Hypertension

[gail323]

First of all, I know that you cannot give me medical advice and I'm not expecting it. Just trying to come up with some ideas.

My 83 year old father is having a hard time - doctors keep changing and increasing his medication and his blood pressure is still high... and he's having problems dealing with the side effects.

Dad has a history of triple bypass more than 10 years ago and has had hypertension well controlled by low dose medication. He also has parkinsons disease and type 2 diabetes. Weight is well controlled.

Currently, he is taking Atenolol 50 mg bid, Losartan 50 mg bid and Catapres TTS 0.1 every week for his blood pressure. He is also on Flurinef for orthostatic hypotension issues. Additional meds include Simvastatin, Metformin, Omeprazole, Fluoxetine, Carbidopa/Levodopa, and Gabapentin. well, you get the picture. Blood pressures are celebrated when they are less than 200/100. Doctor says that we are having problems controlling it because we are dealing the way diabetics and Parkinson's disease are allowing his medication to work. Can you guys see anything that I'm not seeing from so close up. His doctor is good about taking suggestions and we are looking at quality of life, not quantity.

I'm an RN with 34 years of experience and know full well that nurses can often see things that doctors can't. I'm not going to make changes without the doctor's ok - just thought with all the years of experience we have here on this group, that we might be able to come up with something. A little note of interest - I live 3 hours away and Dad and Mom definitely feel better when I'm there.

Gail

[KR]

Just a thought, but if that was my dad I would be taking him to see a nephrologist. In the past, when we have had problems with patients and uncontrolled HTN the nephrologists are a nurses best friend cause they have some tricks up their sleeves that the regular MDs do not. Just my two cents worth.

[jmgrn65, RN]

yea I think checking out the renals is a good idea.