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        I have never replied to the list before, but I need some help with a
hypertension problem. I thoroughly enjoy reading everyone's comments and
have been helped tremendously over the past 4 years with the input.  A big
thank you to the group who puts this all together.

        I am a 63 yr. old woman who has traditionally had low blood pressure
all my life (even with four pregnancies) with one exception.  About 15 yrs.
ago I moved from sea level to Albuquerque, NM (5,300' altitude).  No
medicine was given at that time, but I was watched for 6 mos. and gradually
resumed normal b/p.  About 1 1/2 yrs. ago my b/p started rising.  At that
time, due to undiagnosed celiac disease for 59 years, osteoporosis was
causing bone breakage.  Bone density scan showed a -1.5 deviation, and I was
one of the first people placed on Fosamax by the specialist at the hospital
in Albuquerque.

        My brother and daughter are celiacs also.  Family history on
father's side has heart problems.  Father died in his sleep at 72 with a
VERY SHORT history of supposed angina?, three of his sisters had vascular
troubles, etc.  Mother has no known history of heart or b/p problems.  My
sister and brother traditionally, and still do, have the same low b/p that I
used to have.

        My blood pressure has been continuing to rise--had a great deal of
stress in my life at this time with a 1 year RV trip, new house, new
culture, etc.--and peaked at 218/112 in the emergency room this past April.
NO SYMPTOMS AT ALL, except I had  had recently checked in for a routine
physical to get established with medical help in my new area, and was found
to have a higher elevated b/p than normal and was told to check b/p every
few days.

        When the b/p rose to such a high, I was immediately put on a
2.5mg./10 dosage of Lotrel and told to monitor carefully--it came down.
Side effects are fatique, depression, and fluid retention.  I continued to
take the Fosamax and HCTZ to reduce edema (fluid), but no other medication
other than a Centrum vitamin and Citracal tablets for calcium.

        Was told to lose 15 lbs and exercise, which I did, (5'5 and now 141
lbs.)  and I decided to try to only take Lotrel every three days or so
(which I now understand was dangerous and detrimental to my heart.)

        With this background, my question is this. Could it be that the
Fosamax is causing the calcium buildup in the arteries, thus causing the
high b/p?  This is not a known or recorded side effect of Fosamax altho a
nurses's drug register says it can cause hypertension, and the literature
does not recommend anyone with hypertension taking the drug.  My second bone
density scan (after 1 yr. on Fosamax) showed no improvement at all; my
fingernails are still as brittle and soft as they ever were, and I wonder if
my body is placing the calcium where it shouldn't be going rather into the
bones where we want it to go.

        My internist has barely heard of celiac disease; my bone specialist
has one other patient that is a celiac but doesn't know much about it; and I
am left to try to determine why my b/p is out of control.  I want to get off
the b/p medicine.  I was not given any Rx choice but Lotrel, altho I read
that there are some other meds that should have been tried before going to
the more potent Lotrel.

        As of today, (one week off the Fosamax, 5 days off the Lotrel), I
have added liquid magnesium,(horsetail) silicone and Cal Apetit with Boron
(advice of a nutritionist).  Today my b/p started rising again. Anybody out
there who can:

        1.  give me any medical advice
        2.  give me the name of a good GI/internist in Tucson, El Paso, or
Las Cruces, NM area--people here are no help at all, and Albuquerque wasn't
much better.

        Thank you for any input that you can give me.

                                        Joy Ash
                                        Silver City, New Mexico