Help! I don't seem to be able to tolerate blood pressure meds

[Roz]

[user=1054]jims[/user] wrote:

Hi Ruth, not sure if anyone else mentioned this but every time I think about high blood pressure the first thing I always think of is water intake. An RN once told me if I thought my BP was going up to drink a large glass of water. I know there is allot of information on the net about water intake and BP, among other conditions caused by chronic dehydration. I have to remind myself to drink water. Now I keep it near the bed at night as well. I am still amazed at your remission and I would really like to know all the meds you have been on post-biologics. I see the list in your signature line, is that all? I seem to recall you being on an anti-fungal as well. How long were you along on the protocol when you noticed your knees going down? Thanks a bunch. Jim:)

Jim,

One of my dear mates is a Cardio RN. When your blood pressure is DOWN this is when you would push fluid intake. Hugs, Roz

[Roz]

Dear Ruth,

Have you talked to your Lyme MD about this?

Before Lyme treatment my Lyme MD noticed my heart, I was referred to Cardio. My Lyme wrote infection in my heart to the Cardio MD.

Their is a simple test called an Echo.,  it's like a ultra sound. The test shows pictures of your heart.

It's better to be safe than sorry, after all you only have one heart.

Here is a link.

http://rwjms1.umdnj.edu/shindler/lymeecho.html

x Roz

 

 

[glynn102]

For BP I take VASOTEC (Enalapril Maleate).

My BP is genetically high. I have been taking it since high school. I find that when I venture off of it my BP will start to creep back up.
My Grandma who passed away at 96 was on this med for as long as I can remember. I remember going to the pharmacy to pick up our prescriptions.

My Docs tried to switch me over the years to the latest and greatest. The channel blocker had me calling to my wife because I thought I was going to die. My vision faded out and I became very disoriented.

Then a new type of ACE inh. came out. I tried it and it completely wiped me out.

I went back to Vasotec. I guess I should have never of left it.

I take this at night before I go to bed with a glass of water. I figure if there are any side effects I am just sleeping them off.

It goes back to all of us handling meds in different ways. I'm just glad they make so many of them.

Best of luck.

[Roz]

[user=1552]nspiker[/user] wrote:

Trudi wrote:

What did it run before you started taking the bitter melon?

My blood pressure fluxuates; it's been as high as 160/100, and as low as 110/70.  I noticed it creeping up the last few years, prior to my diagnosis.  The very first day of IV clindamycin, my blood pressure dropped to 110/70.  It must have something to do with the infection…

Trudi, 140/90 must be a welcome relief after your earlier results. 

nancy

Dear Nancy,

When you were having troubles, was your pluse high when your blood pressure was normal?

Much Love Roz

[spacehoppa]

Thanks for all the great info everyone!

Nord – Thanks for the detailed reply. There are a lot of things on your list that I'm currently doing, so that's encouraging.

I walk the dog at least 4 times per week, sometimes more often. I walk her for about half an hour each time. It's not loads of exercise, but for me, it's so wonderful to be able to do it at all as for a long time I couldn't. I should definitely do more structured exercise but I'm a bit nervous of doing anything very aerobic because of the high pulse and BP. I also still don't have much energy left over after looking after the kids all day, but I'm getting better all the time I think.

The no sugar diet is going well. I'd like to be properly low carb but I'm going one step at a time.

I love cocoa and will start drinking it again as soon as my sweetener turns up in the post. How do people feel about xylitol (birch derived)? It's the most convincing tasting one to my taste buds, but not sure about its health credentials. I also love onions, garlic and drink a lot of green tea. I take a kyolic garlic supplement as well.

I've also lost another 2 lbs this week and hopefully this downward trend will continue. I need to lose at least 30lbs to get to a healthy weight unfortunately.

Nancy – quick question for you – what dose of bitter melong do you take? I'm waiting for mine to turn up in the post, but I see on the Raintree web site it says 1g twice daily. That sounds like a lot!?

