@unmanageable I'm wondering what you mean by unmanageable? What kind of numbers are you getting? You can always get a second opinion too.
I unfortunately have "labile hypertension" so my readings can spike high & low, thanks to a cancer drug that caused it. But the 3 meds I'm on do a pretty good job of keeping it controlled and me out of the ER. A really good doctor is worth a lot. The best one for me has not been a cardiologist, but a Nephrologist. Hope you find help.
@unmanageable I'm wondering what you mean by unmanageable? What kind of numbers are you getting? You can always get a second opinion too.
I unfortunately have "labile hypertension" so my readings can spike high & low, thanks to a cancer drug that caused it. But the 3 meds I'm on do a pretty good job of keeping it controlled and me out of the ER. A really good doctor is worth a lot. The best one for me has not been a cardiologist, but a Nephrologist. Hope you find help.
@unmanageable When I had just moderately high BP in my 50's & 60's I was on a diuretic. Then my son got a mental illness & the stress made me higher, so was put on a Beta Blocker. The Breast cancer diagnosis meant going on hormone blockers, and those made my BP go even higher. Most people don't have these factors, so it's really very individual. I'm now on Carvedilol (beta blocker), Olmesartan & Amlodipine 5 mg. These control my now very erratic BP well. With difficult BP it is very helpful to see a specialist, not just a primary care doc, unless your BP is only slightly elevated. I was surprised to have a Nephrologist help me more with the BP spikes more than my Cardiologist. Labile Hypertension is no fun.
Hope you find someone to help!
@unmanageable When I had just moderately high BP in my 50's & 60's I was on a diuretic. Then my son got a mental illness & the stress made me higher, so was put on a Beta Blocker. The Breast cancer diagnosis meant going on hormone blockers, and those made my BP go even higher. Most people don't have these factors, so it's really very individual. I'm now on Carvedilol (beta blocker), Olmesartan & Amlodipine 5 mg. These control my now very erratic BP well. With difficult BP it is very helpful to see a specialist, not just a primary care doc, unless your BP is only slightly elevated. I was surprised to have a Nephrologist help me more with the BP spikes more than my Cardiologist. Labile Hypertension is no fun.
Hope you find someone to help!
@jardinera25
Thank you
I an taking hydrazaline 25 mg
Now I'm getting cold shivers after taking it and my finger nails are getting lines on them.Going next month to see the doctor for follow up
@jardinera25
Thank you
I an taking hydrazaline 25 mg
Now I'm getting cold shivers after taking it and my finger nails are getting lines on them.Going next month to see the doctor for follow up
You have received some good discussions about this question. Here is another angle to consider.
A blood pressure of 124/79 is basically normal, and this number alone is not a reason to skip your next dose of 120 mg diltiazem. In most cases, you should take it as prescribed unless your doctor told you to hold doses for certain blood pressure limit.
1. Diltiazem is prescribed for:
Heart rhythm control (AFib, SVT).
Blood pressure control.
Chest pain (angina):
Because of this, doctors usually want the dose taken regularly, even when BP looks normal.
2. When doctors usually tell patients to hold diltiazem:
Sometimes a prescriber will say:
“Hold if systolic < 100”
“Hold if heart rate < 55–60”.
But this must be specifically ordered.
A blood pressure of 124/79 does not meet the typical “hold” criteria.
3. What does matter is your heart rate.
Diltiazem can slow the heart.
If your HR is below 50–55, you should double-check before taking it.
4. When to contact your doctor:
Call your prescriber if:
You’re feeling dizzy, faint, weak, or unusually tired.
Your systolic BP is consistently below ~100.
Your HR is consistently below 55.
Bottom line:
Based on a BP of 124/79, most doctors would say to take the next 120 mg diltiazem dose as scheduled, unless you were specifically instructed otherwise.
Diltiazem is supplied in several oral formulations and strengths:
You have received some good discussions about this question. Here is another angle to consider.
A blood pressure of 124/79 is basically normal, and this number alone is not a reason to skip your next dose of 120 mg diltiazem. In most cases, you should take it as prescribed unless your doctor told you to hold doses for certain blood pressure limit.
1. Diltiazem is prescribed for:
Heart rhythm control (AFib, SVT).
Blood pressure control.
Chest pain (angina):
Because of this, doctors usually want the dose taken regularly, even when BP looks normal.
2. When doctors usually tell patients to hold diltiazem:
Sometimes a prescriber will say:
“Hold if systolic < 100”
“Hold if heart rate < 55–60”.
But this must be specifically ordered.
A blood pressure of 124/79 does not meet the typical “hold” criteria.
3. What does matter is your heart rate.
Diltiazem can slow the heart.
If your HR is below 50–55, you should double-check before taking it.
