What medicine do you take for high blood pressure in LOS?

[watcharacters]

I've been taking Avapro but the local pharmacy had no idea what it is.

[Nana Cowboy]

you might try asking in the heath, body medicine subforum

[David48]

I take ENARIL Tablets

The best bit is that my dose is 10mg ... so I simply break the 20mg in half.

Twice as much drugs for the same money.

You can either buy them by the card above, or by the box.

Cheap as.

.

[metisdead]

Moved to the Health, Body and Medicine forum.

[Jingthing]

Zestril (or generic Lisinipril)

[watcharacters]

Moved to the Health, Body and Medicine forum.

.

Very good. Didn't even realize there is such a forum on Thai visa. Thanks for moving it to a forum where those who are interested can reply.

[giddyup]

Betaloc

[Jingthing]

You'll want to take a similar class of med as you have been taking. There are a number of different kinds of BP meds. Best to see a doc or a really good pharmacist (very rare here) to best match the med and dose. Sometimes the exact same med (chemical) is available here with a different brand name so check that first.

[rak sa_ngop]

I take Heinekin beer (lots of it). My blood pressure plummets when I drink alcohol (seriously)

[David48]

You'll want to take a similar class of med as you have been taking. There are a number of different kinds of BP meds. Best to see a doc or a really good pharmacist (very rare here) to best match the med and dose. Sometimes the exact same med (chemical) is available here with a different brand name so check that first.

Excellent advice ...

The drug I take (Post #3) is the copy of the one I take in Australia.

Have been using it (the Thai Drug) for maybe 3 years now and the effects are exactly as for what I'd expect from the Western prescribed medicine.

Everything Jingthing says above is spot on*.

* Ouch ... that hurt to write ...

[impulse]

You'll want to take a similar class of med as you have been taking. There are a number of different kinds of BP meds. Best to see a doc or a really good pharmacist (very rare here) to best match the med and dose. Sometimes the exact same med (chemical) is available here with a different brand name so check that first.

Excellent advice ...

The drug I take (Post #3) is the copy of the one I take in Australia.

Have been using it (the Thai Drug) for maybe 3 years now and the effects are exactly as for what I'd expect from the Western prescribed medicine.

Everything Jingthing says above is spot on*.

* Ouch ... that hurt to write ...

Now you gotta burn your keyboard....

Seriously, I take 2 different imports (Bumrungrad) and I'd love to find local made generic equivalents to get the daily cost down.

Edited July 9, 2013 by impulse

[jrtmedic]

Avapro

Believe known as Aprovel (Irbesartan) and is available in Thailand in 150 or 300 mgm tablets.

Edited July 9, 2013 by jrtmedic

[doontp]

I take "Losartan potassium 50 mg" for my blood pressure.

[Jingthing]

Believe known as Aprovel (Irbesartan) and is available in Thailand in 150 or 300 mgm tablets.

Yeah I thought the odds were good there was a match like that.

Best to confirm with a little internet research to see that the active chemical is really the same.

Brand names vary widely across countries.

[jrtmedic]

Beware of "local pharmacies"

Often these small outlets do not have a qualified pharmacist on duty and the person selling medication is in fact a shop assistant !

[avander]

A great thread! I plan on moving to TH soon and am on various medications for BP, Cholesterol and Type II Diabetes as well as Digesics for Lumber disc disease. Some I have seen in this thread, others I have not seen. Last trip when I tried to get Digesics (paracetamol and something else I can't remember at the minute), the 2 pharmacy's in Bangkok had never heard of Digesic but were happy to sell me the component drug (not the paracetamol) in capsule form. All I had to do was get the ratios and dosage right. That worked fine; couldn't feel a thing. Seriously though, it worked OK.

Is there a way I can check beforehand on general availability and dosages available of the other specific meds (chemicals) I take?

Apart from the Digesics above every time I have been before I pre-purchased in bulk and brought what I needed with me for the duration.

P.S. My bags rattled but I've never been queried by Thai or Aussie customs for that matter.

cheers

[Sheryl]

Always ask by generic rather than brand name as brand names back home often differ from what is available here.

if you get blank looks to a generic name it usually means you are dealing with a non-pharmacist. Try to locate a pharmacy with a "real" one. Most provincial towns have at least one. It will be large, and heavily patronized. Could try asking locals for the "biggest" pharmacy in town and the one with a real "maw" (doctor but also used tio refer to traiend pharmacists).

Also any decent pharmacy will have a reference book called MIMS, it is in English and lists all drugs sold in Thailand, It is often lying right out on the counter, if not,ask to see it and use the index to find the drug you need and local brands. (If you are dealing with an actual pharmacist s/he should pull it out and look up on their own).

If a shop gives blank looks to generic names and can't even produce a MIMS you are best off going elsewhere. Not only do they have no idea what they are selling but odds are good they aren't storing the medications properly.

You are also always welcome to post here for info on local brand names of drugs.

Avapro is indeed irbesartan as jrtmedic said. This is a type of anti-hypertensive known as an Angiotensin II inhibitor.It is sold under brand name Aprovel and Irbenox, both imports so expensive, but also now comes in a locally made generic equivalent called Presolin. The Presolin comes in 2 dosages so take care to note which one.

[David48]

If you are near a Hospital ... I'd bet your left n** that there would one or more large pharmacies opposite.

