Over 50's club

2 lurkers | 321 watchers

Cerrertonia 19 Feb 12:44pm, 19 Feb 2024 20,577 posts	0 Cerrertonia AndyS Has any GP ever taken a patient OFF BP drugs once they've been prescribed? My most recent medication review, the GP suggested that I halve the dose, keep monitoring at home for a few months, if all was well, then we could try stopping completely.
Derby Tup 19 Feb 12:46pm, 19 Feb 2024 64,450 posts	0 Derby Tup I was told by previous GP that if I started on BP meds I’d be on them forever. Mind he said fluoxetine would ‘pep me up’
Hanneke 19 Feb 1:10pm, 19 Feb 2024 120,249 posts	0 Hanneke My friend was put on "the works" years ago: statins, bp, you name it. It only made things worse and he felt the statins caused side effects. He came to me and we tackled it with diet and exercise. We also slowly lowered the drugs to nothing. When he had his next 2 month review, the dr was delighted: everything normal, drugs must be working, here have some more. Upon which he said: drugs didn't work for 15+ years. I went to a nutritionist 2 months ago after our last review and now I am off the meds. He even lost weight, which wasn't a goal... He simply reduced alcohol intake and swapped certain food stuffs out for healthier alternatives and reduced snacking while increasing healthy foods at meal time. Gentle exercise in the form of walks.
LazyDaisy 19 Feb 1:29pm, 19 Feb 2024 39,678 posts	0 LazyDaisy I must be the odd one out here. Over ten years ago (so mid-late 50's) I discovered that not only did I have high cholesterol but my BP was worryingly high. My Dad died of heart disease at 61, and my brother had heart attacks in his 50's. I was more than happy to go along with the GP's recommendation for drugs. I was already a healthy weight, physically active and ate a decent diet with very little alcohol. I was more than happy that there were drugs (not available in my Dad's time) which could help me to avoid the family fate - so far at least. (I'm months off 70 now.)
Sigh 19 Feb 1:30pm, 19 Feb 2024 25,519 posts	0 Sigh That's excellent, Hanneke!
Hanneke 19 Feb 1:37pm, 19 Feb 2024 120,251 posts	0 Hanneke LD I have "family heart disease" and am prone to high cholesterol. My BP has always been on the low side though so never taken drugs. But, in your case, diet and lifestyle obviously would not "fix" things so in that case drugs are the solution.
Boffin 19 Feb 1:39pm, 19 Feb 2024 265 posts	0 Boffin Excellent; modern medicine has kept you well, fit and active LazyDaisy 🙂 Long may you continue from strength to strength 💪 👍 You are a true inspiration 🙂 You have familial history, had worryingly high BP and high cholesterol - medication was the safe, sensible way forward 🙂 I on the other hand have high BP, not worryingly high, nothing special cholesterol, no familial history - just overweight and generally lazy... in need of a kick up the backside not becoming a heartsink patient reliant on the easy fix courtesy of our overstretched NHS - let's save the medicines for patients with genuine need 😀
Hanneke 19 Feb 1:44pm, 19 Feb 2024 120,257 posts	0 Hanneke That was why my friend decided to take my advice: that proverbial kick up the @rse
Velociraptor 19 Feb 1:44pm, 19 Feb 2024 67,844 posts	0 Velociraptor I could come off the drugs. Has any GP ever taken a patient OFF BP drugs once they've been prescribed? Yes, it's not all that unusual.
Boffin 19 Feb 1:45pm, 19 Feb 2024 266 posts	0 Boffin Out if interest, the algorithm used by GPs to assess coronary risk; the QRISK... ignoring my BP, my score was 6.6, adding in the BP my risk increased to just 6.8. Well shy of the 10 required to indicate real concern without medication. I think it will be interesting if my minimal BP can be addressed by getting my act together 🙂