Watch out with cold meds if on BP meds

wjoerob · Dec 3, 2007

I learned the hard way. Doc prescribed a new blood pressure medicine (Diovan), and I had just stopped taking another one (Verapamil). Picked up the phone-in prescription, took one. Ignored the fact that I had been taking cold medicine for 2-3 days. Well, my heart started doing about 125 beats per minute, lasted for 6-7 hours, then CALMED DOWN to 90 bpm. I'm 52, overweight, but my heart's OK, otherwise I might have stroked out. Felt weak as a kitten the next 2 days.
DON'T BE STUPID LIKE I WAS! Take your blood pressure medicine, but watch out what cold meds you take!

Soundguy · Dec 3, 2007

I hear it's the decongestant in them that gets ya...

Soundguy

sandman2234 · Dec 3, 2007

Just glad it didn't get him!
David from jax

jdbower · Dec 3, 2007

It's always a good idea to check before mixing ANY medications, and make sure to mention how much you typically drink as well. For example, aspirin may make it tougher for blood to clot and a lot of heart medications do the same thing - mixing these can cause bleeding issues. It's also difficult for the layperson to make associations between similar drugs that perform different functions, like the fact that most sleeping aids are actually antihistamines. Another common mistake is to cut pills in half or, even worse, to crush them. This can cause the medicine to be absorbed too quickly in some cases, in others the coatings are designed to protect the medication from being destroyed by the stomach acids so they can be absorbed further down the digestive system.

KennethBrown · Dec 3, 2007

Diovan did that to me regardless if I took anything else or not. I took it for a couple of weeks and it had to go, I couldn't function. I'm now on Maxide/Maxaide err something like that. It is more of a pulse regulator than BP pill. It lowered mt pulse to it was in the 90's and the BP has come down with it.

CharlieTR · Dec 3, 2007

I am glad you posted this.
I take both Diovan and verapamil and I just got a cold.

It is ridiculous how the medical offices work. They always say check with doctor before taking other medications. What are you to do? Take more time off from work to go see them and pay another office visit to ask a simple question? They !#$&* sure don't talk over the phone!

JerryG · Dec 3, 2007

wjoerob said:
Doc prescribed a new blood pressure medicine (Diovan), .... Ignored the fact that I had been taking cold medicine for 2-3 days. Well, my heart started doing about 125 beats per minute, lasted for 6-7 hours, then CALMED DOWN to 90 bpm.
DON'T BE STUPID LIKE I WAS! Take your blood pressure medicine, but watch out what cold meds you take!

Wow, that is one of the blood pressure meds that I take. I had never even thought anything about taking cold medicine with it. I am glad that you posted about it before I did the same.

shvl73 · Dec 3, 2007

I take accupril and was advised not to take spuedohedrine (sp?).

cp1969 · Dec 3, 2007

I take nothing and am going to take nothing if at ALL possible. No chemicals for me. I think someday our great great grandchildren will look back on this era of over prescribing drugs as a time as dark and counterproductive to health as bloodletting once was.

My mother in law had a heart attack a few years ago and was put on blood pressure medicine. It was very expensive and she has very limited income. She smokes and it came down to a choice between cigarettes and blood pressure meds....the smokes won out.

That was several years ago. She said she never felt better than she did after she quit taking the blood pressure medication.

Soundguy · Dec 4, 2007

shvl73 said:
I take accupril and was advised not to take spuedohedrine (sp?).

yep.. pseudophrene HCL used to be commonly available OTC as a decongestant. Now it's only available as a limited amount per month.. etc. because of idiots making meth out of it. The stuff they replaced it with: phenylephrine is not as good.. and barely works on me.

Thus, during the summer months, I buy my max monthly alotment just so i can make it thru the winter months when i'm more prone to nasal congestion. The amount they let you buy of the 'real' stuff is simply ridiculess. The box has about enough meds to get you thru 1-week of a cold.. if you take as directed. Sure hope you don't have one that lasts 10 days.. or that you don't get a re-occurence and get sick again.. after yuo used up your 1 month alottment...

Seems to me that rather than limiting the law abiding citizens.. they need to round up all the druggies and.. uh.. hang them or something.. wouldn't bother me at all..

Soundguy