I've had it for quite some time, but I didn't know how bad it really was until a couple of weeks during a health screening at work, my BP was 180/133!! :wow: :wow: With numbers like that, I should've been hospitalized. Since then, I've changed the way I eat. I rely now on home-cooked meals (nothing fried), replaced processed box lunches for lower-sodium turkey sandwiches and salads I prepare at home, more fruits and vegetables instead of junk food, and drinking more water. I'm also getting more exercise by going to the gym.
I really don't know how I could've allowed myself to get my BP to such a high number. For one, I believe I was a food addict. I'm not really overweight, though I could stand to lose a few pounds (another reason I go to the gym). I didn't really feel ill because of it, though I would get a slight headache on occasion. As I look back on it, I was too lazy to be mindful about what I was eating and not getting proper exercise.
Having said all that, it doesn't mean I'll never eat another piece of fried chicken, donut or even any kind of fast food. Just that when I do, I need to be careful of how much and when.
Soon, I'm going to go to a doctor to check on my progress. If you have or had high blood pressure, please tell me what you've done to combat it.
It is amazing you didn't have a stroke with those numbers!! My dad had a stroke in April 2012. He is a totally dependent on others now. He can't move, can't talk and can't do anything for himself. I sit with him on Sundays giving my brother and step-mom a break from the 24-hour care they give him. You definitely do not need to let this be your fate. Keep working on your bp numbers.
I am going to see my dad's heart doctor Tuesday to get my ticker inspected. I went through the battery of tests a little over 5 years ago (treadmill stress test, dye test to check arteries for blockages, blood work and bp check) and the tests came back with excellent results. Since then, I have gained a little weight, been having to take bi-weekly shots for low-T, and haven't really changed any eating habits. I believe the doctor will be scolding me this go around. We'll see.
My bp numbers have been all over the place over the last year. I had a dizzy spell a few months ago caused by low bp (experienced this about 20 years earlier also). But my bp was also checked and was 155/100. I have been told that the bottom number is the number to really watch.
Golden Eagle, you and I are southerners...our favorite fruit is fried chicken. Our favorite vegetable is fried chicken. Our favorite bread is fried chicken. We have the best food in the country, and we want to enjoy it every chance we can. But it is slowly, and in some cases painfully, killing us each and everyday. I have a job that keeps me active, but it ain't enough. I am aging, therefore my body doesn't process food the way it used to. I have got to change my ways before it is too late.
If my doctor does scold me and gives me instructions, I will share them in this thread Tuesday evening.
At 180/133 you definitely need to see a doctor sooner than "soon". That's high risk for heart attack or stroke. The doctor has me on a combination of three generic drugs (lisinopril, amlodipine besylate, hydrochlorothiazide), which aren't all that expensive; I just ordered a 90-day supply and my out-of-pocket for that came to $58. One baby aspirin per day as well.
It sounds like you're on the right track with the diet and exercise. The sodium in processed foods and junk foods can be lethal. If you like red wine, I find that a glass of Cabernet in the evening helps some too.
Buy a home blood pressure monitor and keep a chart to monitor your progress. Good luck!
Work is enough to give you high BP. Since I retired mine is better.
Mine is dangerously high, but they wouldn't tell me the numbers, because I wouldn't want to know.
I appreciate everyone's concern. I don't really want to be on medication, but I'll do it if it's temporary. I'll ask about alternative remedies.
I mentioned about eating more fruits and vegetables. I've really been into avocados. I've never eaten one, except in the form of guacamole, until a week ago. Now, I'm almost addicted to them. It's one of the best foods you can have.
High BP is often called the "silent killer" because people are often asymptomatic until a catastrophic event - like a stroke or heart attack - happens. Those numbers - 180/133 - are dangerously high and it is important to see a physician ASAP. That said, any one reading is not as important as a trend. Also, automated BP cuffs are pretty notorious for over-estimating BP.
You're on the right track with diet and exercise. The DASH (Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension) diet is effective for many people. Medication may be in your future, too.
Wishing you success in getting those numbers down.
Quote from: US81 on March 01, 2015, 02:09:50 PM
High BP is often called the "silent killer" because people are often asymptomatic until a catastrophic event - like a stroke or heart attack - happens. Those numbers - 180/133 - are dangerously high and it is important to see a physician ASAP. That said, any one reading is not as important as a trend. Also, automated BP cuffs are pretty notorious for over-estimating BP.
