Cheap Blood Pressure Tablets

[Luckydog]

I have been Hypertensive for about 15yrs and I have founf Amlodipine a good remedy.

They make it here and it is very cheap if you go to a good Chemist who doesn't put up the price for Farangs. I go to Fascinos in Pattaya.

I buy boxes of 100 (Amlopine) 10mg and break each tablet in half.

I take one every morning before breakfast.

A box costs a mere 900bht.

Don't let them sell you the Malaysian one or the import from Europe as they are much more expensive.

My BP is pretty good on them usually 132/75.

My left ankle swells up a bit. Which is a side effect. Massage keeps is down though I find.

Cheers.

[JimmyTheMook]

I have been Hypertensive for about 15yrs and I have founf Amlodipine a good remedy.

They make it here and it is very cheap if you go to a good Chemist who doesn't put up the price for Farangs. I go to Fascinos in Pattaya.

I buy boxes of 100 (Amlopine) 10mg and break each tablet in half.

I take one every morning before breakfast.

A box costs a mere 900bht.

Don't let them sell you the Malaysian one or the import from Europe as they are much more expensive.

My BP is pretty good on them usually 132/75.

My left ankle swells up a bit. Which is a side effect. Massage keeps is down though I find.

Cheers.

What do you think causes your HBP?

[Luckydog]

How did I get HBP?

My dear old Dad left it to me in his Will......

[Phil Conners]

I have been Hypertensive for about 15yrs and I have founf Amlodipine a good remedy.

They make it here and it is very cheap if you go to a good Chemist who doesn't put up the price for Farangs. I go to Fascinos in Pattaya.

I buy boxes of 100 (Amlopine) 10mg and break each tablet in half.

I take one every morning before breakfast.

A box costs a mere 900bht.

Don't let them sell you the Malaysian one or the import from Europe as they are much more expensive.

My BP is pretty good on them usually 132/75.

My left ankle swells up a bit. Which is a side effect. Massage keeps is down though I find.

Cheers.

Hm, there's a lot of different products to lower blood pressure, grouped in 5 major groups. I'm not going into the details here as that's a huge subject in itself but different groups work for different people. I don't find 900 bht for 100 tabs is cheap though. Tenolol 50 (made in Thailand) is 18 baht for 10 tabs and I manage 130/90 with 1/4 tab/day. I know medical science say I should go lower but I feel dizzy if my BP goes lower than this.

Edited June 22, 2007 by Phil Conners

[Gary A]

It looks like I win the cheap contest. I take an ACE inhibitor called Anapril. A box of 100 20 mg foil wrapped tablets cost me 300 baht. I break them in half and the doctor told me to buy the 10 mg next time and break then in half. My blood pressure is normally about 120/72.

[Donalton]

It looks like I win the cheap contest. I take an ACE inhibitor called Anapril. A box of 100 20 mg foil wrapped tablets cost me 300 baht. I break them in half and the doctor told me to buy the 10 mg next time and break then in half. My blood pressure is normally about 120/72.

[Luckydog]

It looks like I win the cheap contest. I take an ACE inhibitor called Anapril. A box of 100 20 mg foil wrapped tablets cost me 300 baht. I break them in half and the doctor told me to buy the 10 mg next time and break then in half. My blood pressure is normally about 120/72.

Thats amazing! But I wonder what the effect if any would be if I changed over from Amlodipin?

[El Taco Loco]

I use(d) Diovan 160 mg. I stopped as it was like 1200 per month. Any generic alternatives? My doctor has a pharmacy and only tries to sell me imported BP medication. Any advice given I will check with my doctor, so no fear to give me your opinion.

I just want to ask him an informed question so he does not bull$hit me, again.

[Gary A]

It looks like I win the cheap contest. I take an ACE inhibitor called Anapril. A box of 100 20 mg foil wrapped tablets cost me 300 baht. I break them in half and the doctor told me to buy the 10 mg next time and break then in half. My blood pressure is normally about 120/72.

Thats amazing! But I wonder what the effect if any would be if I changed over from Amlodipin?

Your medication is the same as Norvasc. Norvasc is one of the medications I was on when I came over. It is a different class of drug. Anapril/Enaril are both ACE inhibitors. I wouldn't recommend being your own doctor but I have no side affects from the ACE inhibitor. I felt bad everyday with the medication cocktail prescribed from the US. Anapril does control my blood pressure where the medications that I had from the US were not doing the job. Talk with your Thai doctor. Some blood pressure medications DO affect your love life.

[JAS21]

Just for interest.

Ramipril is supposed to be 'the ACE Inhibitor'. Look at the HOPE STUDY..just google it. My doctor in the UK told me only Ramipril, don't be persuaded to change to anything else. I have had to reduce from 5mg to 2.5mg (cut tablet in half) since I came here. Just makes my blood presure too low 110/65 and I sometimes get a little dizzy when I first stand. But I take it to keep my arteries open and not to lower blood pressure as have had an MI. Lowering of blood pressure is a side effect.

