Vitamin D & drug interactions
 

Well, I just found this out, that I should not be taking Vit D because I am on hydrochlorothiazide.

I did sooo much research on Vit D and finally decided to start taking it and never saw that disclaimer until accidentally stumbling upon it today.

http://umm.edu/health/medical/altmed...with-vitamin-d

Thiazide -- Diuretics in this class (such as hydrochlorothiazide) increase the activity of vitamin D and can lead to inappropriately high calcium levels in the blood.

Sooo...I guess I need to stop taking it and I have 2 jars of it. :(

I really think you should discuss with your doctor, changing to another medication (not a diuretic) if you really need one.

Gone are the days, when diuretics were considered first line in mild hypertension.

This family of drugs is highly problematic, for long term use and may be causing some of your difficulties. They cause gout, depletion of magnesium and potassium, drug induced lupus.
Also because of the disulfide bonds, it has allergic potential.
Some people cannot handle disulfide containing drugs. They cause itching/rash which can be serious in some.

In fact a movement now in medicine is to not treat mild hypertension at all:
http://www.peoplespharmacy.com/2012/...lood-pressure/
This is only one site with this content. I read similar claims in a recent Smithsonian magazine edition.

There is more detail here in this article:
http://ajcn.nutrition.org/content/85/1/6.full
Most of the data collected was on D2 50,000 (1250micrograms) units (the typical RX version).
1000IU D is 25micrograms-- which is a very small amount.

Hmm...something else to think about and worry about. :confused:

This was not a first choice medication. I tried about 5 different kinds. I remember one was called Micardis. I was on it for months until side effects were awful, again, I got one of the "rare" horrid side effects. It affected my muscles something awful, I remember the muscles in my thighs hurt so bad it got debilitating.

When this diuretic helped it was the one with the least side effects. It did not control my BP completely but kept it low enough both dr and I were satisfied. After losing weight this past year my BP is great. I tried to stop taking it, I think I may have posted here about it, but after 10 days I went back on it.

I did just talk to my dr at my last appointment, maybe 2 months ago. I asked him if he thought I could ever get off it since I can go every other day on it and I am on a low dose. He just said lose more weight and maybe so.

Im not sure what other drug would be beneficial with less side effects. When I stopped taking it for 10 days, the amount of weight I gained was astronomical in my mind...I dont remember the amount off my head but I remember being scared about the fact that maybe this medication has ruined my bodies ability to regulate water retention.

I do have fears about that but didn't know what to do and of course the dr was like no big deal.

:confused:

Thank you for your opinion...now I am just not sure what to do though. It has been a concern in the back of my head for a long time now.

I guess I need to figure out what the excess calcium in blood serum would do by rising due to vitD. I am reading the link you posted but it's a little difficult, lol. But helpful,thank you

It is possible that you are living now in a state of dehydration while using this drug.
(loss of sodium and potassium and magnesium).
When I say first line.... that is a medical term. Drugs are often rated on their efficacy. Medicine is never static, it is always changing. Diagnoses change, treatments change etc. The AllHat studies done over a decade ago were applied to hypertension treatments and suggested using diuretics as a first choice primary intervention. But that has changed and today this is less likely.

Today the same thing is happening with diabetes, based one one study from Europe suggesting very low A1Cs. (5 and below as a target). New studies are now showing that A1Cs do go up with age and may not necessarily reflect only glucose control and may even be a part of natural aging, and it varies by race as well. So we will see similar fluctuations in the interpretation of A1C and treatment protocols there too. There will be much argument about it, and many people may end up over treated based on A1C values.

Diuretics dramatically change kidney functions. Going off of them would be difficult for a while, but I do think your body would adjust in time. You will have to ask yourself and discuss with your doctor whether you need a drug at all anymore.

Read the article I linked to above. It states that 250mcg or less a day of Vit D is safe. (that is 10,000IUs)

You can have blood tests to measure calcium. That is commonly done. If you do not take calcium supplements, that would help too. Not everyone who takes Vit D gets hypercalcemia. In fact it is not common.

Well I need something. After 10 days off it my BP steadily went up and up. I have had concerns about this for awhile now but simply don't know what to do. I am sure if I asked him to switch meds he would however, I went through hell before landing on this one.

I accept that every drug has side effects. This one seemed to be the one with the least of the 5 or 6 I tried.

I tried to research getting off this drug but found nothing and I asked him and he said lose more weight.

I dunno. If I switch, I will just get a new set of side effects.

I did not start back up after 10 days because I gained weight, although that in itself was quite alarming. It was very scary. Like my body could not handle being off the pill.

I dunno.

Thanks for the link, I did read that.

When you went off the last time....were you using the magnesium lotion every day? It has to be every day.

I went from 3 drugs a day to a very small dose of beta blocker (atenolol 25mg) + magnesium this winter. My doctor was stunned that the magnesium worked that well! The lotion works better for me than oral supplements too.

