Hi I'm 53 male not overweight. I was diagnosed with HBP when I was 28. Originally treated with atenelol until change of doctor switched me to 30mg Coracten and 20mg lisinopril (13 years ago). I found the combo effective regular monitoring showed BP controlled no side effects. about 16 months ago I noticed I was getting dizzy standing up and dizzy after exercise. I stopped the coracten. Doc confirmed BP ok without coracten. However dizziness continued and I stopped half of the lisinopril then stopped another quarter then completely. Monitored my own BP went to doc who confirmed ok. Typical reading sitting now was 117/76. Needless to say I was delighted and amazed. However my troubles seemed only to be starting. I continued to be slightly lightheaded after exercise and a feeling of pins and needles in my scalp and upper face started. I thought it may have been from my neck. I travel a lot and had an episode of confusion dizziness / vertigo at a hotel after a large meal. I had an urge to eat sweet stuff which relieved some of my symptoms at the time (since been tested for reactive hypoglycemia -negative although I think blood sugar was involved on a coupe of occasions). Due to ongoing 'out of it' feeling and worsening prickling on face and in eyes I spent months off work. I was put on a 24hr BP cuff which came back as an average 'normal'. I dont really understand how my high BP of 25 years dissapeared within a matter of months and is it a coincidence that my new symptoms almost coincided with the last doses of lisinopril. I have been to a neurologist who has mentioned dysesthsia and has done a MRI of my head (still await results). I feel that the 'out of it feeling' is worse and the prickling almost numbness (like a dentist anesthetic wearing off) in my scalp and face is worse. I don't think I'm going to keel over but I just cant understand the chain of events. My only note would be that my HR after eating goes a bit wild and I have the urge to lie/sit down. Standing without eating my systolic can now be low 100's yet the diastolic seems stable at about 80. Normal limits I suppose. I just feel weird. I exercise regularly. My doc thinks 'your fine' but I don't feel it and I am neither anxious or depressed. Can high blood pressure resolve like this ? Could my BP medication have caused some kind of permanent withdrawal and cause my symptoms ? The neurologist has recommended duloxotine which I was hoping to avoid but I don't seem to be getting anywhere. :( Thanks for reading
2015-04-13 11:28:02
I haven't visited this site for a while and only now am noticing your posting. What caught my attention was your mention of atenolol for HBP. When this was prescribed for my husband his blood glucose numbers shot up dramatically - but it wasn't discovered until his urologist sent his sample to the lab and the lab ran the wrong test - thus uncovering that he was on his way to diabetes! When my cardiologist prescribed metoprolol following a heart attack my blood glucose numbers rose steadily but even tho' I was submitting to regular labs for cholesterol the doctor ordering the tests never flagged the rising numbers. Now I have diabetes. I have since become very wary of any med ending in -lol. I highly recommend that you get tested for diabetes. Your craving for sugar is one signal; eating a large meal followed by dizziness is another. In my research to learn more about diabetes the one thing I have learned is that symptoms vary so widely as to be impossible to form an exact profile of a typical diabetic. I'm not familiar with the initials you use: HR. "My only note would be that my HR after eating goes a bit wild and I have the urge to lie/sit down."
2015-04-13 11:28:38