4. When to contact your doctor:
Call your prescriber if:
You’re feeling dizzy, faint, weak, or unusually tired.
Your systolic BP is consistently below ~100.
Your HR is consistently below 55.
Bottom line:
Based on a BP of 124/79, most doctors would say to take the next 120 mg diltiazem dose as scheduled, unless you were specifically instructed otherwise.
Diltiazem is supplied in several oral formulations and strengths:
@tommy901 I always feel a bit enlightened when advice is given to see your doctor or call your doctor if certain things happen. This means that the person giving the advice, in this case namely you tommy901, must believe that most readers of this content have access to doctors. I have never experienced such access since coming to the USA in 2008. If I have a problem, I can call a number that leads to no help any time soon and that help always comes from a stranger who has a couple of minutes to read highly inaccurate medical notes about me. Or I can send a mychart message to my doctor who can hardly know a particular patient well given his patient load probably in the thousands and the wait for an appointment with that doctor is months. Some assistant will likely answer me with advice to make an appointment. Or I can meet a new medical person at an urgent care service, which has a short list of problems they can address or if I am really feeling brave, I can go to the ER where I might be the only person with insurance and an ID card and a first world standard of living. This ability to contact a doctor is really not there in any timely fashion for me. My health insurance costs me $956. a month. How do people get real, old fashioned access to doctors?
@tommy901 I always feel a bit enlightened when advice is given to see your doctor or call your doctor if certain things happen. This means that the person giving the advice, in this case namely you tommy901, must believe that most readers of this content have access to doctors. I have never experienced such access since coming to the USA in 2008. If I have a problem, I can call a number that leads to no help any time soon and that help always comes from a stranger who has a couple of minutes to read highly inaccurate medical notes about me. Or I can send a mychart message to my doctor who can hardly know a particular patient well given his patient load probably in the thousands and the wait for an appointment with that doctor is months. Some assistant will likely answer me with advice to make an appointment. Or I can meet a new medical person at an urgent care service, which has a short list of problems they can address or if I am really feeling brave, I can go to the ER where I might be the only person with insurance and an ID card and a first world standard of living. This ability to contact a doctor is really not there in any timely fashion for me. My health insurance costs me $956. a month. How do people get real, old fashioned access to doctors?
@tatiana987 I really appreciate you sharing your experience. You’re right — when someone says “see your doctor,” it assumes a level of access that a lot of people in the U.S. simply don’t have. Many folks deal with long wait times, high costs, rotating providers, and rushed visits, and it can feel nothing like the “old-fashioned” relationship people imagine when they picture having a personal doctor who knows them well.
My intention in saying “see your doctor” is never to gloss over how tough the system can be — it’s simply because certain symptoms or situations really do need hands-on evaluation that online advice can’t safely replace.
That said, the challenges you describe are very real. A few things that sometimes help people get closer to the kind of access you’re talking about:
• Smaller primary-care practices or community health centers
These often have better continuity of care, shorter wait times, and more personal interaction than big hospital networks.
• Direct primary care (membership-based clinics)
Not available everywhere, but many people find the monthly fee is much lower than expected, and the trade-off is same-day access and a doctor who actually knows them.
• Nurse practitioners and physician assistants
Some patients get more responsive care from an NP/PA-led practice than from traditional doctor offices.
• Telemedicine for non-urgent issues
It doesn’t solve everything, but it can fill the gap when it’s hard to get into a crowded clinic.
None of these options fix the whole system, and they may not be perfect fits for everyone. But many people don’t even know they exist.
I truly hear your frustration, and you’re not alone. The U.S. healthcare system makes even basic access feel like a privilege at times, and pointing people “to a doctor” doesn’t magically make that easier. Your perspective is important, and I’m glad you brought it up.
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Something to chew on here.
@jardinera25
Thank you for such good advise
I will speak to my dr.about seen a Cardiologist or Nephrologist.Which 3 meds are you taking now.
@jardinera25
Sorry i forgot to mention my numbers are 142/87 am.I take meds at 8am by 5pm it is 140/82
@unmanageable When I had just moderately high BP in my 50's & 60's I was on a diuretic. Then my son got a mental illness & the stress made me higher, so was put on a Beta Blocker. The Breast cancer diagnosis meant going on hormone blockers, and those made my BP go even higher. Most people don't have these factors, so it's really very individual. I'm now on Carvedilol (beta blocker), Olmesartan & Amlodipine 5 mg. These control my now very erratic BP well. With difficult BP it is very helpful to see a specialist, not just a primary care doc, unless your BP is only slightly elevated. I was surprised to have a Nephrologist help me more with the BP spikes more than my Cardiologist. Labile Hypertension is no fun.
Hope you find someone to help!
