High Blood Pressure

[shwhitneyf8]

I'm a 61 year old male with a nice variety of conditions including D.M., Hyperlipidema and Hypertension. My Dr. had my hypertension well controlled on a combination of HCTZ 50 mg., diltiazem CD 240 mg and Lisinopril (I don't remember the dose). I was also taking a cocktail of three medicines for my diabetes, one of which was Actos at 45 mg daily. This was controlling my hypertension well, but I was experiencing considerable ankle edema and discoloration.

Because of shuffeling in my doctor's group practice, I changed physicians, and got a fairly young doctor who was a pretty sharp clinician. Observing the sad condition of my ankles, he re-arranged my medications as follows: He eliminated the diltiazem and started me on a beta blocker, metoprolol, ultimately titrating the dose up to 100 mg. daily. He switched me from HCTZ to furosemide 40 mg daily, started me on a long-acting injectible insulin, eliminated the metformin (Glucophage) I was taking for diabetes, and reduced my dose of Actos 2/3's to 15 mg. a day.

In a few weeks my legs and ankles returned to their former slim, firm, nonedematous selves. Unfortunately, some months later I had an attack of larangial-facial edema, and my doctor was forced to take me off the lisinopril, then later to re-add a calcium channel blocker, Idradipine (DynaCirc). By the time the Idradipine was jacked-up to an effective dose, my hamburger ankles were back.

Unfortunately, I must have scared-off my clinician doctor, because he returned to an in-hospital practice. SO, my question is: Do all the different ACE inhibitors exhibit a tendancy to allergetic cross-sensitivity? If you're allergic to one, are you usually allergic to them all? ALSO Is there a similar allergetic cross-sensitivity between the ACE inhibitors and the ARBs (Angiotensin-receptor blockers)? FINALLY Are there any other anti-hypertensive meds someone could suggest to take the place of the Idradipine, or any other calcium channel blocker?

[userforumkj]

[quote="shwhitneyf8"]I'm a 61 year old male with a nice variety of conditions including D.M., Hyperlipidema and e cigarette. My Dr. had my hypertension well controlled on a combination of HCTZ 50 mg., diltiazem CD 240 mg. and Lisinopril (I don't remember the dose). I was also taking a cocktail of three medicines for my diabetes, one of which was Actos at 45 mg. daily. This was controlling my hypertension well, but I was experiencing considerable ankle edema and discoloration.

Because of shuffeling in my doctor's group practice, I changed physicians, and got a fairly young doctor who was a pretty sharp clinician. Observing the sad condition of my ankles, he re-arranged my medications as follows: He eliminated the diltiazem and started me on a beta blocker, metoprolol, ultimately titrating the dose up to 100 mg. daily. He switched me from HCTZ to furosemide 40 mg. daily, started me on a long-acting injectible insulin, eliminated the metformin (Glucophage) I was taking for diabetes, and reduced my dose of Actos 2/3's to 15 mg. a day.

In a few weeks my legs and ankles returned to their former slim, firm, nonedematous selves. Unfortunately, some months later I had an attack of larangial-facial edema, and my doctor was forced to take me off the lisinopril, then later to re-add a calcium channel blocker, Idradipine (DynaCirc). By the time the Idradipine was jacked-up to an effective dose, my hamburger ankles were back.

Unfortunately, I must have scared-off my clinician doctor, because he returned to an in-hospital practice. SO, my question is: Do all the different ACE inhibitors exhibit a tendancy to allergetic cross-sensitivity? If you're allergic to one, are you usually allergic to them all? ALSO Is there a similar allergetic cross-sensitivity between the ACE inhibitors and the ARBs (Angiotensin-receptor blockers)? FINALLY Are there any other anti-hypertensive meds someone could suggest to take the place of the Idradipine, or any other calcium channel blocker?[/quote]