I had my first visit at the primary doctor’s office today. Love goes there so I’ve been there many times with him, but this was obviously my first visit for me. First off, blood pressure was 124/76. So that’s good. (Especially since it’s always worse at the doctor’s office. I always get a bit of white coat syndrome.)
I met with one of the PA’s. I gave her the update on what has been happening medically with me and my medications, upcoming surgery, etc. I also told her how I did not like the extreme weakness and fatigue of the Labetalol and that I wanted to try something else for my blood pressure. So I filled a $4 prescription today for Lisinopril. My last one was a beta-blocker, this new one is an ACE inhibitor. Dosage of 20mg 1x/day. This one doesn’t have to be taken with food like the last which is nice.
Common side effects: Cough; diarrhea; dizziness; headache; tiredness.
Lesson common, more serious side effects: Severe allergic reactions (rash; hives; itching; difficulty breathing; tightness in the chest; swelling of the hands, eyes, mouth, face, lips, or tongue; hoarseness); chest pain; dark urine; decreased urination; difficulty swallowing; infection (eg, fever, chills, persistent sore throat); irregular or slow heartbeat; stomach pain (with or without nausea or vomiting); symptoms of low blood pressure (eg, fainting, severe dizziness, lightheadedness); yellowing of the skin or eyes.
She said it’s pretty well tolerated normally and it’s been around for awhile and it’s well-used. She said it shouldn’t give me the crippling fatigue but she wanted me to try it for 30 days see how I do and we can always make adjustments if needed.
I go back on the 25th for a blood draw (I need to be fasting) for CBC, cholesterol, chem panel, thyroid, etc. I know they did a blood draw at the hospital but I have no clue the results so it’s better just to get some current info anyway.
Anyway, went well. They only had me pay the copay ($25) but I think the next time I go, there will probably be a balance to pay since I haven’t met my deductible yet. That’s ok, it’s still cheaper with insurance than without even having to meet the deductible.