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        New Message Board Archives >> Medications, Treatments, Therapies 2003 >> Help please: Verapamil, high; blood pressure low
        
(Message started by: jayhawk on Oct 1^st, 2003, 12:13am)

Title: Help please: Verapamil, high; blood pressure low
Post by jayhawk on Oct 1^st, 2003, 12:13am

About a month ago, the frequency of my CH's jumped (i'm chronic) so my neuro raised my Verapamil from 480 to 600. After about a week, CH's were less frequent, less painful. I also take a drug called Spironolactone for hair loss linked to polycistic ovary syndrome, which is a diuretic and also lowers Blood pressure. 3 weeks after upping Verapamil, BOOM! all of a sudden I start feeling very dizzy, room spins, and my energy level plummets. I get in to see my primary-care dr. and my BP nos. are 100/60; 90/70 and 100/50 (taken over about 20 minutes, twice while i'm lying down); long story short: on dr.'s advice, i stop taking spironolactone, and cut my Verapamil (first to 480, then 360, then 300). A week later, I'm still having dizzy spells and energy, while a bit better, is still practically non-existent. My BP is still too low for me (about 107/63). I go back to dr. on Thursday (they also took EKG, which was normal, and chest X-ray).
Questions: Have others experienced this, weeks after raising Verap dosage? Do you know of any natural way to raise BP? That's what I really need to do.
I know I can't stay on this low Verap dosage for too long, or my CH's will come storming back.

Title: Re: Help please: Verapamil, high; blood pressure l
Post by celtspirit on Oct 1^st, 2003, 4:42am

Jayhawk,

Verapamil will stay in your system for quite a while at elevated levels, even after reducing daily dosage amounts. It takes a while for the body to eliminate and adjust to reduction, just as it takes up to two weeks for serum levels to reach effective levels when you first begin to take it.

My Dr was hesitant to put me on a dose any larger than 20mg 2x a day(what the F______!!!!!!) because of blood pressure concerns. My normal is 104/60. Worried that verapamil in larger doses would cause my BP to drop out suddenly to dangerous levels. I finally convinced her that a bullet in my brain would have the same sudden effect during an attack, and got her to prescribe a more effective dose.

Hang in there. My BP is always low, I get tired easily, I get periods of dizziness- most especially an hour or so after taking my scheduled doses. You can help counteract this effect by consuming larger amounts of water, increases blood volume and blood pressure. Plus a cluster trick is 'water x3' anyway.

Good luck.

Title: Re: Help please: Verapamil, high; blood pressure l
Post by ave on Oct 1^st, 2003, 12:41pm

I have a maybe silly suggestion: get information about lowering your blood pressure. They usually tell you all the things you should not do!
There probably is a website where you can find this out.

My blood pressure used to be too low. When I turned up in the morning to donate blood, I was sent back time and again. The third time I askerd if I could come back in half an hour. I went for a cup of coffee and a smoke, ate the cookie with the coffee and emptied the sugar package.
When I came back my BP had risen enough to get accepted.

Very salty cheese and liquorice will do it for me too.

Title: Re: Help please: Verapamil, high; blood pressure l
Post by Prense on Oct 1^st, 2003, 5:28pm

Yes, coffee and smoking will increase your BP for short durations. Not sure if that would be a long term fix for anything though. There are other preventative meds out there that do not lower BP...might be a more practical solution.

Title: Re: Help please: Verapamil, high; blood pressure l
Post by UnsolvedEquation on Oct 1^st, 2003, 11:01pm

I cannot take more than 320 mg of Verapamil or it will lower my BP too much. Sorry to hear that your CH's will come back strong. Just thought i'd say you aren't the only one who can't take much of it.

Title: Re: Help please: Verapamil, high; blood pressure l
Post by ave on Oct 2^nd, 2003, 9:24am

I see I should have been clearer; I didn't mean you should take a lot of Verapamil and then take stuff to raise your BP again.

I reacted to the distress that despite lowering the Vera dose, your bloodpressure remained uncormfortably low. My suggestion was just meant as stop gap till things got settled.

Hope nobody starts upping their bp to be able to take more Vera....