addiction to b.p medications ?

[EFT56]

Yes some may say im crazy - and some may not ? but Iv been on blood pressure medications since the 80s..
and I feel there is a conection to the fact, the body wants them , and though I hate taking them , they work sometimes
so I take them ?  when on them I hate them more than ever !  side effects and problems from them all. nasty things!
anyways - when I to wean off them -even at a very slow rate - I have withdrawal symptoms happen !  
unless dr. switches me to another medication -  and then if that gives me prolblems - I cant get off them without weaning and having withdrawal symptoms ..   as what could it be ?  if not withdrawals.. ?  its a drug isnt it ?

thanks for any responce to this question

[EFT56]

Come Aug 1st will do !!!   Im even going so far as to leave the area and travel a few miles
away to find another bones, that cares !!  but im going to call first and make sure they can handle my problems.  and will treat me right ,or its no deal !!  

I have a cuff for the arm here at home, its a top line brand name and $$$ not a cheap one! my doctors have used the same one ,and it can be adjusted if it goes astray !

I take the b.p daily am - lunch - mid day- and p.m  if I wake up at night and cant sleep
take it then too. just to see where its at..  

im now on corgard 40mg  and so far doing ok . getting use to it is hard.
b.p has been down  150s / mid 80s  and pulse at 71 to 64 at lowest .
no palps anymore ,well had a spat a few seconds ago.. but short ones !
im fine now ..

but the coregard sure drains me of power and I feel so tired on it .. cant do much
work as I get tired and sometimes have to stop and rest.. as I feel worked up and
stressed out .. if I rest a few seconds im fine .. its very strange on this junk .

Im also taking orosine  from res q people.. daily  2times aday .that helps put the o2 back in the blood cells and gets it to the heart fast .  
but think corgard is a lot stronger medication ..   thanks again for the info

[reeny924]

You need to find a different Doctor, that one sounds no good, he gets paid weather he listens to you or not!

If you have a home BP cuff, use it, several times a day and keep a log of your readings. BP changes constantly, some people have what they call "white coat syndrome" where it becomes elevated in the doctors office due to anxiety of the visit.  So taking it at home at least 6-8 times/day will give you a "mean" reading. That would most reflect your daily BP better than once  in the Doctors office.  Do not use a wrist cuff BP machine. they are not as acurate, be sure it is for the arm, and an automatic one would be the easiest unless you are good at taking a manual BP.  You don't want to mess around with the BP, get to a new doctor.Good luck.

[EFT56]

123456m - I tryed catapress before pill form - didnt work out to well for me sorry to say
but will reserch on the patch for b.p  - didnt know they had patch's for b.p meds.

mtgoat911 - I agree with you about pills - and diffrent side effects from them - I gained waight when on a few diffrent meds for b.p - and ended up in the ER a few times from palpations from them - as well had a few nasty adverse side effects happen to me hives
and so on .. I have sort of givin up on the doctors around here, being they are all young
and act like pompiss ***** !  its just money they care about ! nothing more..

Mawmaw3  -  AMen on that one ! I totaly agree with you - right on the mark !!
I also have white coat syndrome .. when seeing any doctors !  my b.p spikes high !
and b.p meds also have side effects that cause pannic attacks and other things !
omg ! its a wonder we take them !!!  

I want to thank all the people who helped me here.. and confirmed what I thought .
you all have made my day today !  

thanks Ed.

[Mawmaw3]

It's strange that this subject should come up right now, as my husband I were talking about this last night. He has been on bp meds for more than 5 years. He tried several different ones (Toprol caused him to have severe anxiety, nightmares, panic attacks), and he has been on Lotrel for the past 3 years. He has had several incidents of fainting (syncope) because his bp dropped so low, and the last time this happened (Aug.2008), his bp was only 70/40 when the EMS got to our house to transport him to the hospital!  

Several months ago, his GP reduced the dosage on the Lotrel from 10/20's to 5/10's, taken once per day, but he still has times when his bp drops pretty low, especially the bottom number (I think that is the diastolic?). Our goal is to get him off the bp med completely, so he is going to ask his GP to reduce the dosage again (Lotrel 2.5/10) when he goes in for his check up in September. These meds ARE addictive, but it is not because the brain tells you that you need them...you don't get 'high' on them. I think the meds sort of mess up the body 'thermostat', so that the heart/blood vessels do not function properly without the meds after a certain length of time on them.

