|
2 revelations today:
1. I suspect Cymbalta is raising my BP 30-40 points.
2. Potassium intake is equally critical as salt intake.
I've been on 60mg/day Cymbalta for about 4 months. I requested it from my Pain doc as I've been seeing good results on interwebz when used for pain management. Amongst other things, I have Osteoarthritis and a MyoFascial pain that has been diagnosed as Firbomyalgia. I've managed both fairly well at times with exercise, massage etc., and various medicines for about 20 years until this past year.
I've been gaining weight, reducing physical exertion and my stress has been elevating. (I own a business, and this year has been AWFUL) Doesn't take a degree to predict my pain would increase, and it has to levels unlike anything I've experienced. Bad enough for me, but the impact on my family has been horrendous. My wife has been supportive, but it takes its toll on her and our relationship. My time with my son has reduced, and I've missed much of his life. Only comes around once, and I have to make changes, must get better! I've tried many different treatments, supplements, exercises, etc. Some help, some don't. It's a journey, a quest, and it continues.
So, I started improving exercise and dieting, with the help of FS! I've been feeling better, and have been making the rounds with my various docs for checkups, screeinings, etc. Found out my systolic BP elevated up to the 170's at dr. office. I know I get "white coat" BP bumps, but usually my worst is in the 140's. I've been monitoring my BP daily and at rest my best has ben in the 150's. I usually will read in the high teens or low 120's.
Something is up, especially as I've been exercising and lowering caloric and salt intake. Cymbalta is the only drug i recently started. I checked the interwebs, and golly, seems increased BP is common! yea, time to get off!
Not so fast, as you have to titrate off of cymbalta, and even then, expect lovely gifts such as "brain lightning", feelings of rage, nervousness, lowered sleeping ability, and many more. Great.
Whatever, might as well start tonight, get it over with, but how to lower dosage? Cymbalta comes in capsules, and the little beads inside don't dissolve in water. No prob, I used to work in a lab. I opened a capsule and eyeballed them in two equal mounds, and packed those into 2 separate empty capsules.
So I start my titration off bad BP drug tonight. Forgive me for how I might act. It's not me, I tell ya!
Part two later. gots to soothe my boy. He starts kindergarten Monday!
Diet Calendar Entries for 18 August 2012:
|
2493 kcal
|
Fat: 74.35g | Prot: 116.99g | Carb: 353.26g.
Breakfast: kiwi, Gold, Coffee with Milk, nosalt, apple cider vinegar, banana, walnut, chobani nonfat Greek Yogurt. Lunch: chipotle Barbacoa beef (homemade), potato russet, chipotle corn salad (homemade), cilantro lime rice (homemade), NORWEGIAN SALMON OIL. Dinner: publix shredded coconut, wheat germ, Chiquita Strawberry Banana Smoothie, morning star farms crumbles, ragu chunky garlic, barilla whole grain medium shells. Snacks/Other: Popcorn - Natural Flavor, Dried Apricot, grape tomatoes, carlson fish oil, honey, wheat germ, chobani nonfat, kiwi, Gold, Soy Nuts - Unsalted, grape tomatoes, apple cider vinegar, NoSalt, potato russet, Soy Nuts - Unsalted, Sweet Cherries. more...
|
|
3017 kcal
|
Activities & Exercise:
Sitting - 1 hour, Resting - 15 hours, Sleeping - 8 hours. more...
|
|