Are drugs just a habit?

timgrant posts: 13 Apr 6th 2011, 09:36	A number of years ago I had a shop and was under a lot of pressure. I went for my usual once a year health check and blood pressure was very high 170/120. Put on diuretic and atenolol, fine at first 130/85, but both caused more problems and could not walk far without breathlessness so changed to felodipine 2.5mg. Then started having rapid pulse rate,giddy very sick and problems with swelling ankles.Bp down to normal limits, but put on weight due to unable to exercise without fainting from low blood pressure.Then put on Candesartan 8mg Bp again down to normal and below, pulse 41,very giddy, confused,feeling very weak.Changed back to felodipine 5mgs this time and bp fine but faint, tired, sick, weight gain,headache's. So I have decided to stop taking any tablet and check Bp.Today second day was 134/82 p66 So do we really need all the illness and low BP?
muszek posts: 97 Apr 7th 2011, 10:09	I've been taking Tertensif Kombi 5mg/1.25mg for the past 9 months (something else for a month before that, but it had no noticeable effect on my bp). I can't say I've ever felt any side offects other than peeing much more often while I'm on Tertensif. But my stuff is probably much lighter than your stuff. My bp was around 145/92 before I started my meds. There's another side-effect - I stopped worrying and am not actively searching for the cause of my hypertension.
timgrant posts: 13 Apr 7th 2011, 16:33	Thanks for reply. Surely it would be a good idea to look for the cause of your blood pressure, after all you might find you can stop taking the diuretic? My problem is down to stress and worry, so if I can carry on controlling them I should be fine. Why should doctors and drugs control us, it's us who should control our own live's?
muszek posts: 97 Apr 8th 2011, 09:59	> Why should doctors and drugs control us, it's us who should control our own live's? It's not like we're doing a great job ourselves... I sit at my desk probably 10 hours a day and it's 5 meters from my bed. Other than semi-regular exercises (almost daily in summertime, but during fall and winter I'm sick or sick'ish most of the time), I barely move my butt. I had been smoking nearly half my life (4th month without a cigarette now). So in my case it's rather "drugs are there to fix my screw ups".
timgrant posts: 13 Apr 20th 2011, 10:56	Drug are not only there for your screw up's, but are there so the drug company can made $$$$$$$$.Perhaps you should go out every day for long walks, learn to jog, eat good balanced meals. NO junk food, NO alcohol, No cigs, and only lie down when it's time for bed. I now have a job as healthcare assistant in the local hospice, therefore it's gives me something to think about other than my health. So where do you work? live? and what do you do in your leisure time?
Jasmine posts: 2 Jul 5th 2011, 23:03	Are drugs just a habit? Well no but, they can be. Many BP drugs affect the adrenal gland which controls hormones that affect emotions. Coming off these drugs can (as in my case)cause awful anxiety and depression problems which do not respond to normal counselling/therapy or drugs. It is better to try and arrest rising blood pressure with exercise and periods of deep breathing which massage the heart and causes better blood flow. Take Care
Jasmine posts: 2 Jul 5th 2011, 23:12	There are a number of gadgets you can buy but some plain instruction is free on the net. Once I understood the mechanism it made sense. Start here http://www.ehow.com/video_4801983_breathing-exercises-lower-blood-pressure.html
muszek posts: 97 Jul 6th 2011, 07:51	Sounds interesting, thank you!

Blood Pressure Chart

Are drugs just a habit?