You're on the right track with diet and exercise. The DASH (Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension) diet is effective for many people. Medication may be in your future, too.
Wishing you success in getting those numbers down.
It really is. I wasn't really feeling any real bad effects. I'm only 40 years old. I was a walking dead man; a ticking time bomb with one foot in the grave. Another thing to consider: I'm black. Hypertension is an epidemic among black Americans. About half of us have it. It's even more important that watch my sodium. It's recommended that I (along with anyone who's black, over 50, and/or already has HBP) should have no more than 1500mg per day, as opposed to 2400 for every one else.
I don't have high blood pressure, but when I check it with a battery-powered drugstore cuff, it is usually closer to levels considered prehypertensive than I would like. Therefore, I try to restrain sodium intake by fixing DASH-safe dishes (defined by me, not the NIH, as main course dishes that have no more than 20% of the daily sodium RDA) and not adding salt to my food.
There are many things that can cause blood pressure to be transiently higher, such as exercise or being very well-hydrated, so the standard advice is to establish a baseline blood pressure by using the same cuff at rest at a consistent time of day over a number of days. I have never actually done this myself; I just act out of an abundance of caution.
To reiterate, cook your own food. Not always possible, of course, but don't bring heat-and-eat anything into your home. Keeping prepared food tasting good through industrial freezing, canning, or drying requires unfathomable amounts of sodium. Cans of soup are terrible–I swore them off years ago. Make your own and freeze it–even if you add salt, you won't approach the amount in a can.
Quote from: Pete from Boston on March 01, 2015, 03:11:51 PMTo reiterate, cook your own food. Not always possible, of course, but don't bring heat-and-eat anything into your home. Keeping prepared food tasting good through industrial freezing, canning, or drying requires unfathomable amounts of sodium. Cans of soup are terrible–I swore them off years ago. Make your own and freeze it–even if you add salt, you won't approach the amount in a can.
There have been sodium reductions in a lot of pre-prepared foods (mixes and so on) as well as traditional junk foods to accommodate the sodium-conscious consumer. As an example, the sodium content of whole packages of things like potato chips like Frito-Lays, snack crackers like Triscuits, etc. has gone down to about 60%-70% of the RDA. Nowadays I would look more closely at foods traditionally marketed as healthy alternatives, including not just canned soups but also pre-prepared salsas, as stealth sources of sodium. I make my own salsa (tomatoes, Fresno red chili peppers, and cilantro blenderized with lime juice added) because the amount of sodium in the ready-made fresh gourmet salsa sold at the supermarket is just unbelievable.
It is important to eat fresh food, especially vegetables whose bioavailability is at a maximum uncooked, and assess nutrition labeling by the proportion of the total package that is actually eaten in a sitting rather than whatever the stated serving size is. I am not at all confident the serving size is regulated closely enough to prevent manufacturers from using artificially small serving sizes to obscure the impact of unhealthy food.
Quote from: J N Winkler on March 01, 2015, 03:31:04 PM
There have been sodium reductions in a lot of pre-prepared foods (mixes and so on) as well as traditional junk foods to accommodate the sodium-conscious consumer. As an example, the sodium content of whole packages of things like potato chips like Frito-Lays, snack crackers like Triscuits, etc. has gone down to about 60%-70% of the RDA. Nowadays I would look more closely at foods traditionally marketed as healthy alternatives, including not just canned soups but also pre-prepared salsas, as stealth sources of sodium. I make my own salsa (tomatoes, Fresno red chili peppers, and cilantro blenderized with lime juice added) because the amount of sodium in the ready-made fresh gourmet salsa sold at the supermarket is just unbelievable.
It is important to eat fresh food, especially vegetables whose bioavailability is at a maximum uncooked, and assess nutrition labeling by the proportion of the total package that is actually eaten in a sitting rather than whatever the stated serving size is. I am not at all confident the serving size is regulated closely enough to prevent manufacturers from using artificially small serving sizes to obscure the impact of unhealthy food.
Yes. Yes.
Quote from: J N Winkler on March 01, 2015, 03:07:18 PM
I don't have high blood pressure, but when I check it with a battery-powered drugstore cuff, it is usually closer to levels considered prehypertensive than I would like.
I have always hated those battery operated things...they always show my bp at stroke levels. My fiancee' had a manual bp checker before it broke. Gotta get a new one.
I might have it.
