Various Scary Side Effects

I was recently diagnosed with severe high blood pressure. I went to a new doctor since I'm new to the area. He put me on Caduet 5mg/10mg once daily and clonidine 0.1mg twice daily. The Caduet was just for seven days, as it supposedly brings the BP down right away, as the clonidine takes longer. After the week, the dr. had me quit the Caduet and increase the clonidine to two 0.1mg tablets twice daily. I was scared to double the dosage, as the one tablet twice daily dose was making me extremely tired, and made me short of breath - hard to explain how that felt/feels. I wasn't sure how much was the Caduet or the clonidine, though. The first day I took the two clonidine tablets in the morning, I was okay for about an hour and a half, then got so dizzy I thought I was going to faint and short of breath. I tried calling the doctor, but was told everybody was with patients and I left a voicemail for the physician's assistant. Nobody called. Long story short (too late - sorry) I never was able to talk to anybody at the doctor's office and I was really scared, so I called 9-1-1. The paramedics checked me. My BP was pretty high the first time they took it, but still lower than the highest it's been, before the meds. The second time they took it, after I'd calmed down some, it was better. I'm hoping that the side effects will lessen as time goes on and the BP gets more stabilized. The doctor did say the last time I was there, before the doubling of the dosage, that the shortness of breath and other things were my body reacting to the new lower BP. It's scary, though. Today, when I fell asleep reading, as I'm always wiped out taking the clonidine, I woke up and my heart was really racing. It happened twice. I'm afraid to go to sleep tonight. Is anybody else experiencing shortness of breath or rapid heartbeat from taking clonidine, or any other scary/uncomfortable side effects?

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The effects of the medication are almost as bad as the effects of high blood pressure itself.

The dizziness is a normal side effect of the Clonidine, from the adjustment it makes to your blood pressure, you can also experience: nausea, dry mouth and constipation.

As to the shortness of breath, not that is not listed and is usually alleviated by lowered blood pressure.

You can read more on it here:

https:/­/­rxchat.com/­wiki/­Clonidine/­

Yes, the side effects should wear off, as your body adjusts to the medication and the lower blood pressure. However, at any time that you require a higher dosage, you wil probably experience them, again, for about 2 weeks or so.

This is just a suggestion, but if it were me, I'd talk to the doctor about using something else.

I was recently diagnosed with HBP, as well. One medication they put me on, Metoprolol did not agree with me, at all. I spoke to the doctor, who agreed it was not worth what I was going through. I am now taking Carvedilol, in its place, with no problems.

Are you doing any better?

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Verwon, thanks for your reply. After being on clonidine for three weeks and feeling like it was killing me, my doctor finally took me off of it. He's using Bystolic himself, so put me on that, 5mg once daily. So far, I have had no side effects; however, I've been back to the dr. once since I started taking it, and my BP was a little higher than before. The dr. was going to increase the dosage to 10 mg/day, but decided to keep it at 5 mg and add .25 mg of alprazolam (Xanax) every 6 to 8 hours as needed, which I never really FELT I needed, in terms of feeling anxious or nervous or anything. I actually felt like my BP was down that first week I was on the Bystolic. I take 3 alprazolams a day, in addition to the Bystolic, of course, just to try and get the BP down. I go back to the doctor tomorrow to see how it's working. To date, fortunately, I have had no side effects from either med.

Oh - the clonidine totally left me with no appetite. It was all I could do to force down a few bites of food a few times a day. I was to the point of almost passing out from not eating enough. I was dizzy from the medication to begin with, but the not eating was certainly a factor, also. Since on the Bystolic, I have my appetite back. The clonidine knocked me out for the first hour or so after taking it, then I couldn't sleep at all. I am having no problem sleeping while on the Bystolic. I guess all BP medicine makes you a little tired, so I don't exactly have the energy I used to, but I'm certainly better than I was on the clonidine.

Thanks for the info. and the link regarding the clonidine. The scariest thing about the clonidine for me was the frequent shortness of breath and fairly frequent tachycardia and the feeling that my heart was fluttering.

I hope you continue to be problem-free with the Carvedilol, and that it gets/keeps your BP down. I wish you the best.

Thanks again for taking the time to respond to my question.

PS: I hope I'm posting this reply right and in the right place. If not - sorry.

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Oh yes, you're in the right place and just fine with your reply, no problem.

I am very glad to hear that you are doing better with a different medication.

Almost all of the BP meds, regardless of the class they are in, carry the risk of side effects that can be quite debilitating. There are many people who, like us, have been forced to switch to something different, because one or the other hit them so bad that it was just ridiculous.

I've also had many people who don't ask questions and think they just have to live with the miserable side effects. Sometimes, the doctors don't let them know that there are other options out there that they can try, they just let their patients think that their choices are limited.

Many people are also afraid to question their doctors or approach them about it and it can create a very sad situation.

I had the same appetite problem with the Metoprolol, just never felt hungry and since I am very tiny, anyway, my doctor really didn't like that idea and want to risk it.

I actually take 4 different medications to help control my HBP, two different diuretics and Amlodipine, in addition to the Carvedilol.

The tiredness is actually usually a combination of two things, side effects from the medication and the fact that your body has to adjust to the lower BP, since it was used to running high.

However, it should also wear off, as your body adjusts to both, but it can take about a month or more.


The side effects from Bystolic are pretty much what you can expect from any BP med: nausea, drowsiness, headache and dizziness.

We do have some more information on it at the following link, if you wish to read it:

https:/­/­rxchat.com/­wiki/­Bystolic/­

Ironically, I made a pretty good guess, since it is also a beta blocker, like the Carvedilol I had mentioned. The active ingredient in Bystolic is a close cousin called Nebivolol.

Please keep us updated and let me know if you have any questions or need information on anything!

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Verwon, again thank you so much for your replies. Your information, links, and encouragement have helped me a lot already.

I went back to the doctor Monday, August 30. My blood pressure was a LITTLE better, especially my Diastolic pressure. My pulse was a lot better, too. The BP still has lots of room for improvement, though, so the doctor doubled my Bystolic to two 5 MG tablets once a day. I started that today, (Tuesday) and so far, so good. I haven't had any side effects. I'm also taking the alprazolam, (Xanax) .25 MG every six hours. I wish this regimen would be the magic combo to regulate my BP, because like I said, I haven't had any side effects so far. I know you take 4 different meds to control your HBP, so if I have to take more than I am taking now, I'll be in good company. I wouldn't mind having to take MORE, I just don't want to have horrible side effects.

Do you take any kind of supplement or have you tried any kind of natural remedy to try and help your BP, in addition to your prescription meds?

Again, thanks so much for your help. I hope you're doing/feeling well.

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