seen the GP then do just that.