Get Informed: High Blood Pressure

iGuard.org Answer/Reply:

Lisinopril does not have reports of causing insomnia, or trouble sleeping. Your son should discuss this symptom with his physician so that the best course of action can be taken to treat the underlying cause. His physician knows his conditions and medical history and can make the best recommendation based on that knowledge.

Posted: 2009-10-24 01:14:52

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You may want to try obtaining an SSI/SSDI attorney to assist with your disability claim. Four years is a bit exessive. Also, find out if you qualify and try to get yourself signed up with HUD. It can take a bit of time, but it can be very helpful if you do qualify.

46 year old Male

Posted: 2009-09-01 22:44:34

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with your history and present blood pressure, I would recommend you make an appointment with a cardiologist. they should be able to address all your complaints.

67 year old Male

Posted: 2009-08-15 16:45:51

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I am very sorry your blood pressure problem caused both the cancellation of your insurance, and your inability to find a job. This is a good story to relate to Congress to get health care reform passed. Insurance companies have been doing this for 60 and more years, and it is time to for a better way. Please contact your legislators and let them know what is happening to you and demand that health care reform be enacted.

Real medical care can help you. Get it from Congress.

79 year old Male

Posted: 2009-08-15 17:01:56

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These are treatable conditions.
Contact your state insurance board about the insurance company practices
Look for public health services in your area or see if the social services department in your town, or county can help, even a local hospital.
And write letters to your congressional reps.

68 year old Female

Posted: 2009-08-15 19:18:28

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And you wonder why National Health Care is at the very least some type of answer. I also have had the same problem with being unable to obtain health insurance. Unfortunately, until these greedy insurance companies are made to insure everyone the problems are not going to end. Just because you are 21 years old with no health problems doesn't mean that something can't happen. When you think what you pay for health insurance (if you can get it) and what you file as a claim, the consumer is really getting taken to the cleaners. But, who cares as long as the CEO and his cronies get their bonus.

58 year old Female

Posted: 2009-08-16 12:28:01

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Looks like the blood in your brain has been drained .Why do all you people see the private business the blame for all YOUR problems? If you and or anyone else who has been denied health care PLEASE move to Canada, England or a country of your choice other then staying in the USA.

71 year old male

72 year old Male

Posted: 2009-08-20 08:26:42

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The National Health Care you speak of will be of no use to you. The age you are, you will be denied care and sent away!

63 year old Female

Posted: 2009-08-20 20:14:47

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I can understand this womans frustration with a BP that is not under control. I take 10 different medications, 6 for high BP/angina/vascular. Had a stent for angina put in my heart, and wear a Nitro patch but still have to take Nitro pills when the patch is off. I'm told that's the best I can expect by several doctors. My family history is dotted with heart problems. Prayer helps more than anything, it truly does.

Not thinking this was going to turn political (what isn't these days concerning health issues?), We DO need health reform, but NOT what they are trying to cram down our throats presently. If you even read a portion of that proposed bill, there's more to scare than to enlighten, there's more to make you sick than make you well. We need to truly regulate what insurance companies do and allow them to cross over state lines which would definitely increase competition. Several states also force insurance companies to include certain things. I am NOT an advocate for insurance companies, they are all greedy, but I am an advocate AGAINST the proposed health care legislation under consideration at present.

63 year old Male

Posted: 2009-08-21 09:57:50

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Ask your Doctor about EXFORGE HCTZ. It's been proven very effective in cases similar to yours through studies. I currently take EXFORGE without the water pill and Norvasc, which is different than the HCTZ, but my BP numbers are lower than they have been for years! Ask your Doctor for trial samples first, they should have some. You'll know in a couple of weeks if it helps.
You could also consider Hyzaar 100/12.5 (a little more expensive), It's also good for HBP problems.
Also 100mg Toprol(there is a generic) along with your regular BP meds.

48 year old Male

Posted: 2009-08-16 12:39:25

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I was taking Lisinopril with HCT and was experiencing problems with it. I had headaches and other flu like symptoms. My doctor changed it to Diovan Hct 320/12.5. I have been taking the Diovan for about 6 months now my blood pressure is down to 120/73 and no longer suffer from the flu symptoms. He did however have me on a couple of other meds before the Diovan. You may have to ask to try a different medication.

58 year old Female

Posted: 2009-08-16 15:01:37

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Your situation sounds similar to mine. I am a 57 year old male and have had high bp most of my adult life. Could never really be under control until I went through and aldosterone study and discovered that was my problem. Also parents and brothers have high bp. I am now on spironolactone (25mg), benicar (20mg) and chlorthalidone (12.5mg). The combination seems to be working and at that level I have no side effects, but keep an eye on my blood sugar level because of the meds. Hope you can find some solution. I was miserable when mine was as high as yours.