Glynn – Thanks for letting me know about the vasotec. I'll mention it to my doctor. Your reaction to the newer meds sounds just like mine – really frightening!

Roz – Thanks for the heads up. I do often worry about my fast pulse as much as my high BP. No-one has ever even attempted an explanation for it. I appreciate I'm out of condition after so many years of chronic illness but it does seem more than that. I had an ECG a few weeks ago that looked okay apart from my pulse being too fast. Is an echo a different test? Like an ultrasound you say? I should maybe ask about it. I worry a little that I come over a bit of a hyperchondriac though 😕 .

Jims – You're right I do take fluconazole once a week. I forgot to add it to my sig. I noticed my knees coming down within a couple of months of starting the abx. In fact, it may have been even sooner. It was remarkably fast! Each time I've dropped a drug I seem to go up another level and get better again. It could be a coincidence, but it's very comforting all the same as I always worry about dropping a med that I've relied on for many years. My improvements are crazy good.

I have a two hour period between 10-12pm each morning and night when I don't feel so good – my energy drops to zero – and I lie down if I can. I think this is because my steroid level drops to zero then as well. Currently I take them morning and night so it is suppressing my adrenal gland completely. If I can just get off the steroids altogether I feel that this will correct itself too. One can but hope!

Thanks so much for all the advice everyone. I feel like I'm going to go into my next appointment in a much better position than I was this time a month ago – 7lbs lighter, off the arcoxia, off the sugar and feeling great too.

[nspiker]

Roz, My pulse was never high, not even with the high bp.  (What is high, is it over 100?)

Ruth, I take bitter melon capsules, and each is 500 mg. of powder.  It says to take one or two after each meal.  Lately, I've been upping the dosage since Trudi posted the info that it also had antiviral and antibacterial properties.  I take about 2,000 mg. (2 g.) a day.

nancy

[Trudi]

[user=1552]nspiker[/user] wrote:

I take about 2,000 g. a day.

Hi Nancy–

Which brand do you take?  I'm sure you meant 2000 mg a day, right?

How long have you been taking it?  Did you see a difference right away?

Trudi

Lyme/RA; AP 4/2008 off and on to 3/2010; past use of quinolones may be the cause of my current problems, (including wheelchair use); all supplements (which can aggravate the condition) were discontinued on 10/14/2012. Am now treating for the homozygous MTHFR 1298 mutation. Off of all pain meds since Spring '14 (was on them for years--doctor is amazed--me too). Back on pain med 1/2017. Reinfected? Frozen shoulder?

[Roz]

[user=1552]nspiker[/user] wrote:

Roz, My pulse was never high, not even with the high bp.  (What is high, is it over 100?)

Ruth, I take bitter melon capsules, and each is 500 mg. of powder.  It says to take one or two after each meal.  Lately, I've been upping the dosage since Trudi posted the info that it also had antiviral and antibacterial properties.  I take about 2,000 g. a day.

nancy

Lovely Nancy,

A normal resting pulse should be thehigh 60's.

I am here today because of Y., My pulse rate was high.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Diastolic_dysfunction

[nspiker]

Trudi,

Oops, yep, should be 2,000 mg.

I also love Raintree products, but I take the same brand that was recommended to me.
Charantea Bitter Melon. 

http://www.vitacost.com/Charantea-Bitter-Melon?csrc=GPF-858101001064

nancy

[Trudi]

Thanks, Nancy!!

How long have you taken it and did it help you right away?

Trudi

Lyme/RA; AP 4/2008 off and on to 3/2010; past use of quinolones may be the cause of my current problems, (including wheelchair use); all supplements (which can aggravate the condition) were discontinued on 10/14/2012. Am now treating for the homozygous MTHFR 1298 mutation. Off of all pain meds since Spring '14 (was on them for years--doctor is amazed--me too). Back on pain med 1/2017. Reinfected? Frozen shoulder?

