9 replies to this topic

[jmoorhou]

I had to stop taking my bp meds because I got gout when I did, due to a damaged ankle from polio as a kid. EKG is showing I have enlarged heart now. Does it ever stop...I was taking lisinopril but I got gout.

Has this happened to anyone, I guess I'll have to start taking gout meds too.

[kat73]

Janis - I'm so sorry about your troubles.  We go along pretty steadily, in an OK groove, and then something happens.  It all comes flooding back - anxiety, worry, and fear.  But if you are in the hands of a competent cardiologist, I know you will find another BP med that works, and he'll stay on top of the heart enlargement. 

 

I hesitate to overstep boundaries here or get into a Right Coast/Left Coast melee, but are you sure that all your medical team knows about the various supplements you take?  Dietary supplements are not regulated and so there is no guarantee that there isn't something else in them that might complicate blood pressure, gout, or even heart issues.  I wonder if you experimented with cutting them all out if it wouldn't clarify the medical picture.  Please, please forgive my unsolicited advice.  Not lecturing an intelligent adult!

[jmoorhou]

Kat, I appreciate your advice. I will tell my doctor about the supplements. I have also been swimming at least every other day for a year and a half now, there's something called "swimmer's heart"..I wonder if this could be the cause..

[kat73]

Swimming can't be bad!  I hope you get some reassurance soon on all the troubles.

[Gail's]

Sorry about the gout, Janis. I just started a new bp med and was curious if drugs used for high bp in general list gout as a side effect. This link might help you.

http://www.webmd.com...s/tc/gout-cause

[Rinrin]

My uric acid is elevated - they never called it gout but gout is elevated uric acid.   I think it is a side effect of my transplanted kidney.   I take Allopurinol 100 mg. twice a day.   There is also a newer brand name med called Uloric.

 

I take a number of BP meds.   I used to take lisinopril but it gave me a constant cough.   

 

Of all the meds I have taken Allopurinol was the least bothersome - no noticeable side effects at all.  

 

Hope they figure things out for you.   

[jmoorhou]

It turns out Lisinopril....you can take it with or without a diuretic, so things aren't as bad as I thought. Thanks everybody.

I've got the cough but that's the least of my problems.

[jmoorhou]

Kat, I love your posting about west/east melee. I grew up in NJ, but am a native Californian, and moved back here in the seventies. A true Californian I do not remember much of them, but that is a whole other story...I have checked with the regular doc about the high Vitamen D amount and she is ok with it, and it has really increased. Scuba thinks Vitamen D is really important.

[kat73]

Janis - Glad to know you've ID'd the culprit. 

 

Both our coasts get blamed for everything . . . but I'm proud of them.  Mostly!

 

I have to take prescribed Vitamin D (hyperparathyroidism caused by renal insufficiency caused by Gleevec) and I've been told by the nephrologist that you have to keep an eye on protein levels in the peripheral blood at dosages as high as you report taking.  As long as that number is OK then you're OK, but it does seem like an awful lot to take each day.  I am prescribed 2000 3 X week.

 

But mostly I was concerned about the other supplements in your regimen.  Is your doc OK with the teas, milk thistle and turmeric?

[scuba]

It is important to check your vitamin D level (I test twice a year) when taking vitamin D3 supplements - especially in the high dose Janis is taking. 10,000 IU's can be too much if you are not starting from a low level or are never in the sun. Extra high vitamin D in the blood is just as bad as too little. The sweet spot is between 50-70 ng /ml. I tend to keep mine at 70 ng/ml. Over 100 ng/ml is generally considered too high. I only take 10,000 IU's every other day alternating with 5,000 IU's in the wintertime when there is little to no sun exposure on my skin. During the summer I take 5,000 IU's - but only after learning what it takes to keep my blood level where I want it. Each person is different, so testing is important to know what works for you.

 

I do take vitamin D3 with vitamin K2 with food (fat soluble). The two vitamins work together and good levels of K2 guard against overdosing on D3. It is a good idea to only take vitamin supplements if you have a known deficiency. I follow the chart below because I have CML. I have kept my blood level in the 70ng/ml range since 2013 and have avoided all colds, flu and bronchial infections since that time. It's important to note that there is no consensus on an ideal vitamin D blood level. Scientific journals have the level between 30-50 ng/ml. Recommended daily intake is no more than 1000-2000 IU's per day. Those levels did not work for me, so I increased and follow the articles and chart below. 

(http://articles.merc...n-d-levels.aspx) chart citation

 

https://www.ncbi.nlm...les/PMC3166406/

 

https://www.ncbi.nlm...les/PMC3684798/

 

http://www.webmd.com...anced-cancers#1

 

https://www.youtube....eature=youtu.be

 

https://riordanclini...he-dynamic-duo/

 

Finally: Vitamin D is not a cure for anything. It is a vital nutrient that helps your body function. Proper levels of vitamin D "may" prevent a disease from occurring or an existing disease from advancing. There is evidence for this - but no conclusive proof.