.

[Tywais]

Concor - 7.5mg/day

[Kalbo]

You'll want to take a similar class of med as you have been taking. There are a number of different kinds of BP meds. Best to see a doc or a really good pharmacist (very rare here) to best match the med and dose. Sometimes the exact same med (chemical) is available here with a different brand name so check that first.

Excellent advice ...

The drug I take (Post #3) is the copy of the one I take in Australia.

Have been using it (the Thai Drug) for maybe 3 years now and the effects are exactly as for what I'd expect from the Western prescribed medicine.

Everything Jingthing says above is spot on*.

* Ouch ... that hurt to write ...

Now you gotta burn your keyboard....

Seriously, I take 2 different imports (Bumrungrad) and I'd love to find local made generic equivalents to get the daily cost down.

What are the names of the medication you're presently taking ?

[frankwhite]

Im on 3 pills for bp and heart. I can get the exact same pills here as i get in the states but 80% cheaper here. Amazing thailand

[chiang mai]

I tried a couple of different ones and I can't tolerate even small doses, sends my BP too low, diet and exercise does the trick though and is much more satisfying.

[iancnx]

In the mornings caffeine.

In the afternoons Fruit Juice.

In the evenings depending on the day of the week.

Mon. Leo

Tue. Singh

Wed. Heineken

Thu. Federbrau

Fri. Asahi

Sat. Lucky Dip

Sun. Lucky Dip

Tend to stay away from Chang. Chemicals in it make me feel unwell. G&T is also very good for high blood pressure....at least it works for me.

[partington]

This is very bad advice.

While it is true that while drinking your blood pressure goes down, since your blood vessels expand in size, the persistent effect of alcohol consumption is to increase your resting blood pressure.

This is why alcohol consumption is listed as a risk factor for hypertension in every medical textbook, and why every doctor will advise hypertensive people to cut out alcohol altogether, and why alcoholics who give up drinking show a huge reduction in hypertension.

[chiang mai]

This is very bad advice.

While it is true that while drinking your blood pressure goes down, since your blood vessels expand in size, the persistent effect of alcohol consumption is to increase your resting blood pressure.

This is why alcohol consumption is listed as a risk factor for hypertension in every medical textbook, and why every doctor will advise hypertensive people to cut out alcohol altogether, and why alcoholics who give up drinking show a huge reduction in hypertension.

Relax, I believe it was an attempt at black humour or similar.

[iancnx]

This is very bad advice.

While it is true that while drinking your blood pressure goes down, since your blood vessels expand in size, the persistent effect of alcohol consumption is to increase your resting blood pressure.

This is why alcohol consumption is listed as a risk factor for hypertension in every medical textbook, and why every doctor will advise hypertensive people to cut out alcohol altogether, and why alcoholics who give up drinking show a huge reduction in hypertension.

Relax, I believe it was an attempt at black humour or similar.

Absolutely, and definitely was not offering advice. But it does work for me. And consumption is regulated.

[partington]

This is very bad advice.

While it is true that while drinking your blood pressure goes down, since your blood vessels expand in size, the persistent effect of alcohol consumption is to increase your resting blood pressure.

This is why alcohol consumption is listed as a risk factor for hypertension in every medical textbook, and why every doctor will advise hypertensive people to cut out alcohol altogether, and why alcoholics who give up drinking show a huge reduction in hypertension.

Relax, I believe it was an attempt at black humour or similar.

An additional poster (#9) already advocated alcohol as a treatment ("seriously"- his words), and there is a genuine misunderstanding about the effects of alcohol on blood pressure, since in the short term it really does decrease blood pressure.

So I think it was worth posting for people who aren't aware of this.

Edited July 9, 2013 by partington

[chiang mai]

This is very bad advice.

While it is true that while drinking your blood pressure goes down, since your blood vessels expand in size, the persistent effect of alcohol consumption is to increase your resting blood pressure.

This is why alcohol consumption is listed as a risk factor for hypertension in every medical textbook, and why every doctor will advise hypertensive people to cut out alcohol altogether, and why alcoholics who give up drinking show a huge reduction in hypertension.

Relax, I believe it was an attempt at black humour or similar.

An additional poster (#9) already advocated alcohol as a treatment ("seriously"- his words), and there is a genuine misunderstanding about the effects of alcohol on blood pressure, since in the short term it really does decrease blood pressure.

So I think it was worth posting for people who aren't aware of this.

I agree, and even though the previous poster was thought to be joking, it seems from his most recent post that it was only partially so. Sooooo, when it comes to the liver and blood pressure you can pay now or you can pay later, but you will pay. Queue the stories of my grandad who drank X every day for 120 years and died of ingrown toenails.

[mickjn]

If you are in Thailand and you are getting low on medicine go to the Pharmacy and take the box of what you take at home.They will look it up show you a box that is different but show you the ingediants same same.Never had a problem,I have got onto an old girl and she knows the game backwards

[ghworker2010]

I was put on avapro and took it for 2 to 3 months and recently stopped as there were too many side effects.

I started putting on a lot of weight around the stomach area. I felt like shit for 2 hours everyday after taking the pill in the morning. I had memory issues and finally it caused hair thinning. You can google all these symptoms for avapro and read personal reviews from patients. It will not be spelt out in the product information when you buy the pills- no surprise there...