I was actually very worried I had it starting recently (and it didn't seem too surprising, as I eat terrible - one time I had 5 sodas in one sitting, have literally purposefully exercised 1 or 2 times in the last several months, and due to various things, stress levels have been at an all-time high), as I was having several symptoms. But I went to the doctor recently (actually just a few days ago), and I found out I thankfully don't have it, though my blood pressure is a little on the high side. I'm actually not very overweight, but in the past several months I have gained tons of weight very fast, and am starting to push the borders of a healthy weight, especially since I have practically no muscle. Prayers are out to you golden eagle, and anyone else who has high blood pressure. A stroke or heart disease is indeed a very bad fate.
Quote from: Hoss6884 on March 01, 2015, 05:59:40 PM
To everyone here who has it or thinks they have it and have not addressed it correctly, please do something. I buried my father last year and my mother last week both due to stroke complications. I finally dragged myself to the doctor last September and was put on medication to bring my BP down to normal levels. I go back tomorrow with more normal levels and 15 less pounds. I'm not bragging, I'm just throwing this out there in the event it helps someone else.
OMG! I'm so sorry to hear about you losing both parents. Though I have no children, as I stated earlier, I do have a nephew who's six. I want watch him play ball, graduate high school and college and do other big things in his life.
I do. Given my weight and size, plus my genetics (it runs on both sides of my family), that's not surprising.
Years ago (sometime in the late 1990s, when I still worked in Frankfort) I had an ear infection and went to the doctor, which was my first time going to a doctor since I was very young. My BP was high so the doctor put me on some medication for it. The only problem is, they like to do blood tests if you're on BP medication and I don't like blood tests because I don't like needles and I'm such a hard stick, so after a couple of years and running out of refills, I just quit going to the doctor.
Fast forward to a few years later, when I had another ear infection and had moved back to my hometown, and the doctor was the son of my childhood doctor and my grandfather's fishing buddy. They took my BP and were astonished at the numbers. They freaked out and gave me a pill to get it down immediately and they kept asking if I felt this way or that way. I didn't; except for the ear infection I felt fine. The doctor said given my lack of reaction to such a high BP, he'd know that if I ever did come in feeling sick, I was definitely sick and needed care.
Only symptoms I'd ever had were that three or four times a year, I'd wake up with a severe, splitting headache that just about incapacitated me. (Unfortunately, it happened to me once on a roadtrip, and had to stop twice to take hour-long naps on what would otherwise have been a 5.5-hour drive home.)
Thus began an adventure to get my medications regulated. Between my PCP and a nephrologist he referred me to, they tried all sorts of medicines, but the side effects were unacceptable. I got winded real easily and severely constipated, plus also had a lot of leg cramps. They finally found a combination of two meds that seem to work well, and my numbers regularly show up lower than 120/80.
Only problem is that they still have to do routine bloodwork, which I hate, and through that they discovered hypothyroidism and an elevated A1C level. Plus, my insurance is so bad now that I can't afford the bloodwork on the schedule they recommend. That's a direct result of the (un)Affordable Care Act, but that's not an acceptable topic for this board.
Quote from: adventurernumber1 on March 01, 2015, 05:56:14 PM
I was actually very worried I had it starting recently (and it didn't seem too surprising, as I eat terrible - one time I had 5 sodas in one sitting, have literally purposefully exercised 1 or 2 times in the last several months, and due to various things, stress levels have been at an all-time high), as I was having several symptoms. But I went to the doctor recently (actually just a few days ago), and I found out I thankfully don't have it, though my blood pressure is a little on the high side. I'm actually not very overweight, but in the past several months I have gained tons of weight very fast, and am starting to push the borders of a healthy weight, especially since I have practically no muscle. Prayers are out to you golden eagle, and anyone else who has high blood pressure. A stroke or heart disease is indeed a very bad fate.
Take a good long think about all the things you just wrote, and remember that now that you've laid it all out, you have a list of fixable problems.
I have lost a few diabetics. It's not a happy road. It ages you before your time, and makes every other condition worse. You describe a road map to this.
The best, BEST part of taking good care of yourself is feeling better. Moving lighter, easier, faster, with more energy. It's hard to be good about it, but it's a more fulfilling addiction than soda.
I am in alright shape, but at my best I ran a bunch, which was boring until I turned it into micro-roadgeeking. I went down every street and took in every detail. Suddenly it wasn't a chore.