58 year old Male

Posted: 2009-08-16 18:50:53

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COMMENTS ON ALL MEDICATIONS MENTIONED, OR SOME OF THEM.

I Am A 63 Year Old Female, I Am On ZOLOFT, PRILOSEC,TIAZAC,KLONOPIN,ASPIRIN,
HCTZ,COREG,NORVASC, AND FEMARA. I Have Not Felt Any Better Since I Have Been Taking These Drugs. As A Matter Of Fact, I Feel Worse. In My Opinion, I Believe That All Drugs
Are Harmful To Your Health. They Give You A Drug For One Thing, Then You Have Side Effects
From It, Then They Give You Something Else To Counteract The Side Effects ETC. This Goes On And On. The Doctors And Big Pharma Are Not Telling Every One All The Side Effects Of These Drugs, And When You Mention It To Them, They Say," Oh Your Not Taking Enough
Milligrams Of This Drug To Cause Any Problems." DUH! Do They Think We Are Stupid Or Something? Just Look Up Your Medications On The Computer, And Read All About Them, Then You Will See What I Am Talking About. I Have And Some Way Or The Other, I Am Going To Find Out About Safe Alternative Supplements. I Wish Everyone The Very Best.

Have A Blessed Day.

64 year old Female

Posted: 2009-08-18 14:16:48

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Your medications could be counteracting with each other and if that is so the it is not going to help you. Get you and drug book to check for side effects or look them up on the internet. Then take what you found to your doctor and talk to him. Because if the medication is not working it is not helping you



57 year old female

58 year old Female

Posted: 2009-08-19 06:17:53

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have you ever been checked for fibromuscular displacia? Fibromuscular dysplasia (FMD), or fibromuscular dysplasia of arteries,[1] is a disease that can cause narrowing (stenosis) of arteries in the kidneys, the carotid arteries supplying the brain, and less commonly, the arteries of the abdomen. FMD can cause hypertension, strokes, heart attacks, and arterial swelling (aneurysm) and dissection. I take cardizem CD and my BP is good now. Depending on your income bracket you might be able to get assistance with health care. Good luck!

34 year old Female

Posted: 2009-08-17 09:39:45

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Hi, I did not know that it was legal for insurance co. to drop someone from there coverage. Has your Dr. tried other blood pressure medications? 56 yr old female

57 year old Female

Posted: 2009-08-17 19:54:51

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Insurance companies do whatever they please. Thats another reason why we need the "Public Option" as some way to help bring about competition and stop dropping people with pre-existing conditions so that the CEO's can bring home their big bonuses.

65 year old Male

Posted: 2009-08-28 16:42:21

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Try another doctor. My sister had problems with her high BP for years until she switched doctors and he got it down for her. Like they say, if you have an old doctor, dump him. I don't know how old your doctor is, but I would definitely try another one anyway.

76 year old Female

Posted: 2009-08-18 10:13:22

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The meds you are taking are OLD .There meds out there that will lower BP .Change doctor and YOU WILL KNOW FOR A FACT ,THERE IS A MED JUST FOR YOU,because I LIVING PROOF!! There is no such thing as not controling BP.It is up to you .diet, stress,and A GOOD DOCTOR........GOD BLESS

62 year old Male

Posted: 2009-08-18 16:33:01

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I have been taking lots of drugs for my blood pressure since I can remember, but my blood pressure was 180/100 and 180/110 because I am taking Vitamins which has lead mine to being as high as 140/90 and 150/90 when I had salty cheese and pig meat and otherwise it has been 132/82 and the lower numbers have been in the 60s which is fantastic news since I wanted it that good since I can remember back in October 2008. When I was in the hospital, it was mostly higher since I was only taking the drugs the doctor and they didn't help me out. Its my hope you find a solid answer to this soon, my pulse has gone from the 80s to the 60s now.

46 year old Male

Posted: 2009-08-18 19:34:57

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I am a 79 year old male & have been taking Lisinopril (20 mg) every morning for my bp after having a heart attack & 2 stints put in. They also put me on Lovistaten, But couldn't get my bp down & I felt like I just couldn't go & sore in my joints all the time. Was a effort just to get out of bed. I took that combination for about a year & finally desided I couldn't live with my bp going up & down (145 & 160 to 200 & 225). I had a problem with platelets & am takeing Plavix
with a low dose asprin & that has worked very well. Also was Taking carvedilol for my heart & seemed like all my medication was working against each other. I had heard that pomegranate juice would take care of a lot of your blood problems so decided to try it & stop My Lovistaten.
stopped it for 1 day & then started taking pomegranate juice (2 ozs.) a day & my bp corrected itself in about three days. Now Have bp that runs around 115 to 135 depending on what I am doing.
My wife had a triple by-pass about twelve years ago & was also having bp problems so she started taking pomegranae juice also after quitting her other med. & is doing good now.
After telling my doctor about it (thought he might be mad) He laughed & said that his wife had been taking pomegreanate juiice for a long time also.
If you have a problem with blood sugar you will have to watch that closer. Hope this will be of help to you. I now know several people doing the same thing & it's working for them.
79 year old male

80 year old Male

Posted: 2009-08-18 19:56:27

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Thank you sir for your info about pom juice. God Bless you.

