The timing of my elevated high blood pressure and beginning to take azilect seems to match. Coincidence ?? Anyone else had this happen?
thanks...

do you use any other medication that increases serotonin levels?

MrsD--are you here?

This is the warning label from the Azilect website:
http://www.azilect.com/ImportantSafe...a-f8a7cea5d359

Elevated blood pressure is possible, if you have a drug interaction or are eating tyramine foods.
While the conclusion of this study says the dietary restrictions are not necessary, 3 subjects did get blood pressure elevations with tyramine and levodopa.
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/1...m&ordinalpos=4

This drug interacts with many drugs.

This is another paper, suggesting the dietary rules still be followed:
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17296539?ordinalpos=1&itool=EntrezSystem2.PEntrez. Pubmed.Pubmed_ResultsPanel.Pubmed_SingleItemSupl.P ubmed_Discovery_RA&linkpos=4&log$=relatedreviews&l ogdbfrom=pubmed
I suspect this drug can affect blood pressure, and its interactions with other drugs should be watched carefully.

Other drugs can raise blood pressure. Particularly the antidepressants in the SNRI family... Effexor, Cymbalta and Strattera. Also steroids. So taking Azilect with another drug with the side effect would be additive. Other drugs that can be additive for blood pressure include Ritalin and amphetamines (used to improve alertness). Some people react to high caffeine intake this way too.
Raising dopamine typically affects the cardiovascular system and raises blood pressure. This would vary from person to person.

Hi,

I started and stopped Azilect pretty quickly last summer. In addition to extreme joint pain (this is a rare side effect in young onset people), I started having an extreme, disabling dizziness and flushed skin in between doses of medication. I read that the dizziness could be due to blood pressure spikes and had a cuff at home. Sure enough, my BP was running very high for me as I have a very low base line. The BP would normalize in 15 to 20 minutes or at least drop off some. Oh, BTW for two years leading to this time I was a poster child for orthostatic hypotension. Go figure!


I will say that I don't think only Azilect can be named as entirely responsible. I think that it resulted from what Mrs. D said is too much dopamine. I had entirely too much of it in my system at any given time and felt awul (buzzy feeling, general malaise). BTW, mild dyskinesia started for me around this time. I was on Azilect 1 mg., a small amount of Mirapex (.50 three times a day), and Sinemet 25/100 several times a day. I stopped the Azilect after I traced it to the joint pain but never thought about the BP...and in reviewing things, the dizzies remained (turned out to be Mirapex dosage related), but the BP totally normalized after stopping the Azilect. I am now on Requip and Sinemet...trying to deal with nausea as I go up on the Requip a little but overall feel so much better and am finally getting some extended time on the Sinemet again.

Maybe you should ask your neuro? Keep us posted.

Laura

Laura, I know this is a side issue but I had an extreme nausea problem when first taking Requip. What works for me is to take it after I've eaten something. I know that's contrary to some advice but it totally avoids the nausea and doesn't seem to interfere with its effectiveness. I also take Amantadine once a day to counteract Requip's sleepiness (before that I had to rest within a 1/2 hour of taking any Requip.) Katherine

Doc upped my Requip XL and blood pressure meds. he believes in Azilect, and wants me to try it again. I'm monitoring the BP daily, too. seems like that pill line is getting longer on the cabinet !