TO YOUR GOOD HEALTH: Combo of BP meds is most effective
DEAR DR. ROACH: I’m a 69-year-old woman who’s been on different blood pressure medications for a very long time. I was on 20 mg of lisinopril and 5 mg of amlodipine for a while, but my blood pressure spiked to 190/100 mm Hg. My doctor then increased the amlodipine to 10 mg, which brought my blood pressure down somewhat, but I still was often in the 150-170 range. I also had a fast heart rate often, so metoprolol (50 mg) was substituted for amlodipine. This didn’t really work, so 12.5 mg of hydrochlorothiazide (HCTZ) was added. Now I’m suddenly having low blood pressure. Do ...