Measuring Blood Pressure

[Mick F]

I was sat in the car, waiting for Mrs Mick F, having collected my prescription.
First thought for me, was how many tabs and how often and when to take them ............. and if can I drink a beer or two.

The sticker from the (ill)health centre said "one per day".
I pulled out the leaflet to see if there was a recommended "when".
First thing I read was they were recommended "before going to bed".

Having had many different meds for BP, none of the previous ones have agreed with me in the slightest, so I wanted to be prepared for possibilities.

Having chatted to the doc on Monday, he understands completely and said this is the last idea to sort me out before going onto "more exotic solutions" ............. whatever they are.

[Jdsk]

I was sat in the car, waiting for Mrs Mick F, having collected my prescription.
First thought for me, was how many tabs and how often and when to take them ............. and if can I drink a beer or two.

The sticker from the (ill)health centre said "one per day".
I pulled out the leaflet to see if there was a recommended "when".
First thing I read was they were recommended "before going to bed".

NHS Advice: "Doxazosin":
https://www.nhs.uk/medicines/doxazosin/

Jonathan

[123malford]

The Antihypertensive and Lipid Lowering Treatment to Prevent Heart Attack Trial (ALLHAT) study stopped its arm of the trial looking at alpha blockers, because Doxazosin was less effective than a simple diuretic, and because patients on Doxazosin had a 25% higher rate of cardiovascular disease and twice the rate of congestive heart failure as patients on diuretics. Pfizer, aware of the results before publication, launched a marketing campaign in early 2000 (Cardura), and sales were largely unaffected, despite the dangers highlighted by the study.

Wikipedia

[S2L]

I was sat in the car, waiting for Mrs Mick F, having collected my prescription.
First thought for me, was how many tabs and how often and when to take them ............. and if can I drink a beer or two.

The sticker from the (ill)health centre said "one per day".
I pulled out the leaflet to see if there was a recommended "when".
First thing I read was they were recommended "before going to bed".

Having had many different meds for BP, none of the previous ones have agreed with me in the slightest, so I wanted to be prepared for possibilities.

Having chatted to the doc on Monday, he understands completely and said this is the last idea to sort me out before going onto "more exotic solutions" ............. whatever they are.

With your blood pressure, I would cut alcohol completely… otherwise, you are wasting time

[Mick F]

Measured my BP yesterday evening BEFORE taking the tablet and AFTER having a few beers in the afternoon.
109 over 67.

As I've said many times, my high BP is stress related, not health related. Doc and me have chatted about it. He's not concerned about the high BP at all but it would be better if it was reduced.

As for the Doxazosin I took just before going to bed, I slept like a baby, and only got up twice for a pee. Doc told me that it should help me pee-ing more easily and fully, and help me sleep as well.

One tab, no issues other than a good one so far. BP now is 132 over 82.

[Mick F]

17:15 137 over 69
17:35 118 over 65
18:00 112 over 64

Medication?
Wot's that for?

[NATURAL ANKLING]

Hi'
I was on candesartan for 4 1/2 years.
I had developed horrible side-effects, about two years ago.
Muscle aches.
Lethargy.
Very mild balance problem
Muscle cramps (I can count the amount of times I've had cramp on one hand in my life, never had it whilst exercising) Since I've been on candesartan I can get muscle cramps at least every week next day post exercise in bed.
Peak heart rate in exercise is lower by at least 10 beats a minute.
leg muscle pains rising from chair.
Very noticeable muscle weakness.
Hence lack of performance probably peak is reduced by as much as 10 to 15%.
Little or no exercise endurance, Before I could easily manage 20 hours on the bike without having to get off apart from the obvious, now three is my max!
I would normally be able to do at least 15 press ups with no problem, on Candesartan I could only manage five.
I found it impossible to induce post exercise muscle fatigue or pain.
If that doesn't make you depressed then nothing else well.

When I came off the stuff and took no medication whatsoever for my blood pressure, after two weeks I started to feel very much better I was off a total of five weeks.
I felt like a new man like I was 20 again.

For about six months now
I can't remember what the other medication was but I do remember I ended up on Doxaszosin.
Symptoms were probably that, side-effects twice as bad As candesartan.
Also it's a very ineffective blood pressure medication.
It's got to be one of the worst.

I've got off that stuff as quickly as I could, my only option was to go back on candesartan.
The only plus side at the moment is that I'm only taking half the medication strength I was taking before, 8 mg instead of 16.

My only other option was to stop taking blood pressure medication altogether.
Also there are little options in medication for me as I have peripheral artery disease, and the medication needs to help with that too.

Good luck on Doxazosin!
If you couldn't stick Candesartan For a week I doubt you'll be on the other for very long.

P.S.about two years ago I could put out about 350 W for an hour.
The last time I tried it I struggled
at 250 W.
Imagine how that would make you feel?

Edited- Bad grammar

[Mick F]

Thanks NA!

Bed early - as usual - soon, and I'll take my second Doxazosin shortly.
BP just checked is 126 over 77

If I could do this reading generally, we wouldn't have had this thread even started in the first place.

Highest reading I took recently was 204 over 113 on 18th Jan this year.
182 over 106 a day or so later.
Both ostensibly relaxed in my own armchair by the fireside.

The whole BP measurement thing gets very very complicated and perhaps too complicated to analyse ........ for me at least.

2nd Doxy-Wotsit shortly.

[NATURAL ANKLING]

Hi,
In the same boat Mick

[Mick F]

Well, even if these Doxy-wotsits don't do anything for my BP, they ARE working to allow me to get a long night's sleep. Bed last night at 21:15 and up for a pee at 23:00sh and that was it until I woke up at 05:30.

Wonderful!

[NATURAL ANKLING]

Hi,
Yes I think that was one of the side-effects that I found was that you had a pretty good night sleep

[Mick F]

Still having a good sleep every night. Six nights consecutively, and I expect tonight (7th) to be the same.
Relaxed too, and my BP is ok ............... more stable and ok.
Some readings are low, and some are high, but none sky-high like wot they used to woz.

Relaxed, chilled out, and enjoying these Doxazosin tabs.

Going to start a new thread regarding "dependency" and "addiction".

[Mick F]

Still going well.
The BP is slowly getting lower, and one or two readings have been in the LOW BP area.
Lowest was 97 over 51 on Monday evening.
Usually, my BP is higher in the mornings than in the evenings. This morning at 06:15 it was 129 over 72.
Almost constantly, the diastolic is in the green area.

BP Chart.png (51.53 KiB) Viewed 565 times

[Mick F]

Just come in from the wood doing some heavy work. Come in for a sit-down.
It's been apparent even before any meds, that when my HR is higher, my BP is lower.
117 over 63 now, but with 114bpm HR.

Noticed that after a bike ride, the same thing happens.

[Paulatic]

114! after walking back to the house and sitting down.
It’ll be HR lowering meds needed next