@Pete, yeah, I seriously need to change my habits or else something really bad is going to happen in the future.
Also, whenever I bike or run (when I do exercise, roughly the only things I do) I try to make the whole thing into a little driving simulator (the roads themselves are interstates, and the sidewalks are two-lane roads - my driveway is usually either a four-lane arterial with a center turn lane or an invisible median (visible in my imagination though of course) - and sometimes for even more variety I'll go as far as having the sidewalks parallel to the road be frontage roads, or even a bound of an interstate that has a wooded median). I am never allowed to leave my gated neighborhood walking or biking, so I can't really actually micro-roadgeek on the main roads, but I do what I can with the few roads and many sidewalks in my neighborhood :-P
If it wasn't for what my crazy road-obsessed mind can come up with, exercise would be a crazily dull chore for me. Though with that motivation, I could've exercised a whole lot more in the past several months (last year I biked and/or walked at least a good bit every week), but I haven't due to my poor diet that keeps me weak and sucks out my endurance, as well as it being cold (but of course that's only been an obstacle the past few months), and for other reasons. I hope once spring comes around I can get back on track with the exercise. I could also cut it down with the fried food galore, insane portions of sweets, and definitely the soda. I love plenty of healthy stuff like salads (if done right), it's just I cant get enough of the unhealthy stuff.
My mom has high blood pressure and my dad has high cholesterol. I don't know if it runs through genetics though. I go to the gym regularly and (kind of) try to eat healthy.
Quote from: adventurernumber1 on March 01, 2015, 10:35:04 PM
@Pete, yeah, I seriously need to change my habits or else something really bad is going to happen in the future.
Also, whenever I bike or run (when I do exercise, roughly the only things I do) I try to make the whole thing into a little driving simulator (the roads themselves are interstates, and the sidewalks are two-lane roads - my driveway is usually either a four-lane arterial with a center turn lane or an invisible median (visible in my imagination though of course) - and sometimes for even more variety I'll go as far as having the sidewalks parallel to the road be frontage roads, or even a bound of an interstate that has a wooded median). I am never allowed to leave my gated neighborhood walking or biking, so I can't really actually micro-roadgeek on the main roads, but I do what I can with the few roads and many sidewalks in my neighborhood :-P
If it wasn't for what my crazy road-obsessed mind can come up with, exercise would be a crazily dull chore for me. Though with that motivation, I could've exercised a whole lot more in the past several months (last year I biked and/or walked at least a good bit every week), but I haven't due to my poor diet that keeps me weak and sucks out my endurance, as well as it being cold (but of course that's only been an obstacle the past few months), and for other reasons. I hope once spring comes around I can get back on track with the exercise. I could also cut it down with the fried food galore, insane portions of sweets, and definitely the soda. I love plenty of healthy stuff like salads (if done right), it's just I cant get enough of the unhealthy stuff.
Well, you're saying all the right things, and that's the first step. As silly as they are, I started doing (badly at first) local 5ks and they really made the whole chore into a periodic party. Great for building mental momentum.
Just keep focusing on the stuff you're talking about. The weather's gonna turn soon and it's a fun time to start getting out. You'll be fine.
180/133?? Wow, I have hypertension and my diastolic I don't think has ever been that high.
Hope you get that under control.
I am on several different meds including a beta blocker. Since I have started eating more at home, my weight, and hopefully my BP, will be under control next time I go to the doctor.
My wife has been an angel for trying to watch my dietary needs. She's not a roadgeek, but I just sit there and make observations in my head as we go somewhere.
Somehow, with my lack of exercise, horrible diet, and other bad lifestyle choices, I have extremely good blood pressure (can't remember the exact numbers...). I know, I should probably change the bad things before that comes around and bites me in the ass.
Wow NE 2 is in good health? I would figure with his short fuse that he would definitely have it over anyone I know and at risk for that "big one."
Mine is slightly high but not as bad as that. Lisinopril, yes. Less salt and avoiding high salt semi-prepared foods. Exercise, even just a walk every day.
