Candesartan to manage long term withdrawal effects

[[JG...]]

Long time since I have been on here or posted, but I thought this might be helpful. 

So, the good news for me is that 3.5 years on since having seizures from cold-turkeying off a crazy high dose of diazepam, that nearly killed me and led to 6 weeks in hospital with tubes coming in and out of me, I'm holding down a job, managing the symptoms (fatigue, dizziness, cogfog, tinnitus), and generally living my best life. But recently, the neurologist has put me on Candesartan to help address any ongoing issues. Specifically, to protect against "excitotoxicity". Caveat: I am not a clincial professional, so I may be wrong, but from what I understand, excitotoxicity is caused by excessive stimulation of neurons by neurotransmitters such as glutamate, can lead to neuronal injury and death. I think this maybe what sometimes happens when you cold turkey off a crazy high dose. It's not that dissimilar to what happens if you have a stroke or traumatic brain injury. So there is some research that suggests that Candesartan may help protect against excitotoxicity. Also, there are some studies suggest that candesartan may promote neurogenesis (the growth of new neurons) and synaptic plasticity, which are critical for learning, memory, and recovery from brain injuries. And thirdly, candesartan can improve cerebral blood flow by reducing blood pressure and enhancing blood vessel function. This improved blood flow can help protect brain tissue from ischemic damage and support overall brain health.

The thing is, in the UK at least, and in the NHS, you are normally prescribed candesartan for problems with blood pressure. It works as an antihypertensive medication, blocking the angiotensin II receptor to lower blood pressure. It only works well over the longer term- you don't see some magic benefit in a few weeks- but it is one of those medications that you take for months, years, forever, and as the docs say "it's fairly well tolerated" meaning that they think you won't grow a second head, die, or sue them for taking it for long periods. But, like all medications, there are side effects (hey don't we know it). And crucially, you have to have your kidney health monitored regularly, which is a simple blood test at your GP once every few months. 

Anyway, it is early days, but I am hopeful that, whilst this won't fix my ongoing long-term symptoms, it might at least head off some nastier long term ones in the future. Has anyone else had any experiences of being prescribed candesartan for brain health, as opposed to blood pressure? I would be interested to hear your experiences.

[[kn...]]

I’ve taken Candesartan for years to control my high BP. It’s very effective and , for me symptom free. I do have a yearly wellness check up and blood panel as well. I’ve had cancer, internal bleeding as a complication of extensive radiation treatments and so and so on….I’ve never heard of  this Rx used for anything else, but you seem to know your pharmaceuticals far better than I. Hope this helps.  

[[JG...]]

Thanks for that. Yes, I've still not found anyone who has had it prescribed to help mitigate long term adverse effects so maybe I'm a guinea pig in this regard! Certainly not had any negative impact so far