Gluten Free Blood Pressure Medication

[Gingle]

My Doctor recommended that I begin high blood pressure medication. I was given Amlodipine and broke out in a rash and hives as well as developed GI issues. Can anyone recommend a high blood pressure medication that does not trigger celiac and allergies?

[plumbago]

Sorry to hear that. Sounds like you are having a bad reaction to this medication and need to return to your primary care doctor and get a recommendation from him or her  (not us...:)) Typically, doctors and other practitioners use an algorithm to determine an appropriate therapy for bringing BP back under control and maintaining it. Amlodipine is a commonly prescribed calcium channel blocker that is often started on people with new onset hypertension. There may be others in this class which better suit you, but again, please do check with your doctor.

Here's an example of such an algorithm (not saying this is what any one doc is using): https://capitalhealth.com/sites/default/files/uploaded-documents/Management of High Blood Pressure in Adults.pdf

[Gingle]

Thanks so much for your response to my question. I never did know about algorithms that may be used in prescribing medication. I plan on consulting with my doctor again, of course. They definitely need to know about the reaction and that I need a different me medication.

I just thought that maybe some people out there knew of gluten-free blood pressure medications.

[plumbago]

24 minutes ago, Gingle said:

I just thought that maybe some people out there knew of gluten-free blood pressure medications.

Of course.

According to a previous post on this same topic:

You can search for your medication at this site, and see the ingredients section:

https://dailymed.nlm.nih.gov/dailymed/

Part of what I do for my job is dispense medications. The medications patients receive may often have different manufacturers (for the same medication), so it may be worthwhile to call the manufacturer, as well as looking up the ingredients on the above-referenced web site.

[Gingle]

Thanks so much! I will certainly look on the site that you recommended.

[knitty kitty]

@Gingle, 

@plumbago has given good advice about checking for hidden gluten in medications.  

I have reactions to Sulfa drugs, a Hypersensitivity Type Four reaction, which causes gastrointestinal upset, rashes, and hives and metabolic dysfunction.    People with Celiac Disease can develop this "allergic" reaction to Sulfa drugs like calcium channel blockers such as amlodipine, and also to metformin, antibiotics, thiazide diuretics, etc.  

Molybdenum, a trace mineral, is needed to process Sulfa out of our bodies.  Due to poor absorption caused by Celiac Disease, we may be low in Molybdenum and other nutrients that help keep our bodies functioning properly. 

Thiamine is another nutrient our bodies need.  High blood pressure can be lowered by supplementing with Thiamine.  

Get checked for nutritional deficiencies.  This is part of proper follow up care for Celiac people.

Since serum (blood) tests are not accurate measurements of deficiencies in B vitamins, supplementing with Thiamine and the other B vitamins and looking for health improvements is a better approach.  We need more than the Recommended Daily Allowance because we don't absorb nutrients well due to Celiac Disease.

My doctors prescribed pharmaceuticals that were meant to alleviate the symptoms I was having caused by nutritional deficiencies.  Taking their sulfa drugs made me very ill.  My health improved only after correcting nutritional deficiencies. 

Doctors are not given sufficient education about nutrition (only 20 hours of nutritional education is required during their seven years in medical schools which are funded by pharmaceutical companies.)

Please discuss with your doctor and nutritionist the benefits of supplementing essential nutrients.  

References:

The impact of thiamine supplementation on blood pressure, serum lipids and C-reactive protein in individuals with hyperglycemia: a randomised, double-blind cross-over trial

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/25982678/

Association of vitamin B1 with cardiovascular diseases, all-cause and cardiovascular mortality in US adults

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC10502219/

A Comprehensive Review of Sulfonamide Hypersensitivity: Implications for Clinical Practice

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/38175321/

 

[Gingle]

Thanks so much! 

This may explain why I get hives as a reaction to many other medications. 

 

[knitty kitty]

@Gingle,

I even react to Sodium Lauryl Sulfate in toothpaste.  

It's also in shampoos and soaps and body washes....

Get your doctor to put a notation in your medical records that you react to Sulfa drugs.  It can be life threatening, as all allergic reactions may be.  

Best wishes!

[Gingle]

Thank you. Yes. I will tell the allergist and add sulfa drugs to my medic alert account. 

[KIM BURTSFIELD]

I recently tried olmesartan, and it gave me horrible fibromyalgia symptoms. I am going to start amlodipine tonight. I hope I don’t get the same reaction you did.