Quote from: adventurernumber1 on March 01, 2015, 05:56:14 PM
I was actually very worried I had it starting recently (and it didn't seem too surprising, as I eat terrible - one time I had 5 sodas in one sitting, have literally purposefully exercised 1 or 2 times in the last several months, and due to various things, stress levels have been at an all-time high), as I was having several symptoms. But I went to the doctor recently (actually just a few days ago), and I found out I thankfully don't have it, though my blood pressure is a little on the high side. I'm actually not very overweight, but in the past several months I have gained tons of weight very fast, and am starting to push the borders of a healthy weight, especially since I have practically no muscle. Prayers are out to you golden eagle, and anyone else who has high blood pressure. A stroke or heart disease is indeed a very bad fate.
Quote from: adventurernumber1 on March 01, 2015, 10:35:04 PM
@Pete, yeah, I seriously need to change my habits or else something really bad is going to happen in the future.
Also, whenever I bike or run (when I do exercise, roughly the only things I do) I try to make the whole thing into a little driving simulator (the roads themselves are interstates, and the sidewalks are two-lane roads - my driveway is usually either a four-lane arterial with a center turn lane or an invisible median (visible in my imagination though of course) - and sometimes for even more variety I'll go as far as having the sidewalks parallel to the road be frontage roads, or even a bound of an interstate that has a wooded median). I am never allowed to leave my gated neighborhood walking or biking, so I can't really actually micro-roadgeek on the main roads, but I do what I can with the few roads and many sidewalks in my neighborhood :-P
If it wasn't for what my crazy road-obsessed mind can come up with, exercise would be a crazily dull chore for me. Though with that motivation, I could've exercised a whole lot more in the past several months (last year I biked and/or walked at least a good bit every week), but I haven't due to my poor diet that keeps me weak and sucks out my endurance, as well as it being cold (but of course that's only been an obstacle the past few months), and for other reasons. I hope once spring comes around I can get back on track with the exercise. I could also cut it down with the fried food galore, insane portions of sweets, and definitely the soda. I love plenty of healthy stuff like salads (if done right), it's just I cant get enough of the unhealthy stuff.
Quote from: Zeffy on March 01, 2015, 11:50:46 PM
Somehow, with my lack of exercise, horrible diet, and other bad lifestyle choices, I have extremely good blood pressure (can't remember the exact numbers...). I know, I should probably change the bad things before that comes around and bites me in the ass.
The 2 of you have an advantage at the moment: age.
As many times as I tell people, "I refuse to age", or "I intend to live to 120", or even "I feel the same as I did when I was 20"... I know deep down that being over 40 now means my body doesn't function the same as it did 20 years ago.
The younger you are, the easier it is to reverse the bad effects that bad habits have on your body. Start the changes you need to make now before another 20 years go by.
I went to have my ticker inspected today. My bp was 160/100 (thanks to an ass chewing from the missus over the phone on the way to the doctor...at least that's what I keep blaming it on). The doctor wouldn't even let me run the stress test or any other of the tests I took a lil over 5 years ago. Instead, he ordered blood work and told me he would contact me tomorrow with the results. I had my annual bloodwork done 6 months ago, and my cholesterol numbers were good. I also had a dizzy spell in either October or November due to LOW bp. I'm trying not to stress out over this between now and tomorrow's results.
Mine was high which I found out at the eye doctor. I'm low stress and never salt anything and don't drink much, but turned out the Buddig sandwich meat I eat was high sodium. But I stopped eating it and still have the problem so I gave up, which always makes the doctors mad. One doctor gave me pills but makes me go in all the time and I have to pay the full price of the appointment so I stopped. I just don't care enough. Of course it was never 180/133. We hike & bike quite a bit to, it's just going to have to be who I am.
I've made an appointment to see a doctor to check on my blood pressure. Since I have made changes in my diet and getting more exercise, I expect my numbers to be much lower. I'll let you know how it turns out.
Quote from: texaskdog on March 03, 2015, 12:49:23 PM
Mine was high which I found out at the eye doctor. I'm low stress and never salt anything and don't drink much, but turned out the Buddig sandwich meat I eat was high sodium. But I stopped eating it and still have the problem so I gave up, which always makes the doctors mad. One doctor gave me pills but makes me go in all the time and I have to pay the full price of the appointment so I stopped. I just don't care enough. Of course it was never 180/133. We hike & bike quite a bit to, it's just going to have to be who I am.
Deli meats are loaded with sodium. Not only the prepackaged ones in the grocery, but look at the menu at Jason's Deli (http://www.jasonsdeli.com/nutritionmenu). On some of the things they serve, you'll come out better eating at McDonald's. I do have some lower-sodium turkey breast slices I make for lunch. At 290mg, it's a lot less than most other meats. I only make one sandwich with one slice of meat with lettuce, and I have fruit with it and sometimes a salad I make at home.
