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After the doctor visit
Aug. 27th, 2013 02:29 pmYep, blood pressure was still very high. OK, I will deal with that.
First, the doctor tried to get me to see about a sleep disorder test. Which, no. Not right now, thanks. I'm still paying for two tests that she insisted I really truly needed IMMEDIATELY this past May. And I got to pay quite a bit last December for the test that she insisted was crucial IMMEDIATELY, which I wasn't able to get at the emergency room (as she insisted I visit to get that test RIGHT NOW), but got to waste most of the night there, anyway, only to come back in the early morning (and driving back down after 90 minutes of sleep was even less fun) to get the test she wanted. So no, I will think on the sleep disorder test, but right now my night time wake-ups are all bathroom-related.
For the hypertensiion, she put me on two medicines, a diuretic (I've done that before) and a beta blocker. The beta blocker made me very unhappy. My anecdotal knowledge of beta blockers is that they slow down your heart by reducing the effect of epinephrine. This would make it... difficult, let's say, to start exercising like I am trying to get myself geared up for. Cause, you know, "dizzy" or "fainted" are not exactly things that improve your cardiovascular health.
Research online just now shows that beta blockers can reduce pressure in the eye by lowering aqueous humor secretion- which would help with my one eye that is having some problems. So that would be a good thing I did not know about. On the other hand, use of diuretics and beta blockers together has proven to increase risk of developing diabetes.
The side effects of the beta blocker sound like fun: dizziness, fatigue, low blood pressure, diarrhea, weakness, slow heartbeat, and weight gain. Yeah, thanks. I've already regained weight I had lost last winter.
This diuretic is different from the one I used to get. This one is also an antiandrogenic, which... aren't we all exposed to enough of those through toxic chemicals in the environment? As a result, the side effects for this one, in addition to the really exciting PEE CONSTANTLY, include ataxis (gee, I hope not), rashes and dry skin. My skin is already pretty dry, so this does not thrill me.
I have a month's dose of each, and a return appointment this Friday to be sure the drugs are at least beginning to have the desired effect. The only unmistakably good thing about all this? Both drugs are on the "free' list at Kroger's.
First, the doctor tried to get me to see about a sleep disorder test. Which, no. Not right now, thanks. I'm still paying for two tests that she insisted I really truly needed IMMEDIATELY this past May. And I got to pay quite a bit last December for the test that she insisted was crucial IMMEDIATELY, which I wasn't able to get at the emergency room (as she insisted I visit to get that test RIGHT NOW), but got to waste most of the night there, anyway, only to come back in the early morning (and driving back down after 90 minutes of sleep was even less fun) to get the test she wanted. So no, I will think on the sleep disorder test, but right now my night time wake-ups are all bathroom-related.
For the hypertensiion, she put me on two medicines, a diuretic (I've done that before) and a beta blocker. The beta blocker made me very unhappy. My anecdotal knowledge of beta blockers is that they slow down your heart by reducing the effect of epinephrine. This would make it... difficult, let's say, to start exercising like I am trying to get myself geared up for. Cause, you know, "dizzy" or "fainted" are not exactly things that improve your cardiovascular health.
Research online just now shows that beta blockers can reduce pressure in the eye by lowering aqueous humor secretion- which would help with my one eye that is having some problems. So that would be a good thing I did not know about. On the other hand, use of diuretics and beta blockers together has proven to increase risk of developing diabetes.
The side effects of the beta blocker sound like fun: dizziness, fatigue, low blood pressure, diarrhea, weakness, slow heartbeat, and weight gain. Yeah, thanks. I've already regained weight I had lost last winter.
This diuretic is different from the one I used to get. This one is also an antiandrogenic, which... aren't we all exposed to enough of those through toxic chemicals in the environment? As a result, the side effects for this one, in addition to the really exciting PEE CONSTANTLY, include ataxis (gee, I hope not), rashes and dry skin. My skin is already pretty dry, so this does not thrill me.
I have a month's dose of each, and a return appointment this Friday to be sure the drugs are at least beginning to have the desired effect. The only unmistakably good thing about all this? Both drugs are on the "free' list at Kroger's.
