Blood Pressure Meds Experiences

[Icequeen26]

Hi Everyone 👋

Has anyone had any experiences with the bp meds- nifedipine or labetalol?

I've been on them both now for 7 weeks after developing high blood pressure after having my baby. And ever since I have been experiencing dizziness, spaced out feeling/brain fog and bad fatigue- heavy arms and legs, breathlessness with exertion and randomly feeling congested too. I thought it was just I needed time to recover from birth etc but it's still there. Docs are trying to imply I have post natal depression and anxiety but I'm seriously wondering if its my medication causing this!

Anybody experienced anything similar please?

Hello. Have you been monitoring your BP daily? Perhaps the meds have lowered your BP too much? I had the same thing. My BP went up during the birth of my third baby. I went on medication for a couple of months. I took amplodopine. I am now off medication. A year later I did have a spike and had to sort my diet and exercise to keep my BP at good levels. But I am off all meds now.

Meds can bring side effects to people and effect people differently. What is your daily BP now? Are you trying to eat better? Less salt, more fruits and veggies.

@Mamabear12 thank you for replying. My bp sits at around 124/75 most days now but can sometimes be upto 135/85 in the middle of the day.
I know I need eat better and lose some of my baby weight but it's hard when I feel so dizzy and weak. I do walk everyday so I am exercising as best I can.
It's just the constant dizziness it's draining!! :(

How much medication are you taking? You will probably be able to lower your dose soon. Losing weight will definitly help. Are you taking vitamins as well? If you are deficient in b12 it can cause rise in blood pressure. I would say, most important if you cant exercise is to try and eat right. Some foods naturally help lower blood pressure such as flax meal (ground flax seeds), rocket leaves, oatmeal, beets. If you include this in your diet daily and redice meats/salt/fried foods. It will help. Look up whole foods diet.

@Mamabear12 I have just started taking multivitamins and am trying to eat more fresh food instead of processed food etc.
I'm currently on 200mg labetalol and 20mg nifedipine twice a day.

Do you see your GP for example once a week or so to monitor BP and for plans to reduce medication? That is what I did. We worked towards getting me off. I was on 10 mg (I think it was mg)...it was 10 something of amplodopine and then after a month we went down to 5 and then after a month off completely.

Good luck and keep me updated.

I also got high BP post pregnancy, it took a while for them to get the right combo, but I’m about to come off the final (tiny) dosage and monitor again at 4 months post-Partum. I found it took some time to get used to the initial does, and needed some time to resettle after every change.

My saving grace was being monitored by a gp who’d had a baby c. 18 months previously and really understands the weird stuff that can happen!

I think a good discussion on a change of medication, even if you still need to be on it, is needed. There are loads of BP meds, and they need to find the right doses and combination of meds for you. The reaction to them is very personal.

I know my mum had similar issues with her initial blood pressure meds. She swapped and didn’t have the same side effects with the new medication. I would absolutely ask to change.

I had high BP in pregnancy and was on methyldopa and I think at one point labetelol and the one beginning with n. They were pretty awful.

I am confused as to why you are on these. These are as far as I know ( not a GP!) For use during pregnancy not necessarily post partum.

They messed me about loads after I gave birth. I can't remember when I swapped to normal BP meds. I've been on lisinopril since without issue. It never really settled after.

I would ask for another opinion. At least get a GP to explain it better.

Maybe it's to do with breastfeeding? It's a bit hazy for me as to when I started and ended which meds but definitely ask for a review. The best doctors I've had are the ones who can explain things and have a decent 'bedside manner".

Hope you feel better soon. Don't let them fob you off. Change doctors.

The amount of times women are told various conditions or even side FX, are depression is scandalous.

Depression is common post partum but in my case I was on awful meds, had a traumatic birth, was totally sleep deprived and had an awful abusive husband. Enough to make anyone feel down and anxious but it was not depression ( which lots of people wanted to label me with too).

@Mumteedum this is it! I'm worried now they've given me this label of "anxiety and depression" they won't take anything I say seriously with these meds.

Thank you everyone for the replies I will definitely be talking to my doctor about changing my meds! Has anyone ever heard of bp meds causing anxiety?

Maybe ask to be swapped to slow release propranolol.

I was on labetalol after having baby due to pre eclampsia and had the same and Dr found that I needed to reduce the dose over a few weeks to wean myself off it as I only needed a lower dose after the first 2 weeks as my BP was lowering but the medication was making me feel poorly. I was on it in total for around 8 weeks. I did AM and PM BP checks too.

Dizziness could be from your BP going too low. Or it could be a side effect of your drugs. I’ve never been prescribed either of the ones you are taking though.

Im not sure about BP drugs causing anxiety but I’m on a beta blocker for and that is often used for anxiety so maybe that’s something you could mention as it might be an option?

About The heaviness and breathlessness - have your iron levels been checked? Breathlessness can be a sign of anaemia.

My BP was discovered in early pregnancy and never went (it might have been high before pregnancy who knows) and when I started on medication it was trial and error to get the best combination with the least side effects. The combo I’ve been on with no problems for over 25 years now are felodine, bisoprolol, benzoflumethiazide and candesartan. Untreated it is really high.

They should take what you say seriously. You might well have Depression and anxiety but that is no reason at all for not being properly listened to or taken seriously .

Not intending to make this a Coivid debate.
My daughter has had all sorts of problems since her 2nd vax
Your symptoms sound similar.
Check for low iron & low B12
Just an idea

I experienced pre-eclampsia and post partum hypertension with all my pregnancies. My youngest is now 9 yrs old so memory not so clear but I am sure my consultant told me that labetalol is associated with post partum depression so isn’t given after the birth. I do remember being extremely tired on it and had a very strange tingly sensation on my scalp that came in waves. I was given a 24 hr bp monitor every 3/4 weeks after my last baby to try to bring the dose down safely. I ended up on the meds for 5 months. I am now on long term treatment (perindopril) since my youngest was 2 yrs but I feel no ill effects at all. It may be that the medication doesn’t suit you so you might need to try a different one.

Those are probably the only ones that I haven't tried. I get the giddiness when I stand up to quickly so , if I remember, I lever myself upright slowly. When is you check up due? If you haven't one arranged get hold of a telephone appointment , or if there's a,patient resource room to in and take your GO measured and you can submit it.

hi I have just been started on Alopidine 5mg for high blood pressure. I am very anxious please could you let me know how you got on on it.
only positive stories please 🙈

Hi hope you dnt mind me messaging you. Why did you come off your blood pressure meds? I’m intrigued. I’m starting on that med tomorrow. I am a bit anxious in starting it. I’m changing my lifestyle and want to eventually come off it. I haven’t started it yet 😂😂 .

Oops sorry sent wrong message

Do you mean Amlodipine?

Ooops sorry yes I did

Ah yes Amlodopine....

I had bad side effects with it, palpitations and swollen legs. But i do know someone who takes it with no problems.
I was moved onto Candesartan which only gave me a bit of a headache when i first started.

Labetamol didn't agree with me either, they spent ages adjusting dosage. I changed to Ramipril eventually and it worked well for me. Labetamol does make you breathless, I have asthma and it made my asthma worse. It actually isn't suitable for asthma sufferers so christ knows why they gave it me in the first place! Ask to try a different medication. It annoys me that they blame depression on everything!

I was on nifedipine and labetalol. Both gave me bloody awful side effects similar to those you describe. Tired heavy limbs, breathless etc etc.

you don’t need to be on then once you aren’t pregnant though? I’m pretty sure there are others you can switch to.