My doctor put me on the generic form of Cozaar (bp med). The night before, my bp was 178/104. I took my 1st pill at 3 p.m. yesterday, and 4 1/2 hours later, it was down to 144/92.
I will not stay on these pills forever. I intend to get off of these things by the end of the year. I have changed my eating habits and I am keeping up with my food intake and all appropriate numbers on myfitnesspal.com (http://myfitnesspal.com). You will be amazed as to what you are consuming on a daily basis as far as calories, fat, protein, sugars, and salt...as long as you're honest about the information you put in the counter.
Have had high blood pressure for over twenty years (it's partially genetic). Although I've been on different medications for it in that time, there was one big complication I didn't expect. Three years ago, I went to the ER with acute shortness of breath. My kidneys had shut down, and I was diagnosed with end stage renal disease. Been on dialysis ever since, and am currently on the transplant list.
Although I've adapted to living with kidney disease (dialysis, medications, and diet changes), it's still something I would never wish on anyone. So, yes, you should get your blood pressure checked and under control.
I got a packet in the mail re: my recent health screening results. My HDL (good cholsterol) and LDL (bad) are at good levels, though the HDL can stand to go higher (it's barely inside the good level). The LDL is 20 points below the maximum, so I'm doing good there, too. However, my triglycerides are off the charts! Since I have changed my diet and getting much more exercise, I expect that number to come down.
Just wanted to add: included sodium is high not just in deli meats and other highly processed products, but also in apparently healthy things like frozen chopped spinach. As a result, the spinach soup I fix with it is barely DASH-safe despite my using low-sodium chicken broth.
In the summer it is fairly hard to prepare cold soups (such as, say, a kale and cucumber gazpacho) that are palatable and not high in salt.
This is true. The Kroger brand salad has about 10mg of sodium per serving. Since it's such a small amount, I don't make it a major concern. I don't really do salad dressing, but I've discovered peanut oil as a good alternative. Still, I could try and make my own salads.
Quote from: J N Winkler on March 06, 2015, 01:24:11 PM
Just wanted to add: included sodium is high not just in deli meats and other highly processed products, but also in apparently healthy things like frozen chopped spinach. As a result, the spinach soup I fix with it is barely DASH-safe despite my using low-sodium chicken broth.
In the summer it is fairly hard to prepare cold soups (such as, say, a kale and cucumber gazpacho) that are palatable and not high in salt.
I found "unsalted" broth recently (as opposed to low or reduced) and have been using that. A couple of brands are stocked around here.
It's important to note that "reduced sodium" is not the same as "low sodium," which has to meet a lower threshold.
I have it.
I do have quite encouraging news. I went to see a doctor this morning and my BP has gone down quite a bit. It's down to a 140/100. That's still a little high (normal is 120/80) and puts me on the borderline of prehypertension and stage 1 hypertension. However, it's much better than what it was. I also had blood work done and they found that my blood sugar has come down significantly (from 139 to 106; normal is 85-99) and my tryglycerides took a tumble, too. It went from 632 (I know--HOLY CRAP :wow: :wow:) to 231 (normal is below 150). My good & bad cholesterol were good standing in the initial screening, but my tryglycerides made my total cholesterol high. It went from 253 to 180.
I was prescribed medication to get the BP down even further. I'm really proud of myself for what I've done on my part. I didn't go on a fad diet of shakes made of wheat grass or take quack snake oil pills that promises washboard abs overnight. Just good old fashioned exercise and changing my diet.
Quote from: golden eagle on March 12, 2015, 09:42:53 PM
I do have quite encouraging news. I went to see a doctor this morning and my BP has gone down quite a bit. It's down to a 140/100. That's still a little high (normal is 120/80) and puts me on the borderline of prehypertension and stage 1 hypertension. However, it's much better than what it was. I also had blood work done and they found that my blood sugar has come down significantly (from 139 to 106; normal is 85-99) and my tryglycerides took a tumble, too. It went from 632 (I know--HOLY CRAP :wow: :wow:) to 231 (normal is below 150). My good & bad cholesterol were good standing in the initial screening, but my tryglycerides made my total cholesterol high. It went from 253 to 180.
