Val's story (con't) - WARNING on Inspra starting dose

[Guest guest]

Valarie - you tried to help me - now I am going to try to help you.

They started me on 25 mg of Inspra. It was too much. I got bad

headaches and I said I would never take it again. After convincing

of 3 nephrologists, I decided to retry Inspra 6 months later. I

stared out on 1/4 of a pill which is 6.25 mg. I tolerated that for a

few weeks. Then I tried 1/2 a pill 12.5 mg. and I stayed on that for

a few weeks. Constantly checking my blood pressure everyday and

getting blood tests weekly.

Then I went up to 3/4 of a pill which is 18.75 mg and then a couple

weeks later to 25 mg. The 25 mg actually worked pretty good for a

number of months before I increased to 37.5 mg which is a pill and a

half and eventually to 50 mg. which I was on for many months.

Anyway, I am now on 100 mg AM and 100 mg PM which is 200 mg per day.

Who knows what the correct dose really is?

So you can try 50 mg, but when you start getting side effects and

give up and say that Inspra did not work, go to my method.

How old are you?

How many years have you lived without it?

Inspra was never tested for hyperaldosteronism.

It is actually an off label use.

Best wishes, and good luck with your progress.

I have read that other members of this group have given up on Inspra

because of side effects, but I have heard of nobody but myself who

has tried the small dose method. By the way, you will need Inspra

at least 2 times a day becasue it is short acting.

Believe me, I know. I should be hired by Pfizer. I know more than

their employees and representatives do and more than most doctors.

It has been years of trial and error.

Ask her if she has any other patients who have tried Inspra if she

will tell you the truth!

Good luck!

Airlinerg

>

> I finally heard from my endo. She's starting me on Inspra 50 mg/d

and then

> wants lab tests in two weeks. I realize that 50 mg may not be

enough.

> She's concerned about my potassium level getting too high. Told

me to drink

> a lot of water as I may have a tendency to get dehydrated.

>

> I want this to work so badly. The Ativan drugs me but at least it

calms the

> anxiety.

>

> Val

>

>

>

[Guest guest]

I didn't take any Ativan yesterday. Just got tired of feeling so drugged

out and I think it was causing the headaches. Anxiety was so-so yesterday.

Really, the last thing I need is dependence on Ativan. It did considerably

lessen the night sweats/urination for the nine days I took it - 2 mg/day.

I took 25 mg Inspra last night and had a bit of nausea, but I had also taken

three ibuprophen for my near constant headache. Then, I spent the entire

night half-awake, urinating and sweating. Seems like I was not quite as

nervous though. I'm having muscle spasms this morning. I ate a lot of

garlic last night. I am craving garlic, potatoes and broccoli.

I so wish I could sleep. I am awfully worn out and weak. Exercise

devastates me. A 10-minute walk causes sweating and significant weakness.

It takes several hours to regain some strength. I am pretty depressed at

the moment.

Took 50 mg this morning and had a bit of nausea. Still sweating. I will

try breaking it into two doses as you suggest. So far, 50 mg/day is the

prescription. I appreciate hearing your gradual experience.

BP is running 150/87 this morning. Yesterday morning it was 162/96.

Doesn't mean anything because my BP bounces around. I am 62. I believe

I've had whatever I have since at least 2002. Had high BP beginning in

1997, parathyroidectomy in 1999. BP normalized after that until 2002.

I am the first Inspra patient for my endo. She has some on spiro but has no

experience with Inspra. She's keeping me at 50 mg for two weeks to see what

happens to K. Last K was 3.7 (3.5 - 5.5). Does it take a long time for K

to normalize in the cells after it has been low?

60 - 25 mg Inspra cost $219 at Walmart. Is that about what others pay?

I've been going back and reading messages from the beginning, from before I

joined the group. My goodness, what stories!

Val

From: hyperaldosteronism

[mailto:hyperaldosteronism ] On Behalf Of airlinerg

Valarie - you tried to help me - now I am going to try to help you.

[Guest guest]

The cost is the reason I recommend spiro first if that fails then

Inspra.

Spiro is about $20 per 100 50 mg tabs in some places.

On Mar 15, 2008, at 10:22 AM, Valarie wrote:

> I didn't take any Ativan yesterday. Just got tired of feeling so

> drugged

> out and I think it was causing the headaches. Anxiety was so-so

> yesterday.

