AboutDr Alan Galbraith Expertise I can answer most questions on drugs, both medical and "recreational". Answers can be given in either technical or layperson terminology. My main areas of interest are psychiatric, gastrointestinal and cardiovascular drugs.
Experience I have been a university lecturer/head of department for almost thirty years, but am now retired. My research interests were alcohol, smoking and cardiovascular disease.
Organizations Institute of Biology, London.
Publications Principal author of "Fundamentals of Pharmacology" 4th Edition published in November 2003 by Pearson Education, Australia.
Expert: Dr Alan Galbraith Date: 5/12/2008 Subject: Blood Pressure Medication
Question Dear Dr Galbraith,
My mom is on multiple BP pills and we wonder if she may be having dizzy spells as a result. Sometimes her dyistolic is as low as 50 measured at home.
Weight: 125 pounds
Age: 82
Drugs: Enalapril 25mg in am, 5mg in pm
Amlodipine 10mg in am
Carvedilol 6.25 mg am and pm
Atacand 32mg in pm
She is going to get a 2nd opinion- hopefully we can figure it out. Thank you for any input.
Answer Dear Laura
Both amlodipine and Carvedilol could be responsible for this much more likely than the others. It seems to me that she needs assessed again and her treatment schedule changed as this combination of antihypertensives is dropping her BP too much.
Good that she is getting a second opinion and hopefully her medications will be reviewed to the better.
