Recently my Medicare Advantage Plan carrier added a $225 annual deductible for any tier 3 and tier 4 prescription drugs. I had been on Lisinopril and Felodipine 5mg 1X daily for several years now. I even had the dose and frequency of both of them cut in half 3 or 4 years ago with no increase in blood pressure.
Since Felodipine was classified as a tier 3 drug, my co-pays went from the $5 or $6 range per refill to $25.00 round figures per refill. It would also NOT allow me to put Felodipine on a 90 day refill to cut my co-pays from 12 times a year to only 4.
I am going to experiment going from Felodipine to:
Norvasc (Amlodipine Besylate
at a 5mg dose 1X daily and put my co-pays back into a $6 co-pay only 4X annually. My blood pressure since that change has been up and down a lot for about two weeks now. It hits a high of around 145/90 to a low of around 127/82.
I am faced with options here since I had a quadruple bypass on July 24th, 2013. SEE several previous posts on my experience, discussions of gene pool influence and following Dr. Pauling's Unified theory of heart disease.
Back to blood pressure issues. Rather than panic and ask my doctor to jump my dose age up to 10mg 1X daily or perhaps 5mg in the AM and another 5MG in the PM, I decided to take my own advice and get back onto daily celery shakes. I make the shakes in my Vita Mixer and often add a whole cored and cut up apple and perhaps some red grapes. Being on celery shakes every day is what allowed me to cut my meds in half 4 years ago.
I will try the addition of celery shakes and I am going to continue to monitor my BP 4 or 5X daily and if I get it down below 120/80 on a regular basis, then I will be comfortable with the new prescription. If NOT, I will go back to the low dose of Felodipine ER 5mg and live with the higher deductible.
My preference would be to eliminate ALL prescription drugs from my regimen, however I recognize they do have value sometimes especially in the case of likely gene pool issues. You have to weigh the "Pro's and the Con's" of any given drug and make your own decision.
Here is a partial list of the harmful effects of blood pressure meds in general. It is IMPERATIVE that you study the entire list of side effects of the drugs you are taking so that you can detect early signs of potential long term problems.
Here is a partial list of the harmful effects of blood pressure meds in general. It is IMPERATIVE that you study the entire list of side effects of the drugs you are taking so that you can detect early signs of potential long term problems.
#1 Blood pressure meds can increase your risk of cancer, especially channel blocker type meds
People who take Angiotensin-receptor blockers or calcium channel blockers are at a significantly increased risk of new cancer occurrences, including breast cancer, colon-rectal cancer and prostate cancer.
#2 People who take beta-blockers, calcium channel blockers and certain kinds of diuretics are at an elevated risk of new-onset diabetes. And the beta-blockers don’t even reduce the risk of myocardial infarction!
#3 People who take certain popular kinds of beta blockers are at elevated risk of depression. If you take blood pressure medication and feel a direct impact on your mood… it is NOT "in your head," and unfortunately you are not alone.
#4 Thiazide diuretics and beta blockers create sexual dysfunction as a "side effect." For this reason, many people on blood pressure meds argue that the cure is worse than the disease!
#5 Blood pressure medications can increase the risk of a serious or deadly fall, especially in vulnerable seniors. In fact, when physical therapists are assessing patients' risk for falls they always ask if the person is taking anti-hypertensives, like diuretics. A "yes" answer places the person in a higher risk category for falls. And did you know that when a person over 60 has a fracture, the risk of death within 12 months of the fall skyrockets?
I submit this is NOT a pretty picture is it? Here is an alternative to consider:
MAKE A DAILY GREEN SMOOTHIE WITH THE EMPHASIS ON CELERY:
Suggested blood pressure readings are 120/80 on average.
Can celery juice affect this measurement? YES it can and does . Celery contains active compounds called phthalides, which relax the muscles in and around the walls of arteries which cause blood vessels to dialate, thereby creating more space inside the arteries that permits blood to flow at a lower pressure. They also reduce stress hormones. Last but not least celery juice contains high amounts of magnesium, calcium and potassium.
If you do NOT already own a Vita Mixer, or one of the NutriBullet type machines that can turn fresh veggies and fruits into a healthy drink while retaining all the fiber, I encourage you to take a look at one today.
I also have several other posts on the benefits of celery in greater detail.
God Bless,
Dan
| American Standard Version (ASV) | |
| 29 And God said, Behold, I have given you every herb yielding seed, which is upon the face of all the earth, and every tree, in which is the fruit of a tree yielding seed; to you it shall be for food |
No comments:
Post a Comment