BP med question (not asking for medical advice, just wondering if it has happened to you)

[LiberalHeart]

My blood pressure has been up in the past few months. Top number: fine. Bottom number: upper 90s or 100 or a tad more). My doc has prescribed three meds so far. One caused significant fatigue and lowered my potassium. The second one kept the potassium okay, but the fatigue was still too much to put up with. Now the third doesn't alter how I feel, energy is fine and so is potassium, but when I take it, the top number goes down into the 90s or 80s and the bottom one just misses entering the 90s, and that's taking the smallest dose they make. Is this typical? Do the meds vary a lot in how they operate? Is it usual to have an already okay number dip low, maybe too low, while a med control the bad one?

[LeftyMom]

1. I know a friend of mine needed several medications to find one that worked for her.

If you're not having much luck with meds maybe you could try controlling it with diet and increased activity? Your numbers aren't exactly through the roof, though a high lower number is worse than a high top number.

[LiberalHeart]

2. I do get exercise and I'm dieting even though I'm, at most, only 5-10 lbs. too heavy.

Maybe it's just the prez campaign that's boosting the bottom number.

[TZ]

3. Yeah this can happen

Its about getting the right med combo..My mom was on blood pressure meds but still had it rise steadily..and in fact recently had a mild stroke (she's okay). They have her on a new set of meds that seems to be working better..

[LeftyMom]

4. Probably need to keep looking for a med that's effective for you, then.

Do you have relatives with the same problem? My friend actually asked her doctor to prescribe the med her grandmother's on, and it's been working perfectly for her. She had the same issue with trying a few that either had annoying side effects or just didn't work, so trying something that was working for a blood relative seemed more likely than just going down the list.

[Crabby Appleton]

5. I went through several BP meds until they found something that worked

on me, the first drug actually made my BP rise, they tried several different one before they found something that worked on me. Ended up on 3 (lotrel, motoprolol, furosemide) BP meds plus a potassium tab.

[littlebit]

6. I have been on several different meds over the years.

It took a little bit of time to find one that worked for me. We finally found a combination of two that works great. The best part about them is they are both older drugs that I can get for relatively cheap.