Blood Pressure Meds (ARBS). Has anyone had a POSITIVE experience?

Dr changed me from Lisinopril to Amlodipine w/Losartan. Had no problem with Lisinopril except pressure was unstable but not that bad. Was changed to Amlodipine w/Losartan. About a yr later I started having dizzy spells, lightheaded, just feeling off. Didn’t know if it was from Eliquis. Was changed to Xarelto and stopped taking both blood thinner and hbp med. Pressure shot up to 160’s over 100 and 90’s for a couple of days. Took clonidine it came down. Was put on Amlodipine w/Valsartan. Didn’t take the blood thinner anymore. I still get dizzy periodically but most days feel lightheaded or just off. I am an ovarian cancer patient, kidney disease, pancreatic insufficiency and diverticulosis. Just wondering if anybody else experiences the dizzy, lightheaded, off feeling?

I take valsartan and that used to happen. It was from hypotension which can happen with bp drugs

I am on valsartan. I started with 80 mg and now for last 8 years have been on 160. Less side effects for me than others. But, it isn't as effective as it should be for me now after all this time.

YES, my experience has been totally positive and no side effects. I've taken Losartan since 2021, and it has kept my BP in normal range. I check it with a wireless monitor every few days, just to be sure.

I have also been intentionally losing weight, and that has helped my BP drop, too, according to my doctor and his nurse. I didn't do anything special to keep losing weight other than eating nearly all healthy food, avoiding all fast food and frozen or canned meals, plus watching salt, sugar, and fat, especially.

But the most effective thing I've done or what's helped the most with losing weight is and getting honest with myself about what and how much I eat. I do that by using Cronometer (I use the web version https://cronometer.com/ but there's an app, too -- it's much harder to see what's what on such a small screen, which is always the case). I highly recommend it. Get their help in customizing it by setting the things most important for you to watch, food-wise, and what nutrient limits to set. Just click Support or join the monitored user community there.

You don't have to be an expert all at once. Just START and enter what you are every day. The free version is adequate for most people, but the paid version has a few options that make it a lot easier, quicker, and more obvious what effects what you're eating or drinking (and not, such as water) is having.

You've done great by losing 23 lbs this year. Kudos! I did that in 2023 then I quit walking several times a week, got complacent, and regained most of it. That's typical, So I just started again, have lost 27 lbs this year, and am back to walking at a moderate or faster pace 3 days a week for at least half an hour, because that, nutrition, and doing all I can to keep vital signs within normal limits is all anyone can do, other than the meds that are letting me remain active and independent.

BP is truly critical and hypertension is where a lot of deadly things start. Doctors AND I didn't take my signs and symptoms of heart arrhythmias, high BP and cholesterol for years. So it's also great that someone is in your case. Keep taking it seriously, asking questions, and doing what you must do to take care of yourself.It will prolong your life.

(Sorry for the soapbox. Too tired, too late at night to be succinct and show restraint, but I sincerely hope it helped.)

DO NOT get medical advice from YouTube! There are some videos by legit doctors that are helpful. If you watch those, don't read the comments! Just like Amazon, the patients who post are the ones who have complaints -- or think they do. Who the heck has time to hang out on YouTube posting stuff anyway? At least here, somebody's monitoring and preventing misleading info. Or so I hope.

@bennpn1
Hi, I had the same experience with Losartan and Amlodipine. Both were making me lightheaded and dizzy. Losartan is known to cause brain fog and fatigue, although it works well for some people. Eliquis had the same side effects. Any and all of these medications can cause the symptoms you have described. The more medications are taken together, the more side effects. If single agent Lisinopril worked for you, that may still be a possibility. It all depends on personal tolerance and your doctor's decision.

Had a horrible experience on Eliquis. Was changed to it from coumadin for "easier " management of PT/INR testing and adjusting. Spent 8 full months having 3-4 dizzy spells a day and sever debilitating vertigo then playing patty-cake with ENT aand Neuro. ENT wanting to stick steroids in my years, Neuro stating I had migraines blah blah. Did some deep--dive research and found 8 case studies about patients that have been on coumadin then switched to Eliquis had my exact same symptoms. Also found a research paper dated 2023 citing those case studies. Stopped the Eliquis - no more dizzy spells and/or vertigo! You must always advocate for yourself. Would not include You Tube/Yahoo for medical advice. Go to a reputable physician and then get a second opinion. Also would seek medical care at high institutes and more experienced physicians

I was just prescribed 25mg Losartan for a BP of 137/78 as I'm being medically managed for an asymptomatic near blocked vertebral artery. I've been on Eliquis 2.5 mg for a PE in 2018 and just prescribed Livalo 2mg. I was previously statin-intolerant, but so far, no muscle pain with Livalo. My concern is that adding Losartan into the mix will make it difficult to figure out which med is causing any side effects. Is anyone here cutting the Losartan in half and is a BP of 137/78 considered high BP? The protocol for managing what I have is to keep BP under 140/90, which is where I'm at now after tracking my BP for 2 weeks. Just hate starting another drug if it's not necessary, but I also don't want the increased risk of a stroke.