This is my personal advice to anyone whose doc tells them they need bp meds. Have your doc check your bp 3 different times, at 3 different visits, a couple of weeks apart, before agreeing to take bp meds. My husband went on them after having his bp checked only once, and we truly believe that his bp was high at that visit to the doc's because he was nervous about an upcoming surgery to repair a hernia. Now his body is 'addicted' to the med and we just pray he can come off of them soon.

[mtgoat911]

any pill can become habit forming, once we get into a habit of taking something its hard to stop, i notice this when i take excetorin or midol
bp medication should not be stoped abruptly, so i suggest that you find another doctor who will listen to your concerns
i take tenex, which  is a bp med, i am sure that i will be uncomfortable if i ever stop taking it
i know what you mean about doctors disreguarding complaints about medication, i was taking seroquel, 30 minutes after taking this medication i would eat uncontrolable, then the heartburn would be so bad i would force myself to throw up, i did this for a long time before taking my health into my own hands and getting off this medication that had caused me to have a nasty eating disorder
if the risk out weigh the benifits of your medication do whatever you have to do to take care of yourself

[123456m]

Have you ever tried CatapresTTS 2 patch. If not I would no need to wean off that other stuff just slap on a patch and see what happens I am sure you have a BP montior. Most docs never prescribe the correct BP meds. They just look for something that will bring the BP down and then feel the job is done.
Good luck
Peace

[EFT56]

I asked this as I couldnt get a ansure from anyone on this .. not even my doctors

but there is somekind of conection between addiction and withdrawal..on these meds.
at least for some people.  
just wanted to try and confirm it .. thats all

[EFT56]

was on toprol xl for years - got off it slow but had problems with internal shakes and
nerve problems and being sick 24/7 - cramping problems and numbness in hands feet
and as well a few other not nice things happend - when back on the meds it stopped

I just switched meds from verapamil to corgard  ccb to beta blocker . .did it slow
but getting a few weard effects ,though I feel ok .. from one to another ..

when trying to get off verapamil slow weaning process , got down to 60mg  and started
getting chest pains and also heavy cramping  everywhere and stomach bloated jutted
outwords with pains and got very sick throwing up .. and gagging off and on

this stopped when gettting on another med .. or going back to the normal dose same drug.  hmmm


about getting high on them..  No  its more like feeling sick on them - lightheaded
dizzyness  and blurred vision at times .. and just yucky feelings..  

addiction to them ?  well  its like if you get off them - your sick really sick , and if you restart your fine .. or almost fine .. its like the body wants them back .. feeling

I dont know whats in them - but it does have a effect if even slight .. remember these are drugs .. nothing to fool with ..

on the b.p readings  when off on nothing its high .. when getting off fast , cold turkey
it spikes high on me..
when doing it slow it stays somewhat low..  or normal readings .. but then can spkie
high on me without warrning .. lots of risk factors ..

[123456m]

Bp meds can also control your aniexty.
There are many differnt meds. Chondline is used daily by many people that have tourettes, people that wich to stop smoking, drinking or drugs. If you have none of those conditions and your BP is fine then why take them unless your using them when you get a lot of aniexty. Stopping them is not a real problem at all they do not play around with the same receptors that opiates and other drugs do but if your using them daily ten you need to taper because you may have spikes in your BP if you do not. You certainly will not get wds at all.
I was on a Chondline patch to quit smoking for 3 months so the Chondline was always in my system once I was done I cut the patch in half for one week and thta was it. No Wds nothing.
Peace

[TrayCee]

Just wondering...

Do you get high on them?  

Whats there to be addicted to?

[EFT56]

I did ask him more than 4 times already-  he says they are  not habbit forming
and didnt know of any so called withdrawal symptoms !  

this is due to the fact, most doctors dont read about each medication fully or enough
as well they dont care much about the drugs they hand out !   they are not interested

iv been told face to face, If you have any side effects from these medications dont call me ! everyone has them !!  

so with drugs and they are drugs !  bottom line - you will have additctions and side effects and allergic reactions (maybe)  and withdrawal symptoms .  

is it worth it ?  

[dominosarah]

This is really something you need to ask your doctor about.         sara