Drug reactions
Written by: Dr. Rowena | Posted: Jun 03 2009
Q: I have taken Cozaar for 4 years + Resperate. About 6 months ago my blood sugar elevated and I lost the use of my foot. I have had many tests to no avail. Last week I forgot to take my medication and all my control came back to my foot. I feel better than I have in a long while. Could it be the meds?
A: Drugs can cause all sorts of reactions but problems usually occur fairly soon after a drug is started, not years later. Sometimes, doctors are never able to find out why a problem happened. You need to keep an eye on your blood pressure until you can see your doctor and be re-examined.
Tags: blood pressure, blood sugar, cozaar, drug reactions, medication, RESPeRATE, Taking BP MedsTekturna, diuretics and age
Written by: Dr. Rowena | Posted: Apr 10 2009
Q: I have been having trouble controlling my blood pressure. I was on zetia, atenolol, and cozaar. Recently, the doctor stopped the cozaar and put me on alivide, 300/12.5 mg, which includes a diuretic and took me off the cozaar. At that time he also added HCTZ, 25. mg. As I continued to have problems, I asked him to consider a different medication. Instead, he put me on yet another diuretic, Tekturna, 150 mg. Isn’t this excessive use of diuretics, especially considering that I am 82 years of age?
A: Tekturna by itself is not a diuretic. It is a renin inhibitor. When combined with a diuretic it is called Tekturna HCT. While it is more convenient to combine drugs so only one pill needs to be taken, this option can be more expensive. Taking a diuretic with plain Tekturna is acceptable treatment. I suggest you express your concerns to your doctor. Age is not a contraindication to treating high blood pressure.
Tags: Atenolol, contraindication, cozaar, diuretic, diuretics, high blood pressure, renin inhibitor, Taking BP Meds, Tekturna, tekturna hct, Zetia