[Mobi]

I reckon I win the prize.

Atenolol 5 Baht, Amlodipine 9 Baht, Ramipril 10Mg 45 Baht, Cardiprin 2.5 Baht, Simvastatin 10 Baht, Doxazosin 27 Baht, Harnal 46 Baht, Indapimide 8 baht and a new one - forget the name - 31 Baht. Total cost per day 183.5 Baht.

And that's not including my non heart related medication.

[Sheryl]

I use(d) Diovan 160 mg. I stopped as it was like 1200 per month. Any generic alternatives? My doctor has a pharmacy and only tries to sell me imported BP medication. Any advice given I will check with my doctor, so no fear to give me your opinion.

I just want to ask him an informed question so he does not bull$hit me, again.

Diovan is an Angiotensisn II inhibitor, a newer class of drugs with a different mode of action than the ACE inhibitors, beta blockers, etc etc.

As far as I know there are not yet an generics available, I think all the drugs in this class are still under patent.

The Angiotensin II inhibitors are excellent drugs with a lot of advantages (e.g.: not metabolized in the liver, minimal side effects) but due to their high cost are not usually used as first choice but rather in patients who either do not respond to or have side effects or contraindications to otheer drugs.

In terms of informed questions to ask your doc: it really depends on your history. If you do not have any liver problems and this was the first medication tried, then I would ask him why the choice of an Angiotensisn I inhibitor as oppsed to an ACE inhibitor, since the latter are available in inexpensive generic form.

Note to all: before thinking about switching your BP med on basis of cost, read up on the different classes of drugs and their pros and cons. To compare the cost of an ACE inhibitor to the cost of a diuretic or Calcium Channel blocker is like comparing apples to oranges. While they all reduce blood pressure they do so through entirely different mechanisms and different classes of drug are advisable for different people depending on a large number of factors: age, race, weight, history of diabetes or heart disease, allergies etc to name a few.

[gunterkranz]

I have the same problem. Can I buy any pills in chemist in Pattaya without receipt?

And where?

thanks

[gunterkranz]

And maybe anybody know about hydrochlorothiazide?

It it possible to use it with amlopine?

[PMNL]

Blood pressure tablets here in Thailand sold OTC so no need prescription.

However, if you have not been prescribed by doctor,then it is difficult to tell which medication is suitable for you.

Certain medication is simple but very effective such as HCTZ( diuretic), the side effect is tiredness,some decreased libido,hyperuricemia.

Beta-blocker ( atenolol, Bisoprolol,carraten etc -lo) is suitable for angina pectoris,not recommend in COPD,asthma and DM due to bronchospasm and mask symptom of hypoglycemia. Side effect : slow heart rate, heart block in certain degree heart block patients.

Calclum channel blocker ( Amlopine/norvasc -) is not recommended in hypertension with acute heart failure. Side effect : edema/swelling leg.

ACEI ( enapril,anapril,ramipril,rispril etc -il) is very good choice for hypertension. It keeps your arteries open,lower your blood pressure, reduce microalbuminuria in DM case, has heart remodeling effect on MI case, secondary prevention effect on ischemic/infarction stroke. It is the first choice ( compelling indication according to JNC7) to be used in patients who have DM and HTN. However the bad side is dry cough in some people,can not be use if you have renal arteries stenosis creatinine more than 2.5 mg/dl and potassium more than 5.5 mmol/L thus get these blood test now and again if you are on this group of tablets.

ARB : angiotensin recepter blocker ( Diovan, Losartan,irbersatan,..etc -tan) As good as ACEI but no dry cough side effect, more expensive obviosly.

Alpha1-blocker ; (doxazocin, cadura,prazocin,terazocin?) is suitable for HTN with BPH.

There plenty of combine medications in the market at the moment : diovan>> Co-diovan ( Diovan plus HCTZ) , aprovel >>> Co-aprovel ( Aprovel+HCTZ)

It is just drug maker are making money out of patients inconvinience of taking two tablets, so they put those two medication into one and sell them at rediculous price.

My point is, if you do not want to consult doctor, then get them to prescribe something for you and keep BP under control before you start buying your own medication. There are so many things that you need to check annually in order to make you that your BP and it friends ( Dyslipidemia, kidney problems etc) are under control.

For the pharmacy, can only tell ones in Chiangmai.

[PMNL]

It looks like I win the cheap contest. I take an ACE inhibitor called Anapril. A box of 100 20 mg foil wrapped tablets cost me 300 baht. I break them in half and the doctor told me to buy the 10 mg next time and break then in half. My blood pressure is normally about 120/72.

Thats amazing! But I wonder what the effect if any would be if I changed over from Amlodipin?

And maybe anybody know about hydrochlorothiazide?

