New Member Seeking Advice

Male in his mid-60s who has been treated for high blood pressure for twenty years now. Average BP 130/90. Overweight and largely a sedentary office worker due to significant sciatica issue. That sciatica also impacts my ability to sleep and I seldom get more than four hours of sleep daily.

I believe my medication load has seriously degraded my energy over the last six months and it is this area that I'd like to have your thoughts. Four months ago I was diagnosed with A-Fib and have been on Warfarin since. The Fenofibrate recently replaced the Gemfibrozil (600mg) that I'd been on for a number of years. Total cholesterol typically comes in at about 120. One of the three arteries to the heart is totally occluded. Currently I am taking:

Losartan 100mg (morning)
Atenolol 100mg (evening)
Crestor 40mg (evening)
Fenofibrate 200mg (evening)
Warfarin 7.5mg (evening)

Over the last three months, I have had increasing difficulty breathing - a walk to our second floor leaves me winded. On a couple of nights each week I can't breath while trying to sleep and I have to get to my feet. about a year ago, I lost one of MGH's top cardiologists and in his place I have a youngster just out of internship. This new cardiologist detected a discrepancy in the five-year old test results and questioned the MGH findings but a cardiac cath procedure done three months ago found no change whatsoever.

I am concerned about the path that I'm on. I'm concerned that both atenolol and fenofibrate have been implicated as having a role with A-Fib. My lethargy overrules too much of my physical activity and I feel that my cardiac issues are being treated to the exclusion of my overall well being.

Does this med protocol strike anyone as being overdone? I feel that some of the symptoms, that have prompted med changes, may be caused by the other meds and I'm wondering if a medically-supervised removal from all meds (followed by testing) might be a reasonable request on my part.

Thank you ... RL

Post Edited (Right Lane) : 11/29/2011 7:23:54 AM (GMT-7)

Hi Right Lane, welcome to the forum. I don't have any real answers but hope someone will come up with some.

I didn't know at and fen were a problem with A-fib. I'll have to research this since I'm on atenolol to keep my attacks of tach under control. Mine are mostly caused by sensitivity to sulfites, preservatives in lots of foods. I have to do nearly all my own cooking, carry my own lunches.

I get my sciatica helped regularly in a pain clinic - steroid injections in spine, sometimes caudal - see the pain forum! It's helps me be able to exercise a little.

I used to be out of breath because of plaque in my arteries, but have reversed it with a nearly veg diet, just a little Crestor 3 days a week.

My sister has a C-pap machine to help her night breathing, and it helps her daytime energy a lot! Not getting enough sleep makes us crave sweets to give us energy.

I would dearly love to ditch all the meds but I met with my primary (not my cardiologist) Thursday and was convinced to proceed with the cardioversion - INR-dependent but likely early in January. I'm a lousy patient and the procedure seems to promise very little. However, this would open the door for cardiac ablation. I appreciate the interest and hope that someone will eventually weigh-in on this medication load. I will try to provide a citation on the med / a-fib connection that I mentioned in my first post.

everyone reacts so differently on meds  the one i personally have some experience with is the atenolol, your dose would seem to make you feel tired and the warfarin is another that can be problematic. I would offer you this suggestion. research the net about all four of  your meds and their side effects and see if they tend ti=o all add to some of your present reactions. We must be our own advocates w  ith these meds, i started on 7 and have mine down to three.  good luck  ask lots of questions and hang tuff  Dreamgirl

Hello,
I have been like a pharmacy with all the meds I have had to take prescribed by my doctors. Got tired of it. Got tired of having to pay for it and figure out where to put it so I don't forget to take it. Found out about a a nutritional boot camp for a heart healthy diet to help me get off as much of the stuff as possible. Lasts 4 weeks. Went to it. Now take less medicine and don't worry so much about drug interactions. Lost a little weight, too. Now feel better and have more energy. As the saying goes, "Don't worry, be happy."

Lady Spitfire

62 years old and going for it!