I was prescribed medication to get the BP down even further. I'm really proud of myself for what I've done on my part. I didn't go on a fad diet of shakes made of wheat grass or take quack snake oil pills that promises washboard abs overnight. Just good old fashioned exercise and changing my diet.
Congrats on the good news Eagle! Keep up the good work! :clap: :clap:
Thanks! I did what I had to do.
I don't. But 180? Jesus fuck, how obese are you?
I am 35 and I am in perfect health.
Tip to everyone: abandon the western diet.
Quote from: F350 on March 17, 2015, 07:52:56 PM
I don't. But 180? Jesus fuck, how obese are you?
I am 35 and I am in perfect health.
Tip to everyone: abandon the western diet.
You don't have to be obese to have high blood pressure. It can be hereditary.
Congrats on your perfect health at age 35...word of advice: if you're not careful, it will slip away like grains of sand slipping through your fingers. :eyebrow:
I did have it for a period after my surgery. I was at the doctor today and it was 126/73, which is much better than it was.
I'm not obese at all. I weighed 177 at the time of the initial screening. I've since lost ten lbs.
More good news: I went to the doctor and my BP continues to go down. It's now at 135/88. That's still a bit high (pre-hypertension stage), but definitely a lot lower than where I was just two months ago. I think it could've been lower, but I didn't go to the gym much the last couple of weeks.
I know this is a huge thread bump, but I also recently started having BP issues, starting last December when my BP suddenly spiked to 183/112. I felt it too, since it caused me chest pain and I came close to passing out. I haven't had any spikes that high since then, but I still had spikes periodically until January when I was prescribed propranolol (aka Inderal) 20mg to take twice a day (9:30am & 10:00pm). It was primarily given to me for the premature ventricular contractions (PVC's) and sinus tachycardia (high heart rate) that I've been dealing with since 2013, but I was told that it would also help lower blood pressure. The propranolol seemed to do the trick.
Fast forward to March. The PVC's came back with a vengeance and my BP started rising again, particularly the diastolic (bottom number). My cardiologist told me to take the propranolol 3 times a day instead of two. That worked until a week ago when, again, my diastolic BP started spiking into the 90's again. Every time it goes up, I get nauseated, have minor chest pain, and get real short of breath. It gradually comes down on it's own, at which point my symptoms slowly go away. I'm still on propranolol, since it keeps my heart rate from going through the roof.
Every chest x-ray and CT scan I've had has come back normal. The EKG's I've had so far usually displays at least one or more of these readings: Incomplete Right Bundle Branch Block, Short QT Interval, Non-specific T-Wave Abnormality, or Right Ventricular Conduction Delay. Once in a while, it would read "Normal ECG" , but not often. The ER docs and my cardiologist have all said that my EKG's were fine and that I wasn't in dangerous territory. I did a 48-hour holter monitor in March and I was told that it didn't pick up anything disturbing. My primary doctor had ordered me a 24-hour urine test to check for pheochromocytoma (adrenal gland tumor) back in January to see if that was causing by BP issue. The test came back normal. Urinalysis came back normal, most (I'll explain in a second) of my blood work came back normal, including the troponin level and A1C. My last echocardiogram was in 2016, which was normal with 55% ejection fraction. I had a treadmill stress test last year, which was normal aside from the PVC's I had during recovery.
I was recently referred to a pulmonologist for my shortness of breath to see if there was an issue with my lungs that could be causing my BP spikes. The doctor did a pulmonary function test, which came back normal. He did a blood IGE Respiratory Profile (allergies), which came back normal. He also did a blood panel for Hypersensitive Pneumonitis. Most of the readings came back normal except for Penicillium Chrysogenum, which was slightly above normal. I've always been allergic to penicillin, so that was no surprise. The other abnormal reading was Aspergillus Fumigatus. Normal is 46.0 and below. My reading was 57.5. Because of that reading, my doctor ordered a CT scan of my chest back in March, which came back normal. My next follow-up, as well as a repeat pulmonary function test, is in June. He prescribed me a Symbicort inhaler, but my primary doctor and my cardiologist both advised me not to take it since it could reverse the effects of the propranolol. Apparently, Symbicort is made up of two different medications and one of them (I forget which) counteracts beta blockers. My pulmonologist knew that I was on propranolol when he prescribed Symbicort, which was puzzling to me and my other two docs.