[Maz]

Hi Girls,

Don't know if this will help, but Dr. J, a well-known LLMD in Washington DC, has a very informative site, where he shares the various different symptoms and cases he's seen in his practice over the years. He has a bit on cardio-vascular function in Lyme patients that you might find interesting (sorry if you've seen it before):

http://www.jemsekspecialty.com/lyme_detail.php?sid=8

“Cardiovascular manifestations of Lyme disease are seen in 5% of untreated patients and are largely described as transient mild atrio-ventricular block. However, a subset of our patients has had to undergo temporary pacing of the heart due to life threatening cardiac nerve conduction disturbances. In addition, at the Jemsek Specialty Clinic we have recognized several individuals, mostly younger women, who manifested unexplained tachycardia, with heart rates in the nineties and in whom all cardiac and metabolic studies have been normal or non-diagnostic. In our limited experience with several individuals to date, after all the medical information has been processed, we find that antibiotic treatment over time tends to be associated with resolution of this problem. We would hypothesize that the events occur as a result of direct involvement of Bb at the sinus node or an extra nodal site where excitation occurs due to pathologic neurogenic changes brought on by Bb infection.

Other reported LD associated cardiac conditions include neurocardiogenic syncope, myocarditis, myocardiomyopathy, and pericarditis (96,97,98).”

I've also gone through periods of having an abnormally fast resting heart rate, but these episodes have diminished with time. In fact, it was one of my most troubling symptoms prior to my RA taking off, for a number of years. I had an ultrasound, EKG, 48-hour holter monitor, but nothing abnormal showed up, except for the fast heart rate. Of course, the PVCs that I was also experiencing never showed up during the tests, but would come randomly for days and then disappear for months. Even my thyroid (which has hyperfunctioning nodules) always tests within the lower normal range. In my case, I think it's all been part of the “lyme weirdness.” And, certainly, I've also noticed that with change of life hormones all over the place, these up and down shifts seem to excite the heart, too.

Peace, Maz

[Trudi]

Thanks, Maz :)!!

Lyme/RA; AP 4/2008 off and on to 3/2010; past use of quinolones may be the cause of my current problems, (including wheelchair use); all supplements (which can aggravate the condition) were discontinued on 10/14/2012. Am now treating for the homozygous MTHFR 1298 mutation. Off of all pain meds since Spring '14 (was on them for years--doctor is amazed--me too). Back on pain med 1/2017. Reinfected? Frozen shoulder?

[Roz]

Maz,

You have hit the nail right on the head.

Thanks Again,

Roz

 

[Roz]

[user=1552]nspiker[/user] wrote:

Roz, My pulse was never high, not even with the high bp.  (What is high, is it over 100?)

Ruth, I take bitter melon capsules, and each is 500 mg. of powder.  It says to take one or two after each meal.  Lately, I've been upping the dosage since Trudi posted the info that it also had antiviral and antibacterial properties.  I take about 2,000 mg. (2 g.) a day.

nancy

Dear Nancy,

I hope these lines find your health doing better. 🙂

Since your pulse isn't high, that's fantastic news. But mine was, I fell into the group with DiASTOLIC DYSFUNCTION.

My last Echo wasn't good. MD Y. is as sharp as they come. I was having very rough heart problems when I first saw her.I know she is beyond rough to get into, but her judgement for me has always been 100% right on.

She takes the crippled.

Some of the Euro. strains of Lyme can have alot more Cardio involvement.

I know I need to tell my history at least some what, but I have to go back to a very dark place.  Before MD Y. I was in the the best hospitals that money could buy. Like for instance Cedars and St. John's.

If you have any questions ask away.

Much Love, Roz

[spacehoppa]

Hi Maz, Thanks for the great info!

I just hope Dr J is right and that the abx do eventually sort me out. I really think it could be related to the BB. My pulse has been high forever really – as long as I've known how to take my pulse anyway. Nothing much seems to bring it down. Hopefully it will eventually succumb to abx as well as the joint inflammation.

[Author]

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