48 Female

47 year old Female

Posted: 2009-09-28 13:47:22

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I don't know what state you live in but most states have some type of coverage that you would be eligible for. For example in Texas there is health insurance that you could get through the Texas High Risk Pool, it is put in place for people who are inunsurable otherwise.

25 year old Male

Posted: 2009-08-19 00:00:00

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Yes . You would be eliabilty for disability. Because if you are unable to get a job because of a medical condition.Which yours would be uncontrolable high blood pressure. File for it. They will turn you don't three time in most cases. When that happens keep appealing it. Then on the third time they turn you don't get a lawyer. But in some case they will give it to you on the first try. Alot has to do with documention for the doctors. Good luck.

58 year old Female

Posted: 2009-08-19 06:11:55

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You need to talk to 2 or 3 Attorneys that handle Disability cases with no fee if they can't get you approve...But 1st. you need to apply for Disability and SSI(you need to do that before anyone can help you) its may take a while its took me 7 yrs. I try to find work for 2 yrs. and I couldn't pass the pre-employment Medical test either

60 year old Male

Posted: 2009-08-19 16:36:20

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You need to file a complaint with your State Attorney General's office in regards to that insurance company. Also, file a complaint with the Better Business Bureau about the insurance company. Then, contact your senators and congressmen. You didn't say you worked in the past before your condition got worst or whatever the case might be but you can file with Social Security Disability via ssa.gov if you have 40 credits of work history/hours.

48 year old Male

Posted: 2009-08-20 05:52:12

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Have you tried Walmart I know for a fact that they would hire you. Because I have high blood pressure including a slue of other health problems and they hired me. They hire elderly people with azastimers. Plus I'm on insurance through them.

53 year old Female

Posted: 2009-08-20 07:47:44

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Please get some other doctors to give you second opinions or better care than you're getting now. You do not have to put up with their bad work.

74 year old Female

Posted: 2009-08-20 07:53:45

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I can see where all these problems can be very disturbing, especially for someone of such a young age. It surprises me that your blood pressure is still high with the medication that you are on. I am not a doctor, but do think you need to have a discussion with your primary physician. You need to ask him what you can do considering, the fact that no one will hire you and that you are uninsurable. These insurance problems are getting unbelievable, but people have to be able to get insurance coverage, now in the year 2009. Ask your doctor to help you to apply for State Disability. If he is unable to fill out the forms, properly, it will be denied. Look up in the telephone book, even where you can find a true disability lawyer. They can help you, and many do not charge a fee, until you collect. They make out the forma properly, get the required paperwork from your physicians, etc. It is worth a shot. But, remember to be your own health care advocate. Get copies of all your tests, (Blood work, any type of testing you might have had within the last five years or so). Do not be afraid to ask the doctor questions and/or demand answers, in a nice way, but let him know that you need to be concerned about your future and what will be happening to you, physically as well as employment wise.

Good Luck,
67 year old female

67 year old Female

Posted: 2009-08-20 11:28:38

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You may want to rule out obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) which is known to contribute to hypertension. However, without insurance, it would be expensive to have an overnight study done at a sleep clinic. An indication of OSA is the tendency to snore while making choking sounds. Your husband could help you with that determination. I have severe OSA and my systolic dropped from about 135 to 120 upon nightly use of a CPAP- a face mask connected to an air pump that keeps my lungs slightly pressurized while I sleep, also not cheap.

65 year old Male

Posted: 2009-08-20 14:29:16

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My heart goes out to you. You should be eligible for Social Security disability. I would suggest that you consult an attorney who only does disability/workman's comp--you might also be eligible for workman's comp. It is worth looking into. Have you spoken to your doctor about the compassionate care programs that many of the drug companies are doing now? This is why we need some form of universal health care so that you won't be turned down for pre-existing conditions. Good luck--please post how you make out.
62 year old female

63 year old Female

Posted: 2009-08-22 12:06:31

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I know many people with high blood pressure, none of them are uninsured,and have never been refused coverage.

78 year old Female

Posted: 2009-08-22 17:38:34

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i recently was on those meds plus three others. they were not working, one day while reading the newspaper i came across an article, warning people on atenolo not to have anything that has licorice in it. as, for some reason it can cause heart attacks and other serious side effects. have your dr. take you off of those two meds and put you on lopressor twice a day, believe me unless i am really stressed out, my bp has been in the prehbp range for about 5 months now.

