Diavan symptoms and conditions

I'm a 57-year-old male. I have been on Divovan 160 for about 3 years now. Several months ago I started to have back pain and it has been increasing. The doctor took x-rays and cat scan and the reports said that while I have some disc degeneration in my lower spine, the films are virtually unchanged since they were taken 5 years ago. In other words, I should not have back pain - but I do!
Lately, the pain has gotten worse - so bad that I can hardly get out of bed in the morning. It is located on the left side of my lower back. I also have incredible gas and despite diet and exercise, which is now impossible due to the pain, I could not lose weight no matter how hard I tried.
In the last 6 months I have slowly transformed from feeling pretty good for my age and capable of an hour a day on the treadmill to feeling like a 90-year old man. Today the pain was so bad I had to book off sick from work.
I went to the doctor and told him about all the negative stories on the Internet about Diovan. He looked up in his medical journal and decided to take me off the drug. Instead he prescribed a new drug, Rasilez (aliskiren fumarate).
Last month I tried stopping Diovan for 4 days and experienced a significant reduction in pain. I had to go back on because my pressure shot up again. I hope this new drug works without side effects.
Would appreciate responses from any of you who have had success with drugs alternative to Diovan and also success with natural remedies.
Best wishes to you all.

I developed hbp during pregnancy with my first child, after delivery the bp continued to stay up for about four months and then it went back down to a safe level. Six yrs later I became pregnant with my second child and my bp spiked again. Once again, after delivery, my bp went even higher. I tried a calcium channel blocker which gave me SEVERE headaches and then was put on a beta blocker. The beta blocker had no side effects but my bp was still out of control. My GP tried me on Lisinopril 10 mg in November 07. Since then I have had abdominal pain, loss of concentration, fatigue, leg and arm pain and numbness that is slowly worsening, dry, hacking cough, loss of sleep, strange thoughts of losing family members, etc....When I spoke to my GP about these new symptoms, I was told I have reflux, even though I never get heartburn and get this...POST PARTUM DEPRESSION! Oh, I am so sick of the "D" word. I never have thoughts of hurting myself or my kids, not to mention, I'm the happiest person I know. I'm really convinced now that these symptoms are all due to the Lisinopril b/c it all started around that time. The cough can be so embarrassing. I work in health care and will start hacking in the middle of an exam with a patient. It comes off as really unprofessional and it bothers me a lot. I see him next week and will discuss this with him. I am kind of discouraged b/c my bp is totally out of control w/o meds and this is the second one that has caused major side effects that has actually helped my b/p.

just turned 50 and three months ago went to the ER with a rapid heart rate 170bpm sent to a cordio Dr. they tested everything. I already had high blood pressure and hi colestrol
I take diavan and lipator and baby asprin. now diagnosed with arterial fribulation and they put me on 50mg toprol xl
I now have a cough,low sex drive,put on 15lbs and feel a little more tired at the end of the day not sure what to do since my blood press. is very good and no more rapid heart rate but the side effects are a problem

Since I have been on Diavan Hct I have put on weight.

I started taking Diovan after trouble with Lisinop (bad cough!) and Hydrochlorozide (didn't work). At first I took one tab a day, but after a month, my BP was not low enough to keep my Dr. happy, so dosage was increased to two a day. I became so exhausted I could not get up off of the couch. I would lay there and try and will myself to get up and do the dishes or something simple. I just didn't feel like myself. Then I found myself lying in bed at night thinking about how I didn't want to go on this way and what would be the easiest way to do away with myself! Now this just isn't me! I immediately quit taking the Diovan and insisted to my Dr. that I will never take it again. Within two weeks I was feeling more normal. Now I am on Toprol, better energy level, but my feet are really sore...guess I will have to wait and see.