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Dr. Bob is Robert Hsiung, MD,
bob@dr-bob.orgShown: posts 1 to 4 of 4. This is the beginning of the thread.
Posted by Ame Sans Vie on April 19, 2003, at 14:13:40
I went to my rheumatologist the other day for my fibromyalgia/chronic fatigue and my blood pressure ended up being 170/90, or thereabouts. This really scares me, as I've always had *low* blood pressure, and lots of orthostatic hypotension. I was just taking Elavil and Flexeril for a week or so and my doctor advised me to D/C them and just go with the Neurontin and Soma. She wasn't any help when I asked her about this dilemma. I don't have the means to test my BP at home, but I'm wondering if the tricyclics could have elevated my BP so much? I know they have some cardiac effects, that's why I ask. I just started taking 10mg propranolol I have left over, twice a day. I know it's a low dose, but any higher and I become horribly depressed and fatigued. Answers...? Anyone...?
Posted by fachad on April 19, 2003, at 14:44:26
In reply to Tricyclics and blood pressure? Help!, posted by Ame Sans Vie on April 19, 2003, at 14:13:40
I thought TCAs caused low BP, orthostatic hypotenesion and such. Might another med be causing the elevated BP? Or is it just doctors office effect and your BP is normal at home?
Have you tried other beta blockers besides propranolol?
I am on tiny doses of metoprolol (6 or 12mg) and I find that on any higher doses I get really tired.
I would like to find a beta blocker that works faster and is available in small doses, any ideas?
> I went to my rheumatologist the other day for my fibromyalgia/chronic fatigue and my blood pressure ended up being 170/90, or thereabouts. This really scares me, as I've always had *low* blood pressure, and lots of orthostatic hypotension. I was just taking Elavil and Flexeril for a week or so and my doctor advised me to D/C them and just go with the Neurontin and Soma. She wasn't any help when I asked her about this dilemma. I don't have the means to test my BP at home, but I'm wondering if the tricyclics could have elevated my BP so much? I know they have some cardiac effects, that's why I ask. I just started taking 10mg propranolol I have left over, twice a day. I know it's a low dose, but any higher and I become horribly depressed and fatigued. Answers...? Anyone...?
Posted by Snoozy on April 19, 2003, at 15:32:04
In reply to Tricyclics and blood pressure? Help!, posted by Ame Sans Vie on April 19, 2003, at 14:13:40
You may want to check it again to see if that reading was a fluke. Did you have a lot of caffeine or other stimulant before your bp was taken? Some pharmacies have machines that take blood pressure, where you could check it yourself.
> I went to my rheumatologist the other day for my fibromyalgia/chronic fatigue and my blood pressure ended up being 170/90, or thereabouts. This really scares me, as I've always had *low* blood pressure, and lots of orthostatic hypotension. I was just taking Elavil and Flexeril for a week or so and my doctor advised me to D/C them and just go with the Neurontin and Soma. She wasn't any help when I asked her about this dilemma. I don't have the means to test my BP at home, but I'm wondering if the tricyclics could have elevated my BP so much? I know they have some cardiac effects, that's why I ask. I just started taking 10mg propranolol I have left over, twice a day. I know it's a low dose, but any higher and I become horribly depressed and fatigued. Answers...? Anyone...?
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.
This is the end of the thread.
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