@jardinera25
Thank you
I an taking hydrazaline 25 mg
Now I'm getting cold shivers after taking it and my finger nails are getting lines on them.Going next month to see the doctor for follow up
@unmanageable
That sounds like hypoththyroidism which I have.
You have received some good discussions about this question. Here is another angle to consider.
A blood pressure of 124/79 is basically normal, and this number alone is not a reason to skip your next dose of 120 mg diltiazem. In most cases, you should take it as prescribed unless your doctor told you to hold doses for certain blood pressure limit.
1. Diltiazem is prescribed for:
Heart rhythm control (AFib, SVT).
Blood pressure control.
Chest pain (angina):
Because of this, doctors usually want the dose taken regularly, even when BP looks normal.
2. When doctors usually tell patients to hold diltiazem:
Sometimes a prescriber will say:
“Hold if systolic < 100”
“Hold if heart rate < 55–60”.
But this must be specifically ordered.
A blood pressure of 124/79 does not meet the typical “hold” criteria.
3. What does matter is your heart rate.
Diltiazem can slow the heart.
If your HR is below 50–55, you should double-check before taking it.
4. When to contact your doctor:
Call your prescriber if:
You’re feeling dizzy, faint, weak, or unusually tired.
Your systolic BP is consistently below ~100.
Your HR is consistently below 55.
Bottom line:
Based on a BP of 124/79, most doctors would say to take the next 120 mg diltiazem dose as scheduled, unless you were specifically instructed otherwise.
Diltiazem is supplied in several oral formulations and strengths:
Immediate-release tablets: 30 mg, 60 mg, 90 mg, and 120 mg.
Extended-release capsules (once-daily or twice-daily dosing, various brand names like Cardizem CD, Cartia XT, Tiazac): 60 mg, 90 mg, 120 mg, 180 mg, 240 mg, 300 mg, 360 mg, and 420 mg.
Extended-release tablets (once-daily dosing, e.g., Cardizem LA, Matzim LA): 120 mg, 180 mg, 240 mg, 300 mg, 360 mg, and 420 mg.
The above information is based on an authentic study with diltiazem 120 mgs.
@tommy901 I always feel a bit enlightened when advice is given to see your doctor or call your doctor if certain things happen. This means that the person giving the advice, in this case namely you tommy901, must believe that most readers of this content have access to doctors. I have never experienced such access since coming to the USA in 2008. If I have a problem, I can call a number that leads to no help any time soon and that help always comes from a stranger who has a couple of minutes to read highly inaccurate medical notes about me. Or I can send a mychart message to my doctor who can hardly know a particular patient well given his patient load probably in the thousands and the wait for an appointment with that doctor is months. Some assistant will likely answer me with advice to make an appointment. Or I can meet a new medical person at an urgent care service, which has a short list of problems they can address or if I am really feeling brave, I can go to the ER where I might be the only person with insurance and an ID card and a first world standard of living. This ability to contact a doctor is really not there in any timely fashion for me. My health insurance costs me $956. a month. How do people get real, old fashioned access to doctors?
-
Like -
Helpful -
Hug
1 Reaction@tatiana987 I really appreciate you sharing your experience. You’re right — when someone says “see your doctor,” it assumes a level of access that a lot of people in the U.S. simply don’t have. Many folks deal with long wait times, high costs, rotating providers, and rushed visits, and it can feel nothing like the “old-fashioned” relationship people imagine when they picture having a personal doctor who knows them well.
My intention in saying “see your doctor” is never to gloss over how tough the system can be — it’s simply because certain symptoms or situations really do need hands-on evaluation that online advice can’t safely replace.
That said, the challenges you describe are very real. A few things that sometimes help people get closer to the kind of access you’re talking about:
• Smaller primary-care practices or community health centers
These often have better continuity of care, shorter wait times, and more personal interaction than big hospital networks.
• Direct primary care (membership-based clinics)
Not available everywhere, but many people find the monthly fee is much lower than expected, and the trade-off is same-day access and a doctor who actually knows them.
• Nurse practitioners and physician assistants
Some patients get more responsive care from an NP/PA-led practice than from traditional doctor offices.
• Telemedicine for non-urgent issues
It doesn’t solve everything, but it can fill the gap when it’s hard to get into a crowded clinic.
None of these options fix the whole system, and they may not be perfect fits for everyone. But many people don’t even know they exist.
I truly hear your frustration, and you’re not alone. The U.S. healthcare system makes even basic access feel like a privilege at times, and pointing people “to a doctor” doesn’t magically make that easier. Your perspective is important, and I’m glad you brought it up.
-
Like -
Helpful -
Hug
1 ReactionI very sincerely appreciate this dialog between the two of you. Makes me proud to be human. 😀