Severe anxiety runs in my mom's side of the family. I don't act up or freak out but I usually end up very stressed. My blood pressure runs high, and the act of taking blood pressure raises my blood pressure. I have my own cuff at home I use to read. I can watch it go down as I take multiple readings as I stop stressing. BPM go down with multiple readings. For example last night it started out at 146/83 at 114 BPM. I got it down to 136/83 at 74 BPM. This morning I took it and it was 128/74 at 63.
But when I'm with my doctor it can spike high. I spoke with him online this morning and I told him I was willing to consider BP medication. He said he will prescribe Lisinopril. The thing is, I'm reading that it's not good for kidneys. My creatine is 1.5 and the top of normal range is 1.2. My BUN, Bld is 26 and top of range is 23 (It was 26 in 2019 as well, dipped to 19 last year). And my GFR Estimate CKD-EPI is 59, lower than the bottom of normal range of 60.
So my question is-- why is he wanting me to take this medication if it's bad for my kidneys?
Some extra factors-- first of all I'm a 42 year old male. So:
1) This is all prompted by the fact that for about two months now, I've had very low energy. Late December/early January I got sick. It may have been Covid, but I just don't know. Had a sinus infection afterwards and got an antibiotic. But since then getting up in the morning is harder than usual. After lunch I'm more tired than usual. At night when I get into bed, I'm out. Like out out. My libido has completely plummeted in the last month. I normally want to fuck everyone I talk to. Now I have zero interest.
2) Some time in January, after I started hitting the gym a little harder (holidays), I had what felt like a slightly pulled lower abdomen/groin muscle. Lasted for maybe two weeks, and seemingly healed. Also in January I experienced what I can only describe as a slight surge of acne. It was on my face, shoulders, back and chest. It subsided and it's not like I was pizza face, but I did notice it, and felt it was odd.
3) My testosterone looks great from a medical perspective. Total is 847, with the normal range for 20-49 year olds being 249 - 836. My free testosterone is 9.40 within a range of 2.02 - 16.64. This does lend itself to a low % though-- free is 1.11% of total, which is at the very bottom normal range of 1.11 - 3.15%. I have no idea if this means anything. I've never looked at my testosterone before because I've never had reason to. I was actually hoping for low T because it would explain what the hell I'm dealing with.
4) I go to the gym every day. I lift 3x a week, generally 40 sets. I do five sets of: Bench, pull ups, shrugs, lower back extention, lateral raise or dumbell for lats, dips, incline bench, abs and rows. I follow it up with 35 minutes of cardio. I can get my heart rate up to 165-170 on the bike. I do cardio and abs every day regardless of whether it's a lifting day or not. If I just do stairs I keep it around 140 - 150. Once a week I will forego the cardio add legs, 25 sets. Leg press, both abductors and adducters, leg curl and leg extension.
So my week is this:
Sunday- Workout and leg workout. No cardio. 65 sets.
Monday- Cardio
Tuesday- Workout and cardio. 40 sets.
Wednesday- Cardio.
Thursday- Workout and cardio. 40 sets.
Friday- Cardio.
Saturday- Cardio.
Some of my workout is more extreme than others. I use 90 dumbells for shrugs. I start at 135 for bench and max at 2-3 reps at 225. Pullups are... well... pullups. But for the rows and such I don't go too hard. Maybe 100 lbs to start.
I don't know exactly what I'm looking for. The most alarming thing in all this is the lack of sex drive I have. I don't look at porn but normally I definitely have an urge that I have to fight. For about three weeks now, no urge whatsoever. Are there any other hormones that affect energy and/or libido?
My friends say I'm depressed. But I don't feel depressed.