37 year old Female

Posted: 2009-08-23 21:20:56

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IT IS VERY SAD AND TROUBLESOME TO KNOW THAT THIS COUNTRY HAS GOTTEN TO THE POINT THAT EMPLOYERS DISCRIMINATE BECAUSE OF MEDICAL. CANCELLING YOUR INSURANCE IS ONE. HAVE YOU ASKED YOUR DOCTOR TO HELP YOU WITH DISABILITY SINCE YOU CAN'T GET A JOB RELATED TO YOUR MEDICAL CONDITION. CONTACT SOCIAL SECURITY ALSO FOR DISABILITY BENEFITS.

55 year old Female

Posted: 2009-08-28 16:38:11

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Hi. My name is Ed and I just wanted to pass some information along to you. When you stated that you were dropped from insurance because you are "high risk" I was floored and had a flashback to the 50's & 60's when employers and insurance companies did those types of things. The authority with which I speak is based on both educational and experiental. These are Human Resource issues and if I'm not mistaken, what these companies are doing (including your husband's) is quite illegal. I have a Master's Degree in Human Resource Education. I have dealt with Human Resource issues for over 25 years which mostly includes education managers about the do's and don'ts of violating HR laws and regulations. One of the don'ts is that is illegal to not cover someone because of a pre-existing condition. Discrimination against someone because of a health condition is illegal. You can be refused a postion if the health condition prevents you from performing the essential duties of the job. It doensn't appear you have a limitation because your blood pressure pressure is normal and being controlled with medication. You can always speak to a lawyer who works in HR/Employment Law. If you'd like to contact me further email me oudine@aol.com.

46 year old Male

Posted: 2009-09-01 22:13:54

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I would apply for SSI asap. If you have documentation that you have this condition for more then six months and have not been able to obtain work due to your condition. I would think that you would be classified as disable. That's what I would do, and see what they say. You have work in the pass and have paid in the SSA now it's time they take care of you. God Bless. HR Lakeland,FL

54 year old Female

Posted: 2009-09-08 11:53:43

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I was on Lisinopril and HCTZ and developed the cough, my doctor switched me to Micardis HCT and now my BP is 105/70 down from 170/100.

Don't use age as a qualifying measure of your doctor, use the quality of care and results.

My old primary was 77 and they forced him to retire by not renewing his contract. I have to say he was the best doctor I have had. He was willing to answer any question I had for him and to explain any medical test I was given (even if he didn't order it). He did all in 15 minutes and I never felt rushed or left confused. He only worked 3 days a week but spent 2 days a week reading journals and was more up to date than any of the other doctors. I can't say these younger doctors are doing the same or are they willing to talk to you about your health if it is outside of the scope of their appointment. Sometimes I think they forget it is all related and interconnected.

53 year old Female

Posted: 2009-09-10 17:30:10

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Have you had your hormone levels checked? About 2 years ago my thyroid became underactive. Got that normalized through medication. About 1 year later, I started having lots of problems with vertigo and "wierd" vision (aura, sensitive to light, whtie and/or black spots). More tests. Turns out I am now going through Early Menopause. The vertigo & vision issues (migraine symptoms, often without the pain), along with sudden high blood pressure are caused by the Menopause. I am on Atenolol, which helps with the migraines and the HBP, but when my hormones start fluctuating, my BP drops down closer to normal, which in turn makes the BP meds too much, which in turn makes me feel like crap!!!!!!!

With all the other med issues you have, why not one more? For about 10 years, I had about 8-9 diff medical symptoms, which are all symptoms of low thyroid. They always occured "one at a time", so I just waited them out & never went to the doctor, until they all hit at once and I was unable to function..........

45 year old Female

Posted: 2009-09-25 13:11:27

iGuard.org Answer/Reply:

Maintaining a healthy diet and getting regular exercise has numerous proven physical and emotional benefits. I congratulate you on your weight loss and being focused on improving your overall health. You should ask your doctor additional questions regarding the causes of your increased blood pressure and cholesterol. Sometimes home blood pressure monitors are not accurate - you may want to take your monitor to your next appointment to have it validated with the readings that your doctor is getting. In addition I would ask further questions about his lack of support for a balanced diet and exercise regimen and its impact on your health conditions. You should feel comfortable discussing your concerns with your doctor and your doctor should take the time to help you understand his reasoning for the medications he is prescribing to you. If your doctor continues to be unsupportive of your efforts with diet and exercise, you may want to talk to you primary care doctor about your concerns with what your cardiologist is telling you.

Posted: 2009-07-16 23:56:41