> Really, the last thing I need is dependence on Ativan. It did

> considerably

> lessen the night sweats/urination for the nine days I took it - 2

> mg/day.

>

> I took 25 mg Inspra last night and had a bit of nausea, but I had

> also taken

> three ibuprophen for my near constant headache. Then, I spent the

> entire

> night half-awake, urinating and sweating. Seems like I was not quite

> as

> nervous though. I'm having muscle spasms this morning. I ate a lot of

> garlic last night. I am craving garlic, potatoes and broccoli.

>

> I so wish I could sleep. I am awfully worn out and weak. Exercise

> devastates me. A 10-minute walk causes sweating and significant

> weakness.

> It takes several hours to regain some strength. I am pretty depressed

> at

> the moment.

>

> Took 50 mg this morning and had a bit of nausea. Still sweating. I

> will

> try breaking it into two doses as you suggest. So far, 50 mg/day is

> the

> prescription. I appreciate hearing your gradual experience.

>

> BP is running 150/87 this morning. Yesterday morning it was 162/96.

> Doesn't mean anything because my BP bounces around. I am 62. I believe

> I've had whatever I have since at least 2002. Had high BP beginning in

> 1997, parathyroidectomy in 1999. BP normalized after that until 2002.

>

> I am the first Inspra patient for my endo. She has some on spiro but

> has no

> experience with Inspra. She's keeping me at 50 mg for two weeks to

> see what

> happens to K. Last K was 3.7 (3.5 - 5.5). Does it take a long time

> for K

> to normalize in the cells after it has been low?

>

> 60 - 25 mg Inspra cost $219 at Walmart. Is that about what others pay?

>

> I've been going back and reading messages from the beginning, from

> before I

> joined the group. My goodness, what stories!

>

> Val

>

> From: hyperaldosteronism

> [mailto:hyperaldosteronism ] On Behalf Of airlinerg

>

> Valarie - you tried to help me - now I am going to try to help you.

>

>

[Guest guest]

The cost is the reason I recommend spiro first if that fails then

Inspra.

Spiro is about $20 per 100 50 mg tabs in some places.

On Mar 15, 2008, at 10:22 AM, Valarie wrote:

> I didn't take any Ativan yesterday. Just got tired of feeling so

> drugged

> out and I think it was causing the headaches. Anxiety was so-so

> yesterday.

> Really, the last thing I need is dependence on Ativan. It did

> considerably

> lessen the night sweats/urination for the nine days I took it - 2

> mg/day.

>

> I took 25 mg Inspra last night and had a bit of nausea, but I had

> also taken

> three ibuprophen for my near constant headache. Then, I spent the

> entire

> night half-awake, urinating and sweating. Seems like I was not quite

> as

> nervous though. I'm having muscle spasms this morning. I ate a lot of

> garlic last night. I am craving garlic, potatoes and broccoli.

>

> I so wish I could sleep. I am awfully worn out and weak. Exercise

> devastates me. A 10-minute walk causes sweating and significant

> weakness.

> It takes several hours to regain some strength. I am pretty depressed

> at

> the moment.

>

> Took 50 mg this morning and had a bit of nausea. Still sweating. I

> will

> try breaking it into two doses as you suggest. So far, 50 mg/day is

> the

> prescription. I appreciate hearing your gradual experience.

>

> BP is running 150/87 this morning. Yesterday morning it was 162/96.

> Doesn't mean anything because my BP bounces around. I am 62. I believe

> I've had whatever I have since at least 2002. Had high BP beginning in

> 1997, parathyroidectomy in 1999. BP normalized after that until 2002.

>

> I am the first Inspra patient for my endo. She has some on spiro but

> has no

> experience with Inspra. She's keeping me at 50 mg for two weeks to

> see what

> happens to K. Last K was 3.7 (3.5 - 5.5). Does it take a long time

> for K

> to normalize in the cells after it has been low?

>

> 60 - 25 mg Inspra cost $219 at Walmart. Is that about what others pay?

>

> I've been going back and reading messages from the beginning, from

> before I

> joined the group. My goodness, what stories!

>

> Val

>

> From: hyperaldosteronism

> [mailto:hyperaldosteronism ] On Behalf Of airlinerg

>

> Valarie - you tried to help me - now I am going to try to help you.

>

>