Magnesium relaxes the muscles in the blood vessels, that is how the hypertension goes away.

If you do NOT show hypercalcemia in your blood work, while using some D3... I wouldn't worry about the HCTZ yet.

Hmmm...I am not sure about the lotion. I can't remember if I had it then. Where all do you use the lotion?? I only use the lotion on my feet. I still take oral mag but went from 400 mg down to 200 mg since I was using the lotion but I am not sure I use the lotion everyday. I wanna say yes I do since it seems like I use it on my feet at least one time daily.

I am going to try weening myself off again. Do you think weening is the best way???

Last time I went to taking it every other day but then one week just stopped cold turkey. Should I go to every 3 days ??? Would that help my body adjust instead of cold turkey???

Where all do you put the lotion and does it matter from day to day what time I do it? I have never tried to be consistant.

I apply to both wrists and inner arms where the skin is the
thinnest. It helps my carpal tunnel too that way. (where the veins show)

Skin on other body parts, is thicker, so I don't expect as much absorption as I get on the arms. I also use on the feet sometimes and my back if I need it there too.

Start weening off the HCTZ every other day, every 3rd day, then once a week.
I'd do it over a month or so.

I don't want to be on medication if I don't have to so I will try this again. I will try the weening method and monitor my BP.

Do you mean the bend/inside of elbow area???

You think it matters morning or night???

thanks for your opinion.

Oh, can I still use it on my feet? It seems to help during a flare and when I use my chi I put it on since its circulating my feet I thought it might help, lol So can I use it on my feet plus arem? Can i get too much?

MrsD, I use Himalayan sea salt for many reasons but after our discussion here about my diuretic I went back and read again.

Short list of benefits of using sole

Stimulates metabolism and digestion
Flushes out heavy metal toxins
Reduces addictive cravings
Balances acid-alkaline imbalance in your body
Normalizes blood pressure
Cleans your intestines (may temporarily give you slightly loose stools until the plaque has been cleaned out)
Helps heal skin dis-eases

http://products.mercola.com/himalayan-salt/

That is one place I read and another:

http://www.alohabay.com/products/sal..._info_faq.html

The second link is the brand of salt I use so I read their site to make sure their way of processing.

Anyway, I had read about doing the soul water for many benefits one of which is how it will regulate the water weight, electrolytes, etc. I had been told I should do this for my thyroid but never did it, but I am thinking about doing it while I try to ween off this medication.

Are you familiar with this or do you have an opinion?

If you are not getting iodine in iodized (evil) tablet salt , I'd
get some sea kelp and take that daily. One or 2 tablets. The typical kelp supplement has 150mcg per tablet. Basically iodine deficiency is a real problem in the US. Some all in one vitamin mixes have iodine in them, so check your labels. Since you take thyroid hormone, you are getting some Iodine in those too.

I don't believe the hype with expensive salt extracts. However we do have a Sea Salt grinder that hubby uses. I don't salt my food. I use Potassium chloride substitute lightly on eggs and some veggies at times. (this is because of my GI woes, which lead to chronic intermittent diarrhea= GI angioedema and my birth defect there). Potassium is lost in the bowel that way.

The salt in processed foods or in restaurant foods is not iodized.

I had a right sided goiter for many years... which is now gone with treatment.

I rub the mag lotion into my hands, top and inner wrist and up the inside of my arms to the elbow bend. That is as far as the dollop goes on me so I stop there. The skin on the palms is really thick, so I don't concentrate on that part...only on the thin skin where you can see veins easily. I don't have prominent veins on the backs of my hands so I don't put much there either, but just a little. Some helps with stiffness for me. I do this at night, and it helps with sleeping too.

Oh I totally believe the hype about table salt vs Himalayan or celtic salt. I will never use regular salt, or regular sea salt again. I know I get it in many of my foods but I wont use it myself ever again.

I dont even know if Himalayan salt has iodine, I was not doing it for the iodine, I was going to do it because it talks about how it helps the body regulate electrodes and I thought it might help my body as I get off this diuretic.

I am going to do the soul water, as it is healthy in other ways and was gonna do it for thyroid so no time like the present. The thyroid wasnt for the iodine, though they do say take iodine, but they say to do the salt loading for adrenal fatigue which is important for thyroid function.

Thanks for all your help! I will start tomorrow with my salt protocol, the magnesium lotion daily on the arms and weening the meds.

I would suggest doing the mag lotion for a week before weaning off the HCTZ.... that might give you a buffer and support.

Ok thanks! I am going to start with every other day first so I have done that before with no problem.

I sure pray I can get off it, that would be great.

Oh and I use to take Idoral for my iodine needs. Havent done it for a long time though.

I just would like to add something about the magnesium lotion.

You see, for maybe 3 years, I was having problems with my neck. I had several PT sessions, various muscle relaxers. It was a very very uncomfortable feeling on the sides of the front neck. Mrs.D suggested the magnesium lotion. I used it for months, until i noticed that the tightness was significantly reduced that sometimes I hardly notice it now. Thanks to Mrs.D.

