High blood pressure.

[Jim at Gentex]

When I'd ask about my BP, he'd always say, that's just how you run kid.

When he finally croaked and I saw a new doc, he was like, we need to get your BP down.

I think that is a common occurrence from doctor to doctor.
One will say your BP or cholesterol is 'borderline' or even 'high', and another will say it is fine.

Remember, doctors give you their medical OPINION, and those opinions vary from doc to doc.

Years ago my mother-in-law's doctor put her on Crestor because he said her cholesterol was high.
I thought it was odd because she was never close to being overweight, she did quite a bit of walking every day, never touched a cigarette or any kind of alcohol, and she preferred a low-fat diet.

She only ever ate mostly chicken or fish, salads, fresh fruits and veggies, and ZERO junk food, so she was the last person you would think would have high cholesterol.

Around that same time she began to get severe leg cramps, which were a known side effect of Crestor, but her doc hesitated to take her off it.
My wile finally convinced her to see a different doctor to get a second opinion, and she was glad she did.
New doc took her off the Crestor immediately and told her to wait a couple of weeks and check it again.
He told her it was fine, and she didn't need any cholesterol medication at all given her overall good health and lifestyle.

All that to say that I think some docs get 'locked in' to a certain number when it comes to cholesterol and/ or BP without taking into consideration the persons overall health, diet, and level of fitness.

[mowens]

I take Nifedipine, Benazepril, Hydralazine and Labetalol for my Blood Pressure. Labetalol is twice a day and Hydralazine is 3 times.

But, hey, that's just one thing.
My gut produces large, fast growing polyps that I have to be screened for and removed every year. I also have calcification in my aorta and blood vessels in my groin. That's what killed my dad. He had an occlusion in his groin that cut off the blood flow to his legs.

[Del.]

Welcome to Vegan club! Your trial membership is granted. Of course you don't get full membership until you unsolicited, tell 100 people about how they should eat plants to be healthy. 

Does smoking plants count.

[neurosis]

Damn.. Trying to get in to see a doctor if you don't already have a primary care physician is near impossible. I'm getting up for 4 month waits in some cases. 

I guess I probably should have done this when it wasn't so critical.   

[Smit]

Can you get blood pressure meds from a urgent care office? Just to get things going the right way until you can find a primary care doctor?

[neurosis]

Can you get blood pressure meds from a urgent care office? Just to get things going the right way until you can find a primary care doctor?

I'm not sure. I may have to call and see if I can get some advise or something. 

[Smit]

I'm kinda surprised they didn't give you a prescription at the emergency room.

[neurosis]

I'm kinda aurora they didn't give you a prescription at the emergency room.

They made it sound like it would have to be a cardiologist that did that. 

For a Country that is supposed to have the best health care, I can't get an appointment anywhere to see a cardiologist for four months. They all keep telling me that if I have an emergency, go to an emergency room.

[RetiredRoger]

I take Nifedipine, Benazepril, Hydralazine and Labetalol for my Blood Pressure. Labetalol is twice a day and Hydralazine is 3 times.

But, hey, that's just one thing.
My gut produces large, fast growing polyps that I have to be screened for and removed every year. I also have calcification in my aorta and blood vessels in my groin. That's what killed my dad. He had an occlusion in his groin that cut off the blood flow to his legs.

DAMN!!!  That has to SUCK....

[neurosis]

NoNoNo.
The NHS is the BEST in the world....

Do you have to wait 4 months to see a cardiologist even with a referral?

[Del.]

Do you have to wait 4 months to see a cardiologist even with a referral?

Good chance you could see a cardiologist sooner if you schedule with the Nurse Practitioner.

[Incogneeto]

There are some good meds out there proven over the years to be effective.

Grass is just Grass Man!! Smokin a Bowl only makes you want Munchies Not work out!!

[Dan_AKA_ROY23]

I take those last two plus Toprol.

My potassium levels came in borderline high so they cut my losarten dose in half. I had to check BP for a while. After cutting dose in half, my potassium levels were normal again.

[Dan_AKA_ROY23]

He gave me 20mg of lisinopril to take daily and I came back after a week. Still no change.

Added 5mg of amlodipine. Came back in a week and I was 120/80.

Good to hear and happy for you that the lisinpril is working. It's a great BP med but many suffer from a persistent cough from it. I had to stop taking it years ago because of the constant coughing, especially at night. I would get tingling sensations in back of throat and cough away. Very common side effect. They switched me to losarten. I think the lisinopril was the better med, really keeps the bp lower. Oh well. And yes, amlodipine is very effective especially when combined with other bp meds.

[Smit]

Good to hear and happy for you that the lisinpril is working. It's a great BP med but many suffer from a persistent cough from it. I had to stop taking it years ago because of the constant coughing, especially at night. I would get tingling sensations in back of throat and cough away. Very common side effect. They switched me to losarten. I think the lisinopril was the better med, really keeps the bp lower. Oh well. And yes, amlodipine is very effective especially when combined with other bp meds.

I had that problem (persistent coughing) with lisinipril so the doc switched me to Losartan. Then the Losartan supply ran low so the doc subbed in Valsartan which is a little older than Losartan. It works fine (coupled with Amlodipine) so I switched to Valsartan permanently to avoid the out of stock issues.