HRT & blood pressure

[*Vanessa*]

Does anyone know if HRT increases a person's blood pressure? Currently I am on meds for Glaucoma, they are beta blockers that are meant to reduce the blood pressure.

thanks

[StaceyJane]

The effects of HRT are best monitored by a doctor. Spironolactone is often used as a testosterone blocker and is also used to treat high blood pressure in some situations.

[Julia_in_Pa]

I second what Stacey said concerning Spironolactone being used as a blood pressure control medication.

Spironolactone is the most widely used T-blocker mainly due to its cost vs benefit ratio.

I've been using it for this purpose for 11 years with excellent results .




Julia

[*Vanessa*]

So this is contrary to what I first thought, kinda... YA, I get the doctor bit, it's not my intent to also change professions :)

Thanks tons :)

[CharleneT]

regardless of your plan or intent, you should see a doctor. HRT can be quite dangerous. SURE, most of the time it is not, but you won't know things are going wrong till it is bad. GO SEE A FRIGGIN doc. They aren't likely to stop you from taking those drugs, but they will help you be safe.

[JulieK1980]

HRT can and does affect blood pressure, and I'm happy to see you are going to seek out the guidance of a doctor. (MUCH safer)

[Frances]

I think Androcur does. I use to have high blood pressure, but it's normal now. I am off T-blockers now though.

[sandra-leigh]

Excess estrogen in the system may (often) be turned in to cholesterol, which factor would tend to drive up your blood pressure. Some of the anti-androgens (e.g., spiro) are blood pressure reducers, so one may end up balancing the two effects. One needs to be monitored!

I turn out not to tolerate spiro well: it lowers my blood pressure too much, making me tired and foggy. I can only use a minimal dose of it. So for me, I have to also use a cholesterol reducing drug (and thus end up reducing my blood pressure.) There are two main families of cholesterol reduction drugs; the one prescribed most often is a statin (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Statin), which is a class of drugs that has been associated with increases in Alzheimer's Disease.

One needs to consider one's priorities very carefully!

It is unpredictable how any given individual will react to a particular mix of drugs. There was no reason to expect that spiro would be hard on me: I have relatives that have used it successfully. What was predictable from my relatives was that my cholesterol levels are naturally high to begin with, that my cholesterol levels would be high even without HRT (and even though I have been vegetarian for 20 years.)