Till today, I use the magnesium lotion every night at bedtime. I use it now in my feet. I apply it in the in-steps (again suggested by Mrs.D) and ankles, legs and thighs. It helps me with the prickly sensation. I use it too in hands (for my osteoarthritis). The only difference I do from what MrsD suggested in some of her posts is the amount. She said to use, "pea-size or thumb-size" while i use it very generously as I need to cover a larger area. The brand I am using is Epsom It, but after i finished with it I will buy the brand from Walmart (what brand was that Mrs.D?). Why did you stop the Epsom It? Something wrong? Is Walmart brand better?

I also strongly believe that it helps with my blood pressure. As you know, my family's medical history is high blood pressure - from grandparents to parents and now my siblings. My BP was already fluctuating before the start of PN but when I start using the magnesium lotion regularly and the epsom salt soaking, my BP is consistently normal.

Mrs.D, is there an overdose with how I use the magnesium?

Mary

I think if you are using too much, you may feel tired the next day.
I get that sometimes. (it is a feeling that makes for craving more caffeine/tea, etc. )

If I use the mag lotion liberally on my back and legs etc, I don't put it on the wrists that night.

People with normal kidney functions should be okay with a topical. If you choose to use it liberally, I'd avoid oral versions.
The new Morton's is the one at WalMart and Amazon now.
I'm happy for you that it is working well for you so far. I think it is really miraculous in fact...and is so affordable too.

I never did the Epsom-It... seemed pretty expensive to me.
The new Morton's BTW does not have capsicum in it. I still was using CVS brand (I bought 3 bottles when it was discontinued)... when the Morton's came out. The Morton's is by far better than the CVS one, IMO. My WalMart has it in the first aid section.

I used a large amount on my back (more than usual), shoulder and lower back areas, last night....I slept really deeply too, more than usual.
I seemed to have strained something carrying Maya up the stairs in her cage, when we returned. Maya does not go outside.
Weezie does still only in the daytime. (since we lost Houdini).
So I let Weez out in the car, at the curb but had to carry Maya up 20 stairs to the front door. Combined weight about 20lbs, she is 9lbs and I have a large new type plastic crate for her, which is nice but heavy.

I hobbled up one stair at a time, placing her on the next step up.
It was slow going...my neighbor wasn't home, or I'd have asked her for help. (she is a fitness buff).
Hubby follows me in his car later in the day as he puts up shutters, and does other outside close up. I do the interior of house, and linens and packing, and get finished early in the morning so I leave ahead of him with the cats (who hate the trip). When I do the beds I take off the good linens and comforters and seal them up airtight, and put older ones on to get mildewy (which at least looks "neat and tidy"). That takes time but I usually get done about 9am. We take 2 minivans up each year. In case of breakdown, and because we have alot of stuff, and I take planters of flowers too for the shore and porch.

I make it home faster than he does...he likes to stop and rest more often too. This year I had alot of GI problems --probably from that Chobani recall...so I didn't even eat on the trip back.
I had two Zone bars slowly...and a few pretzels, slowly with water, to keep me alert so as not to need endless bathroom stops like happened on the way up there! :o:p And that worked. I had stopped the Chobani yogurt a week before thinking it might be a factor in my misery. And it looks like I was correct on that one!

So it is better for the kitties to be with me on the return trip.

But I seem to have strained something in my right back -- all the way down, so it is the Morton's Epsom Lotion at night for me this week! This year was a more painful vacation all around than previous ones. The really cold weather and mega lightning storms were also difficult to endure. Maybe we are getting too old for this?

MrsD Im so sorry you had such a rough time!! Sounds like you need a vacation from your vacation! Hope you are back in top shape real soon!!

Well, feeling tired is a regular thing for me:) so, i dont know if its due to the generous use of magnesium. My kidney function is okay except when I had once incident of a high BUN/Creatinine Ratio. The doctor said nothing to worry about it, the impt thing is the creatinine, he added. The ratio is back to normal in my last test.

I am using Epsom It because when you mentioned the product, my choices were only this brand and CVS. Our local CVS did not carry the product. I still enough Epsom It, i purchased 3 bottles. I dont take Kefir anymore because of the volatile BS instead I take the Jarro Formula Probiotics. It seems it helps with my GI distress. I dont take oral magnesium.

My trip back home has long been overdue because of my medical issues. With the frequency of of monitoring and low immune system, the trip is likely will be until after my treatment. The trip back home is 17 straight hours, excluding the lay-overs. Just thinking about it, with my PN pain, I feel stressed!!! :) But, i am hoping we can make the trip next year. It all depends on the success of the treatment... please help me pray for the success.

Thank you so much.

Mary

Mary I am praying for you and all of us pn folks! :grouphug:

Thank you Stacey. I truly appreciate it.