Polycystic Kidney Disease (PKD) Support Group

its very important to control your blood pressure.pk causes high bp but in turn high bp causes kidney damage.if your bp been high on 3 occasions then listen to your doctor.ive been on bp meds 4 years, had them swapped and doses changed and now had more added, my bp never behaves!! weve all been there, dont worry trust your doc xxx

Welcome!

Lisinopril is in the category of blood pressure medications called ACE inhibitors. They work to lower blood pressure by inhibiting the production of the angiotensin converting enzyme (ACE), part of the angiotensin-renin-aldosterone (RAAS) system, a process that manages your blood pressure and is controlled by your kidneys. ACE inhibitors are an excellent medication for PKD patients because they not only help lower your blood pressure, but also have a renal-protective effect and help prevent the good kidney tissue from any additional damage (beyond what may be caused by the PKD itself). (renal means kidney)

You need to take your medication every day, ideally around the same time (it doesn't need to be exactly the same time, but first thing in the morning or before you go to bed are best so you develop a habit and thus always remember to take it). I keep all my medication in a weekly medication container with separate sections for each day of the week and keep that in the top drawer of my dresser in my bedroom (do NOT keep your medciation in the bathroom; it will deteriorate if exposed to moisture). Since I've been taking my BP meds for 19 years, I have my habit down pretty pat: get up, go to the bathroom, wash my hands, walk into the bedroom with a glass of water, take my morning medications, put the glass back in the bathroom, and then get on with the rest of my day. Every day starts this way, even if all I'm doing is going back to bed.

As Lynne said, keeping your blood pressure under control (considered to be at or below 120/75) is considered the most important thing you can do to keep yourself healthy. It not only protects your kidneys and reduces the workload on them, but it also helps protect your arteries and veins, your heart and your brain.

It might take you some time to adjust to the medication, so be careful when going from sitting to standing or lying down to sitting; it's easy to get a bit dizzy until you get accustomed to the new, lower blood pressure. If this dizziness continues, be sure to let your doctor know. Keeping well hydrated with lots of water will help you avoid this side effect.

A good idea is to get a home blood pressure machine so you can check your BP at home. Be sure to get one that measures your BP at the upper arm; they're more accurate than the wrist or finger models. You'll need to keep track of your blood pressure at home to know if your medication is working (it takes a few days to a week for the medication to kick in, depending on how high your BP is to begin with) and it's important to keep track of your blood pressure on a regular basis so you can review it with your doctor and together you can make any needed changes to your medications based on your blood pressure chart instead of on a single reading in the doctor's office. And bring it to your next doctor's appointment to compare how it measures versus the calibrated machine in the doctor's office; it's always helpful to know how it compares to the doctor's machine or technician's measurements.

Good luck with the new medication and please let us know if you have any questions at all!
Ruth

I am someone who was in denial about my high bp, figured it was just "white coat syndrome" or stress, and didn't take meds until I really HAD to. I often wonder if I controlled my bp all along if I would have avoided more kidney damage.
controlling bp, lowering sodium and drinking plenty of water may go a long way in keeping your kidneys healthy.

I started Lisinopril when I was 32 years old...13 years ago. It worked quite well for me for all those years. I didn't have any significant side effects. I have heard that ace inhibitors can be protective of both the heart and kidneys. Good luck and don't be worried about taking meds...be worried about NOT taking them!

I'm on Lisinopril and Metoprolol but at t his point in time have to take them prn because bp is rather erratic.
I heard on news this am that now they're saying controlling bp is even more important than they thought it was, and that's for everyone. It causes more damage than anything else as reported on the news networks today. Lin.

I take Avapro which is an ARB. It works similarly to the ACE inhibitors and is another line of drugs that have renal protective qualities. I started my BP regimen when I was 30, 12 years ago and agree with everyone else on here, keep your blood pressure under control is probably the most important thing you can do to help protect your renal function.
Don't get frustrated if your neph changes your meds from time to time, somtimes it takes a little while to find the right med for you.
Good luck,
Tami

BTW, I started on BP meds when I was 28. I was diagnosed when I was 26 (my brother was in a skiing accident and ruptured some cysts in his kidneys and the doctors diagnosed PKD and from what they could see at first, it looked like he had destroyed both kidneys, so I was checked as a possible kidney donor...fortunately he jsut lost the top of one kidney and is doing great). I had a series of doctors who were all very aggressive about monitoring my blood pressure and ensuring I was treated as soon as it became evident that my blood pressure was not responding to diet and exercise. PKD runs rampant in my family and considering how this disease has affected the rest of my family (all with PKD were on dialysis or dead by the age of 45 except my brother and me), I honestly believe the aggressive BP management (plus diet and exercise) has made a tremendous difference in how my disease has progressed as compared to my cousins'.

I think that PKD contributes to high blood pressure. I was on BP meds for many years but after my transplant, I no longer have to take them because the pressure is normal.

Thank you all ao much for all of your great and helpful advice about my new medicine, as one of you had said, I to have been in denial about my blood pressure medicine, my normal reading is about 145/114? WOW i know! I am on 10mg of lis and 5 of bystolic. My pcp, that i saw today also put me on lexapro to help my anxiety. Ihave a son w severe ADHD/ODD, a 2 yr old going through terrible 2s and a 4mth old baby girl> I am very busy and as moms we all kno taking care of ourselves sadly falls last on the list. But I am a new member here looking for friends and people living w pkd like me for support. My family thinks the drs are wrong aout misdiagnosing me and im fine, no others in my family have yet been tested or seem to care for that matter. My nephrologist sucks, i live in a small town and the care here is so poor, wish i could network w someone close. Anyone in the morgantown, Pittsburgh area? Glad to meet someon who can offer some helpful words, thoughts and sometimes a shoulder to cry on, its tough the disease! we all ask Y? At least i know i do! hope to keep talking to you all.
Sincerely, Chasity

Hi, just to pick up on what Ruth said about target BP. I was given an upper limit of 140/85 by the nephrologist I saw, but your limit is much lower (120/75). Given that my diastolic BP is quite often at or near the 85 limit, I'm wondering whether I should be concerned. My GP rarely takes my BP (last done around April) so I take it myself. When she has taken it, she's never been concerned, so I remain unmedicated. I'm not keen to take medication unless I really need to. What do you think of the 140/85 upper limit?