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Blood pressure medication becoming less effective??

(31 Posts)
PinkCosmos Thu 22-Jan-26 12:35:42

I started taking 10mg of lercanidipine in January last year as I was diagnosed with high blood pressure.

My high BP was discovered at a hospital appointment where I was going for a procedure (colonoscopy) . They would not do it because my bp was too high.

This was a bit of shock to me as I have had good health all of my life. I am 68 and have never taken any long term medication.

I started taking 10mg of lercanidipine in January 2025. It was working well. The GP was happy with it and I was doing my own BP monitoring at home.

I was getting a bit obsessive about it so I decided to stop checking my BP in May 2025. I just assumed it would carry on being OK.

I was scheduled for the colonoscopy again last week. My BP was too high again 210/115, so, once again, they would not do it.

I had a colonography last July which showed I have polyps. I have been waiting since then for this colonoscopy appointment.

I get terrible white coat syndrome. I did check my BP the week before the appointment and it was averaging 166/100. I knew this was high but stupidly did nothing about it. I was assuming that the machine was faulty. In hindsight I should have gone back to my GP. Hindsight is a wonderful thing.

I am now on 20mg of lercanidipine (double my previous dose). My BP is coming down to a good level now

I just wanted to ask if anyone had any experience of BP medications not being as effective as they were initially.

Is this going to keep happening?

Am I destined to spend the rest of my life checking and worrying about my blood pressure?

Gwyllt Sat 24-Jan-26 17:56:48

I too have white coat syndrome. My GP appreciates this and is happy to accept my readings
I am thorough and as recommended I take three readings morning and evening, over a five day period. The hospital too is accepting

Aveline Sat 24-Jan-26 18:25:00

I only have to look at the dratted machine and my BP shoots up. However, it also comes down pretty fast if I retry a short time later. I noticed that it tends to be higher in winter or in cold atmospheres. If I take my BP on a hot summer's day when relaxed and wearing short sleeves my BP is much lower. However, recently by the time I've wrestled my fleece and long sleeved vest off and waited for five shivering minutes it's up high again.

clbm48 Sat 24-Jan-26 18:52:19

I don't think that the medication becomes less effective, it's your blood pressure problem (for me, it's hereditary) that deteriorates as you get older. After various medications off/on over the years it seemed like mine had stabilised last summer, but it went up again with a vengeance a few months later. At the moment I'm on two medications, one in the morning and one in the evening (which helps me to feel less dizzy and unwell). I'm back with the blood pressure nurse on Monday and hoping I'm stable again, so that I don't have to keep measuring twice a day and so that I can go ahead with surgery!

Sueinkent Sat 24-Jan-26 22:45:48

Northernsoulnanna

I was put on 10mg of the same drug as you Pink Cosmos before christmas i had attend an appt at outpatients early November (rhumetology) and my BP was high.
Was advised to see my GP. i saw GP and I had to do a Blood Pressure Monitering form for two weeks.
Everytime over the past two years i have done these BP Monitering Forms and im always told im Borderline, to go on meds.
My GP rang and told me im Borderline again after filling in the latest form and as ive now just turned 70 he advised me to go on them.
He wanted me to do Readings again for 5 days and submit them to him after two weeks.
He will decide if im to stay on them .
I dont really know whats going on now
As i appear to have AF by the monitor,which i have never had before and my readings are high and higher than they have ever been and im on Blood Pressure meds.
I was put on Statins at same time.
And i just dont feel as well as i did before all these medications started.
I have now got to the age of 70 and now on pills, guess ive been lucky so far.
Im now waiting for my GP to call after reading my Blood Pressure Form
I will also tell him about these Statins.
I also suffer white coat syndrom
I had yo have a Cystopathy 18 months ago
My Blood Pressure was taken twice seperately and very high.
I was told i need to try and calm down, nurse sat and chatted to me
The clinician doing the procedure gave me a chance to calm down, i eventually went in a lot later than i was supposed too.

AF puts your bp up. Tell your gp you would like a referral to an electrophysiologist. Not a cardiologist. You need a heart regulator like flecainide or sotolol or a beta blocker to stop the af then your bp will go down. I had 13 years of af. An ablation in 2010 stopped it.

Northernsoulnanna Tue 27-Jan-26 15:15:38

Thanks sue in kent,
Im haveing an ECG tommorow followed by GP appointment thursday.
So will see what he says.
I always thought Blood Pressure Tablets would reduce blood pressure not make it higher!