Blood pressure high after increasing medication dose

[historicalnews]

Moved up from 2.5mg ramipril to 5mg in January. Average BP 148/88 but as a few readings over 150/90 nurse thought best to increased.
Really struggled with dizziness side effects for few weeks but settled eventually (had changed to taking at night.)

Blood pressure hasn't improved significantly but no worse.

Had phone check up booked in on Monday so took readings Sunday night and they were high. Repeated Monday before Dr due to call and highest was 175/109 (resting - had sat for a few minutes first.) Average was 167/100. Couldn't believe it as originally nothing like as high.

Dr said to change to taking split dose. 2.5mg in morning. 2.5mg in evening.

Did that today but then highest today 183/103 (average similar to yesterday.)

He says to try that for few days and if doesn't help then try 5mg in morning and see if side effects ok. I'm not convinced though that moving times is actually going to improve results.

Anyway - has anyone had similar high numbers after increasing dose ? And any tips. The high numbers have made me nervous. (I'd been on 2.5mg for 6 years. Early 50's. Not overweight. Don't smoke or drink.)

Just in case anyone hasn't completely lost the will to live with this :
Day 4 of back to 5mg ramipril on a morning. I had naively thought that maybe because I had been taking that on a night for 3 weeks without any side effects and the same for a week with split dose - the side effects might be thing of the past.

Anyway - that didn't happen. so back to dizziness / horrible headaches etc. BP has settled a bit though so going to stick with this for a few days to get BP on a more even keel and then I think GP may suggest trying the slit dose again.
(With the idea being that it wouldn't be from such a high start.)

All driving me slightly demented. The headaches are horrible.

5mg of Ramipril is not a high dose of blood pressure medication. People often need to go up to 10mg or add a second medication such as Amlodipine. However If you're really not tolerating the increase in dose, I would ask your GP to try something else.

@Annietheacrobat that's why it's so bizarre. No side effects at 2.5mg and then not really a significant increase but really affected by side effects

@historicalnews I honestly couldn't tolerate any of the ACE or channel blockers which is why I'm on 'old hat' low dose beta blocker (Bisoprolol) and my BP went down fine on it .

@Crikeyalmighty it's so reassuring to hear about other people struggling with them - stops me feeling like a complete lightweight

I am on 10ml of Ramipril (split morning and afternoon) but if I don't have the Amlodipine as well, I get readings of up to 175/110. It doesn't seem to matter which one is dropped - i need the combination to keep myself at a steady 135 to 140/85

I need to lose some weight (about 2 stone) because I really would love love to ditch 5ml of Ramipril but for now that's my combination.

Are you taking anything else? I get migraine and didn't realise (Doctor failed to tell me) that my triptans cause high blood pressure, so I have had to stop using them. I'm sure there will be other medications that can send it up

Sorry @SlightlyJaded I missed that reply. Just on ramipril at the moment.
The side effects have eased this week but after a couple of days of better readings it's spiked again last two days. Resting 171/116 yesterday! And none below 160/100.
Doesn't really make any sense that so much higher than I used to get on 2.5mg
Got really upset last last which I know won't help but think was because I'd made myself stick with it through the side effects.

Have you resolved this OP? Going through something very similar :(

@LMC964 I ended up splitting a higher dose (1/2 in the morning and 1/2 at night.) This seemed to help things settle. I hope you find a solution soon.

Hi. Does anybody know how long it's meant to take for bp meds to start working? I started nifidipine today but it's still really high!?

@geolee it can take a few days

478 breathing technique is helpful in lowering bp. Might be worth trying until you get the meds sorted.

I’m on 2 different ones too, one didn’t sort it. I’m on Bisoprolol and lisinopril. Work like a dream (apart from the tinnitus!)

Try a different bp medication?

I took 5mg of ramipril but it did nothing. I switched to amlodipine and much better controlled now.

Have you had a 24 hour BP test?
For some reason I have strange anxiety when it comes to taking my BP and I struggle to get an accurate reading. In the GP's, it's through the roof!

The 24 hour test showed my BP was better than I thought.

Check your salt intake and water intake OP.

Hi everyone - this is an old thread but a different poster posted on it to ask if things had improved for me (which it did.)
Hopefully they benefit from the advice too.