It it possible to use it with amlopine?

It is a fine combination as long as you do not have gout / hyperuricemia.

[PMNL]

I use(d) Diovan 160 mg. I stopped as it was like 1200 per month. Any generic alternatives? My doctor has a pharmacy and only tries to sell me imported BP medication. Any advice given I will check with my doctor, so no fear to give me your opinion.

I just want to ask him an informed question so he does not bull$hit me, again.

Loranta by Siam pharmaceutical is similar to diovan but much cheaper.

[phetaroi]

...

In terms of informed questions to ask your doc: it really depends on your history. If you do not have any liver problems and this was the first medication tried, then I would ask him why the choice of an Angiotensisn I inhibitor as oppsed to an ACE inhibitor, since the latter are available in inexpensive generic form.

Note to all: before thinking about switching your BP med on basis of cost, read up on the different classes of drugs and their pros and cons. To compare the cost of an ACE inhibitor to the cost of a diuretic or Calcium Channel blocker is like comparing apples to oranges. While they all reduce blood pressure they do so through entirely different mechanisms and different classes of drug are advisable for different people depending on a large number of factors: age, race, weight, history of diabetes or heart disease, allergies etc to name a few.

I'd like to echo what Sheryl says here. I have labile hypertension, although 80% of the time it behaves itself. Although I often self-medicate for things like antibiotics or stomach problems...I'll never self-medicate for heart or blood pressure problems because I always try to remember -- stroke and heart attack. There are plenty of things to be cheap about, I just don't think heart and blood pressure are one of them.

[gunterkranz]

Thank you, PMNL.

And what do you think, what better: diovan or Amlopine with hydrochlorothiazide (together) or enapril?

The cost does not matter.

I am 53 and do not have gout.

Edited March 31, 2010 by gunterkranz

[PMNL]

Please get the doctor to check you out first, as I mentioned there is always contraindication in any tablets.

Do you know your creatinine level?? Potassium?? Have the doctor listen to your renal arteries (by placing the stethoscope over your mid tummy and listen to the tubulent flow/bruit) If not i do not recommend you to start treatment online even though i am professional health care myself.

Get yourself check with doctor first, there are quite a few things that you need to check :

Kidney function BUN/creatinine

Sodium and potassium

Lipid profile+/- blood sugar

ECG

Chest xray

Secondary hypertension ( Which has specific cause) can be treated so rule out that first before starting treatment.

Good Luck.

I always prefer ACEI/ARB+Thiazide unless contraindicated anyway.

[Lumumba]

I use(d) Diovan 160 mg. I stopped as it was like 1200 per month. Any generic alternatives? My doctor has a pharmacy and only tries to sell me imported BP medication. Any advice given I will check with my doctor, so no fear to give me your opinion.

I just want to ask him an informed question so he does not bull$hit me, again.

I was prescribed prenolol and co-diovan,(two compounds mixed together). I believe part of yours is in the mix.It was cheap as it had a thai generic.

I was warned never to take it evenings to avoid peeing like a prego goat and embarrass meself.

I stopped taking it cos it ruined my day by making me feel like I ate pot full of undone pottato.

I could have replied earlier but I was banned from posting for raging against the massage girl that got 30000 for a 'hand to breast'.

[BobBKK]

On 6/30/2007 at 8:40 AM, El Taco Loco said:

I use(d) Diovan 160 mg. I stopped as it was like 1200 per month. Any generic alternatives? My doctor has a pharmacy and only tries to sell me imported BP medication. Any advice given I will check with my doctor, so no fear to give me your opinion.

I just want to ask him an informed question so he does not bull$hit me, again.

I have been tld the generic Diovan is dangerous and has been withdraw by Thai FDA.

I use Diovan 160 and cut them in half with a pill splitter. 

[brewsterbudgen]

I use Madiplot

Sent from my SM-G930F using Thailand Forum - Thaivisa mobile app

[faraday]

8 year bump!

[jerry921]

You should talk with your doctor before substituting a generic or changing what you take. I am not a doctor.

 

I'd never heard of Diovan, so I googled it. Diovan is the brand name. Valsartan is the generic name. That rang a bell, because I just saw it in the news:

 

http://time.com/5340730/fda-recalls-valsartan-medicine/

 

So it looks like there are generic versions, because 3 companies have versions (but I didn't dig deeper). But, according to the article, they are all using the same tainted Chinese-manufactured active ingredient.

 

That suggests that you might have some trouble finding the generics in the short term as the supply line will need to be purged and refilled, or that if you can find them you don't want to take them because they should have been thrown out but weren't.

 

What I'd do is go see a doctor and request something different. Not taking blood pressure medicine that you need is a bad idea because you could get a stroke and who wants to end up a vegetable just because you didn't take some medicine?

 

If what you take is a combo pill with two medicines in one pill, you can usually save money by buying the two medicines as separate pills.