No problem :) I really would rather just not take blood pressure medicines of any kind. I've already been through most of the classes of drugs: beta-blockers, calcium-channel blockers, and now ace inhibitors. Is there anything left after that?

I started out on Atenolol back in '04 but it just made my heart beat so slow, so I switched to Norvasc in the middle of that year. I think I was on that with HCTZ for a good year until I noticed that it caused my ankles and feet to swell, so I went off that in '05. After that, I was put on Dyazide. That seemed to work the best for about a year and a half, but my bp started to go up last year in the summer, so then I was switched to Lisinopril/HCTZ. I'm considering trying occasional anti-anxiety drugs for HBP, is that recommended?

[QUOTE=Storm Moon;3428397]... I've already been through most of the classes of drugs: beta-blockers, calcium-channel blockers, and now ace inhibitors. Is there anything left after that?...

Yes, fortunately (or unfortunately,:rolleyes:) there are.

[QUOTE]I started out on Atenolol back in '04 but it just made my heart beat so slow, so I switched to Norvasc in the middle of that year. I think I was on that with HCTZ for a good year until I noticed that it caused my ankles and feet to swell, so I went off that in '05. After that, I was put on Dyazide. That seemed to work the best for about a year and a half, but my bp started to go up last year in the summer, so then I was switched to Lisinopril/HCTZ. I'm considering trying occasional anti-anxiety drugs for HBP, is that recommended?

Do you have heart problems? If not, why did your doctor start you out on a beta blocker, if you don't mind my asking?

As far as the anti-anxiety drugs, for hypertension, I have read that in some cases they are effective. My personal opinion is that although anxiety can "cause" hypertension, anxiety is a secondary condition...that is to say that some chemical/hormonal/biological condition is causing the anxiety (I know many people attribute it to stress or outside environmental factors but if that were the sole cause, all of us would be experiencing anxiety producing hypertension as some of us have had to deal with some unbelievable obstacles/stressors in our lives). For that reason, in my opinion, the cause of the anxiety should be investigated. That's not to say a cause would be found, but some well known conditions can create anxiety...sleep deprivation or tumors, for instance.

How are your lifestyle habits? Anything you could improve on there? It's not the answer, I know...but it can make a difference in lowering your pressures.

Bethsheba