A friend of mine is possibly not losing weight due to her Blood Pressure medication. Doctor told her not to do Atkins cause she will not lose weight just retain water.

Does anyone take Blood Pressure Pills and have had success with LC'ing? Please inform of what you did and any other adivice you could give me to pass on to my friend.

Thank you,

Lily

I am taking BP meds. I also have lost as you can see.
My Doc told me to keep up with the Low carb WOE.
I am NOT retaining water.

I also take BP meds, and my doctor was thrilled with my weight loss on lc. I am hoping to get off the meds (also am on Lipitor for cholesterol) when I have my next annual physical this June.

My loss has been slow, but I'm not sure if the meds are at fault.

Hope this helps you help your friend,

Kay

I too have done fine, however, she should be very cautious of drinking enough water and depending on what kind of BP meds she is on Potassium should be taken, But some of the meds protect you Potassium, if that is the kind then NO more is needed. She must really check it out first, bottom line, don't every quit your BP meds, with out the say so of the Dr.
Cuase remember.... it is the silent killer.
Kathy

I have also lost weight while taking blood pressure meds as well as a direutic. Fortunately my doctor is supportive of this WOE and is pleased with my weight loss so far. I know it's not always easy to find a Dr who is knowledgeable about this WOE but it is important because of the medications involved that they know what you are doing. My Dr. changed one of my types of medications when I told him I was doing Atkins.

Thank you everyone for your responses. I will pass this along to my friend. She will be happy to see their is a light at the end of this wieght loss tunnel.

Lily

The question is, did the doctor say that because of the meds, or because he thinks on Atkins You only lose water weight?

If she is on bp meds though she should follow the plan under supervision. If not form this doctor, then a more understanding one. Many find on LC thier blood pressure lowers. If she is on meds it could lower to much or too fast. She might need weaned down to a lower dosage.

It is very important that you and your friend determine "which" type of blood pressure medication she is on. There is not simply one type for all cases of hypertensive patients. Several possible medications exist which treat hypertension and they all affect the body in different ways. Doctors can prescribe calcium-channel blockers, beta blockers, diuretics, angiotensin converting enzyme(ACE) inhibitors, or the newest type; angiotensin II receptor antagonists. These different approaches, can be prescribed separately, in combination, or even in medications which combine multiple agents in one pill. Needless to say, it can be confusing.

The reason I tell you all this is because I, too, have hypertension and was recently switched from an ACE inhibitor (Accupril) to an angiotensin II receptor antagonist combined with a diuretic (Hydrochlorothiazide) in a newer medication called Avalide. I also took a calcium-channel blocker(Norvasc) the entire time with both medications. As soon as I started the Avalide - my weight loss stalled.

After researching the new medication I was taking, Avalide, I discovered that the diuretic component of the medication may have been the culprit. See, I am also insulin resistant which in and of itself makes weightloss difficult. A diuretic can make insulin resistance worse. What a diuretic does while depleting the body's water reserves and esential nutrients potassium and magnesium - is that it also increases serum glucose levels, thus prompting the body to make more insulin to deal with it. Extra insulin promotes fat storage and increases weight gain. Not a good thing when trying to lose weight.

I discussed this with my doctor, and once again, switched the medication to Avapro which is the same as Avalide, BUT without the diuretic component. After about 3 days, my weightloss started up again. Of course, my stall and the resumption of weightloss can easily be attributed to other factors and I will never know what the exact mechanisms were that caused the event. That being said, the effects of diuretics and beta-blockers on weightloss have been well documented.

You can easily research the effect of diuretic's effects on weightloss and insulin levels on the web by doing a search. One such report which mentions this is located HERE. As you will see, it also suggests that beta-blockers can inhibit weightloss as well.

Also, Dr. Atkins himself has something to say about this HERE.

Hope this helps.

JFF

I started Atkins on BP meds as well. I took three pills a day. Twice a day I took a calcium channel blocker/ACE inhibitor combo. Once a day I took the hydrochlorothiazide (diuretic.) After 5.5 months I had lost 50 lbs. By the 7th month I was completely off all BP meds. My systolic pressure ranges from 100 to 110. My diastolic pressure ranges from 60 to 70. These readings have been consistant and stable since Valentine's day.

I take my BP several times a week with a self-inflating BP machine I purchased from a medical supply house. Before I started this WOE I took my machine into my Dr.'s office and had him compare my readings with the ones he was getting with his. He said I could use my machine for self monitoring as it reflected the readings he got with his equipment.

I was surprised from my own personal experience at how quickly the BP went down while doing this WOE. I urge anyone on BP meds to closely monitor their pressure while doing Atkins. Mine went down quicker than I had anticipated. After a 50 lb loss I am med free. I have 62 lbs more to lose.

If your physician does not want to work with you on this eating plan, find one who will. Work with a physician regardless, BP is a highly individualized entity.

thanks everyone ,my doctor says i would only loose water weight not fat ,and atkins wasnt a good diet for people with high blood pressure ,i do take 5 pills a day and i am having trouble loosing weight now ,but i am holding alot of water lately ,, but thanks for your help