Blood pressure med least likely to exasperate dry eye?

[buntbean]

I continue to have high blood pressure despite eating well and exercising. My doctor insists I go on medication but I'm afraid of increasing my dry eye symptoms. Does anyone know what blood pressure med is least likely to cause more problems? Thank you.

[alisonW]

I have hereditary high blood pressure and have been on numerous medications. None have worsened my dry eyes. (I have been taking Benicar for a few years now.) I do not take any of the BP medications that contain diuretics though - per my doc, those are the ones that have the highest potential to dry out the eyes since the nature of them is to reduce the amount of water/fluid in the body.

[spmcc]

RE: bloodletting and BP (among other cardiovascular health indicators)

There was some recent research out of Berlin (see pubmed abstract: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22647517).

The researchers split the patients into two groups; one group underwent two session of bloodletting and the other group did not donate any blood. The bloodletting group had 300 ml of blood drawn at the onset of the trial and another 250-500 ml drawn four weeks later. The researchers then waited six weeks, in order to allow enough time for blood volume to be replenished, and then called the patients back in for a health evaluation.

The patients who had their blood drawn had a marked decrease in systolic blood pressure (a marker of heart disease), and a lower resting heart rate, as well as a reduction in blood glucose levels (an elevation of which is associated with diabetes). The good health benefits did not stop there; the bloodletting patients also experienced a decrease in heart rate and an improvement in cholesterol levels (another marker of heart disease).

See http://www.prweb.com/releases/2012/6/prweb9583621.htm

On my local news, there were a bunch of doctors discussing how this could be used as a natural way to help to reduce blood pressure and perhaps lower a person's dose of bp meds. You could speak to your doctor about this.

[Rebecca Petris]

The patients who had their blood drawn had a marked decrease in systolic blood pressure (a marker of heart disease), and a lower resting heart rate, as well as a reduction in blood glucose levels (an elevation of which is associated with diabetes). The good health benefits did not stop there; the bloodletting patients also experienced a decrease in heart rate and an improvement in cholesterol levels (another marker of heart disease).

You mean... after all these years, scientists have discovered why they used to use leeches and bleed people?

[spmcc]

You mean... after all these years, scientists have discovered why they used to use leeches and bleed people?

That's exactly how the TV news piece started... showing old time pictures of bloodletting!

When you think about it though, there's almost no downside to blood donation. And if, for some reason, you can't give for transfusion use, you can still give for research projects.