| WOW! I now know that Benicar has caused all kinds of problems for me in the last six months. I have been on Benicar HCT 40/12.5 mg combined with Lotrel 5/10 mg to reduce BP from 160/80 to 120/70. It did the trick for about a year and then I developed a sharp pain in my back, and a feeling like I had swallowed a golf ball. Diagnosed acid reflux and put on Prevacid. Nothing helped. Began to have chest tightness and shortness of breath. Went through thorough cardiac work-up ( all normal ). Then I began to have dizziness and nausea on the golf course. So severe that I could barely tolerate bright light on the ball or the sand traps. Had to quit playing golf three times in a row. Then I read the label. ....avoid prolonged or excessive exposure to sunlight. I live in the So. Calif. desert, I play tennis and golf in the blazing sun all winter and I have a boat in Massachusetts!!! Sunlight is my daily diet. I am 66 yr old female. Doctor told me to stop the Prevacid as I insisted I never had heartburn. After the golf course dizziness I stopped the Benicar and Lotrel. At the same time I went off 20 years of Premarin and Progesterone. So I have "warm rushes", but I don't have pain in my back, throat, chest and the tingling in my feet and hands is improving. I see the Doc tomorrow and if I MUST take something to reduce BP I will beg for the old fashioned tried and true stuff. I have always had vivid dreams, so I could not blame Benicar for that.....but then again, we shall see. |