Blood pressure meds

cherry · ‎03-09-2010

I have been taking losartan for a few weeks. My right arm is killing me. I can'

t stand to post much, and I have read BP meds can cause cramps? Does it ever go away?

I am on 10 mg and my BP was borderline high..don't remember the numbers.

chrystaltree · ‎05-10-2010

That doesn't sound anything at all like a cramp. Some bp medications cause cramps but only if you are dehydrated or low in potassium. Just call your doctor or go to the ED with symptoms like that. For all you know, you could be having a heart attack.

ALRATIBA · ‎07-15-2016

If I were you, I'd contact my doctor ASAP.

Adverse reaction to drugs can be quite serious!

Shelbelle · ‎03-09-2010

After talking to your doc, get a home pressure monitor and start taking it at home, if it was just borderline in his office, it may be just fine at home, you could have been nervous in the office, causing it to rise. In my opinion docs are way too quick to grab the RX pad sometimes. This happened ot me in 2010, my doc wrote me 2 BP RX, I knew I was nervous, instead of filling them, I got a home monitor, been fine ever since.

CAcableGirl2 · ‎06-03-2010

Be sure to get a blood pressure monitor today if you can so you can check what your BP is while on this and see if it changes throughout the day. They are very reasonable and available at Target (where I got mine) and usually in stock.

I would definitely make a call to the doctor to see if this is normal. Perhaps the dose is wrong or there is another medication that you could take instead.

......You look like I need a drink.....

LexaMom · ‎03-10-2010

Last Jan, my doctor changed me from Lisinopril to Losartan. I am taking 25 mg/day. Your dosage is very low - since my doctor told me that most people take 50.

My only side effect was lightheadedness at the end of the afternoon when the meds had taken the most effect.

Definitely call your doctor, but I wonder if maybe the cramps are due to something else

Trinity11 · ‎11-16-2014

@cherry wrote:
I have been taking losartan for a few weeks. My right arm is killing me. I can'
t stand to post much, and I have read BP meds can cause cramps? Does it ever go away?

I am on 10 mg and my BP was borderline high..don't remember the numbers.

@cherry, I took it for 6 months and was very sick from it. The muscular pain was terrible from it. I was trying to raise my young son and remember it vividly. I begged my doctor to give me something else and have been on verapamil for years now as its replacement.

My thoughts would be to get in contact with the prescriber and ask for a different medication.

Please feel better and keep us posted...

chrystaltree · ‎05-10-2010

@Shelbelle wrote:
After talking to your doc, get a home pressure monitor and start taking it at home, if it was just borderline in his office, it may be just fine at home, you could have been nervous in the office, causing it to rise. In my opinion docs are way too quick to grab the RX pad sometimes. This happened ot me in 2010, my doc wrote me 2 BP RX, I knew I was nervous, instead of filling them, I got a home monitor, been fine ever since.

Huh? When I hear stuff like this I wonder where the heck do you people find quacks like that. You are referring to "white coat hypertension" and doctors are well aware of it but home montitors are notoriously inaccurate and many people don't use them correctly. What they do is....they have the patient come in three times or a blood pressure check. It's done by a nurse or medical assistand; someone other than the physician. The patient comes in and they have the patient sit quietly in a room for 20 minutes or so and then they take the bp reading. That way they get the real reading. In all my years in healthcare, I never seen any doctor prescribe htn medication after just one visit. That's because besides stress, many other things can cause a spike in bp. Coming down with a cold or taking advil a day or two before for a headache can do it.

ALRATIBA · ‎07-15-2016

@chrystaltree

My doctor suggested I get a home BP monitor. I brought it to the office and she checked it's accuracy ... no difference.

So - they all aren't inaccurate ...

Shelbelle · ‎03-09-2010

@ALRATIBA wrote:
@chrystaltree

My doctor suggested I get a home BP monitor. I brought it to the office and she checked it's accuracy ... no difference.

So - they all aren't inaccurate ...

I agree, my doc says mine is very accurate, had it now for 8 years, ReliOn brand from Walmart, wrist monitor.