Posted by Ame Sans Vie on April 20, 2003, at 18:14:32
In reply to Re: Tricyclics and blood pressure? Help!, posted by Snoozy on April 19, 2003, at 15:32:04
Thanks for the replies. Well, removing the tricyclics from my regimen didn't seem to help. I considered that it may be doctor's office effect, as my mom has always had that problem. So I went to Walgreens and tested it myself--still high. I don't drink caffeine, and the only stimulant I take is Desoxyn, and only very rarely (less than once a week).
I recently started smoking again after a seven month hiatus... so disappointed in myself about that, but it was surprisingly easy for me to quit last time, cold turkey. So I'm going to try doing it that way again.
Maybe I'm just trying to find a scapegoat... but I've just found out that hypertension runs in my family. I wasn't aware of that at the time of my last posting. I called my PCP to ask for my past BP readings, and having received them, I simply can't believe the guy never warned me my blood pressure was so high all these years! Time to switch doctors...
Obviously this low dose of propranolol isn't helping me. The only other beta blocker I've tried is Corgard (don't remember the generic name, or the dosage). I was taking it experimentally for anger control, and while it was good at that, it sapped my energy the same way propranolol does at higher doses.
I've never tried clonidine or guanfacine... anyone know how the side effects are with those? The drug monographs for both kind of scare me... nightmares, 'mental changes', anxiety, depression, hallucinations, delirium, taste change, impotence, muscle/joint pain (I already have fibromyalgia), urinary incontinence...? Yikes. Definitely have to say from the monographs, though, that guanfacine seems a bit more benign than clonidine.
poster:Ame Sans Vie
thread:220673
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20030417/msgs/220946.html