OT Febuary Chit Chat

[Cherie]

I got my slides done (finally) for my webinar next Tuesday except for a couple of logos from the MS Foundation which I still do not have. Picked up my daughter and grandkids at the airport after their February vacation and cruise. Got plants watered and tended. Laundry done. Productive day and I feel like mush....Just want to melt. Tomorrow night have to do a support group 45 minutes from here. Dave is driving me and we will have an "eat out" date afterwards around 8PM (too late to eat IMO but no other choice with the timing).

[Howie]

I had a Dr. appointment today, just a checkup. Everything was fine but my blood pressure was a little high, so he gave me a new BP med I'll start in the morning. He gave me a sample dose for 7 days, and I'll call him on day 6 and tell him if it did okay.

Last visit, he gave me a BP med that I didn't tolerate, and stopped taking it. I was giving me electric shocks, and felt like the beginning of the seizures I used to have, so I stopped that right away.

And I THOUGHT he was going to do a blood panel, so I didn't eat all day yesterday, and am just eating today. I was HUNGRY!

So all is well, and I'm still here. Have a great evening.

[Cherie]

Howie, I am seeing a nephrologist now to manage BP. He is VERY knowledgeable about MS and said that most people with MS do OK on Beta Blockers but not alpha blockers, calcium channel blockers or ace inhibitors. I have been on:
Norvasc
Spirinolactone
Hytrin
Losartan
Valsartan

All these actually raised my BP. Atenolol lowered it but caused a real downward mood shift and weight gain. I am finally on a low dose of Bystolic which is a beta blocker but also has weight gain and mood dampening as side effects. It is the only med I seem to sort of tolerate but even with my part D it still costs me $5/dose.

[Lazarus]

Howie, I am seeing a nephrologist now to manage BP. He is VERY knowledgeable about MS and said that most people with MS do OK on Beta Blockers but not alpha blockers, calcium channel blockers or ace inhibitors. I have been on:
Norvasc
Spirinolactone
Hytrin
Losartan
Valsartan

All these actually raised my BP. Atenolol lowered it but caused a real downward mood shift and weight gain. I am finally on a low dose of Bystolic which is a beta blocker but also has weight gain and mood dampening as side effects. It is the only med I seem to sort of tolerate but even with my part D it still costs me $5/dose.

Interesting. My new neurologist said they changing my body med to one that was a calcium channel blocker would also help the esophageal spasms that have become a significant problem in the last year. I can’t find my notes so I do not know why she advised that.

[Howie]

Cherie, my doctor started me on Bystolic today. I'll take it tomorrow morning. Wish me luck!