Experiencing adverse reactions to blood pressure medication: Metropol

@1bigblacksuv, I would like to welcome you to Mayo Connect. I see that you are a liver transplant recipient. I am a liver and kidney transplant recipient (2009) and I am taking Lisinopril for my blood pressure. I remember being on metoprolol at some point in my history, but I don't recall when or why it was switched to to lisinopril.
Here is a quick reference to side effects for Drugs and Supplements that might be helpful to you - Metoprolol (Oral Route).
https://www.mayoclinic.org/drugs-supplements/metoprolol-oral-route/side-effects/drg-20071141

Have you recently started taking Metroprol? Or had a dosage change of it or another medication? If you are comfortable doing so, what kind of adverse effects are you experiencing? Have you discussed this with your transplant team?

I look forward to hearing from you.

I take Metoprolol as well as Amlodipine. I never had high blood pressure prior to transplant. I'd be curious to know what your problem with this drug is. I have so many side-effects now that I don't know where they come from.

@mostlybill I suddenly have high BP too. I say suddenly but It’s been borderline for at least a couple of years now and my PCP wants me on a medication. It never occurred to me that it could be related to immunosuppressants. I had a brief bout with high BP around 2011 too. The doctor put me on lisinopril and I developed a constant cough. As soon as I went to her and told her I was coughing all the time she immediately knew it was from lisinopril. She changed me to losartan and I had no problem.
What type of adverse reaction are you having to Metropol?
JK

My main problem is dizziness and dull headache, but I have no idea which of the six drugs I swallow every day might cause it. Mainly, the blood pressure meds are not getting my pressure down. It causes anxiety to have consistent readings of 165/95 while taking two different drugs that are supposed to lower it. Pre-trqnsplant I was never over 130/80, usually much lower. Now I'm getting a new drug for anxiety. Yikes! They tell me to be patient, things will change, so I am patient, (but anxious). What I understand about it is that the immunopressants affect the kidneys. The kidneys produce hormones that regulate blood pressure (among other things).

@mostlybill I was on blood pressure medication back around 2011 - 2014 then I got off of it because one doctor thought some of my meds could be causing the confusion that turned out to be HE. Now my BP is high again and my PCP is pushing to get me on a medication again. What I learned though is that if you had cirrhosis, as I did, it tends to make your BP be lower. I had no idea that was the case prior to transplant and I was feeling positively smug at how good my BP was! Now the systolic pressure is often in the 130s and the diastolic is usually in the 60s or 70s. Sometimes the systolic does go up into the 150s though so that is why he is concerned.
JK

Yeah, I was pretty pleased with my blood pressure pre-transplant. I had no idea cirrhosis impacted it. It is crazy high now and the medication doesn't seem to help. I am starting yoga classes now at three months post transplant. I hope that helps.

@mostlybill I hope the yoga classes go well. I would love to do that but there seems to be a lot of getting up and down from the floor and that's a real effort for me with two knee replacements. I am thinking maybe I should look for chair yoga classes. I belong to a health club but they do not have that.
I have also heard that meditation can help with high BP.
JK

@contentandwell Could you start a chair yoga class there at the health club? Or, could you bring in a chair to the class and participate? The people who run the club might be surprised how many people would like to do that, and you would be their leader! It's worth a try!
Ginger

@gingerw Good suggestion but it's a private club. The most I could do is to suggest to the person who makes those decisions that something like that might be welcome. Last year they had some things for older people but I have noticed that they no longer do so I presume there must not have been enough interest. The water classes are very heavily older people but nothing else.
JK

I hate to sound like a yoga zealot, but it has helped me a great deal with relaxation and eliminating aches and pains. I have some arthritic knee issues and my strength and mobility has improved so much. All of the instructors I have met encourage going at your own pace. In addition, there are all kinds of classes. I attended a restorative yoga class last Monday that involved all gentle poses in prone positions with breathing emphasized. All classes end with a meditation period. I know it can be intimidating for some, but it is okay to go at your own pace. It took me six months to build enough strength to even try certain exercises, but my body can do things now I never imagined. Or could pre-transplant. Movement of any kind is powerful medicine.