Right now, I'm thinking about seeing my primary doctor to see if there is a low dose BP medication I can take along with the propranolol to get my diastolic BP under control, which has been causing me big problems. I've cut down on sodium and I usually drink water, but nothing I do seems to have any effect. I weigh 200lbs, though hardly anybody looking at me would ever guess I weigh that much unless I told them.
Wow. What a saga. I hope the doctors are able to figure this mystery out for you.
Quote from: Rothman on May 28, 2019, 10:45:34 AM
Wow. What a saga. I hope the doctors are able to figure this mystery out for you.
Thanks. I damn sure got my fingers crossed. High BP sucks.
I do and I take Lisinoprol and Prazosin for it. Now it runs about 130/70-80.
I technically have pre-Hyper Tension but that's old because the definition has changed over time. Two decades ago the same numbers were considered normal. I usually exercise at minimum 10 hours and run 30-40 miles a week so its just something that has always run in my Mom's side of the family.
Two years ago I also had a whole thing with irregular EKG readings. It turns out my heart is so close to my chest wall from decades of running that it reads weird on an EKG. The same thing happened back in 2015 and the doctors had the same conclusion.
While I am thankfully in the 115-125/75-85 range now, I've had times of high stress where it was as bad as 160/100. I've never been medicated but have been threatened that I should be if I didn't get it under control myself. Since I am fairly athletic, most any med would end my bicycling for life.
Also, once while hospitalized I was hooked up to a machine that took my BP every 15 minutes. It did it in the midst of vomiting and it was like 200/135, but was transient because I was puking my guts up. It was down to like 140/85 15 minutes later.
It can be resolved without meds, just make changes to your diet if you can improve on it, lose weight if you've got some to lose and exercise more.
Quote from: ce929wax on May 28, 2019, 06:41:15 PM
I do and I take Lisinoprol and Prazosin for it. Now it runs about 130/70-80.
Lisinopril gave me a dry cough...I was told this is an allergic reaction to the medicine. If you develop a cough, you will need to change meds. I was on amolodipine (sp?) afterwards and it worked like a charm
Quote from: cjk374 on June 02, 2019, 12:37:04 PM
Quote from: ce929wax on May 28, 2019, 06:41:15 PM
I do and I take Lisinoprol and Prazosin for it. Now it runs about 130/70-80.
Lisinopril gave me a dry cough...I was told this is an allergic reaction to the medicine. If you develop a cough, you will need to change meds. I was on amolodipine (sp?) afterwards and it worked like a charm
I've heard the same. Funny thing is that the opposite happened to my mother, who also has high BP, along with paroxysmal atrial fibrillation. She was given amlodipine and it sent her to the hospital. She was switched to lisinopril and it worked. She's also taking carvedilol with it.
My doctor is talking about giving me a low dose of losartan, as well as taking me off of propranolol since shortness of breath is apparently a side effect of propranolol and wants to see if I do better with a different beta blocker.
When I went to the doctor in late 2016, my BP was a dangerously high 159/98.
I also found out I had thyroid failure, which had caused incredible weight gain. When I was 24 in 1997, I weighed 115. Anyone who went to the Huntington/Ashland roadmeet in 2013 knows I was still very thin then. But in 2016, I shot up to 226. Now I've gotten back down to 199.
The high blood pressure was caused by having to organize rallies after everyone else stopped doing it because they expected everyone else to do it for them. It nearly killed me.
But eventually, great rewards were promised if I finally started getting all my long-term health problems taken care of. These rewards were delivered, and the spring started to go back into my step.
Also, I'm still physically exhausted. A few months ago, I had to take 5 naps every day. I started using a spreadsheet to help speed up the weight loss, and now I'm down to one nap, but I'm still exhausted.
But I'm not in complete agony now like I was for many years because of all the harassment, which I spent all my energy fighting against. I'm just too tired to do anything.
For me, 45 is the new 95.
No cough for me with the Lisinoprol. I've been fortunate that I haven't had any real bad side effects with my meds, but some of that is because my doctor ran a DNA test on me to see which meds worked best with my body chemistry.
Quote from: cjk374 on June 02, 2019, 12:37:04 PM
Quote from: ce929wax on May 28, 2019, 06:41:15 PM
I do and I take Lisinoprol and Prazosin for it. Now it runs about 130/70-80.
Lisinopril gave me a dry cough...I was told this is an allergic reaction to the medicine. If you develop a cough, you will need to change meds. I was on amolodipine (sp?) afterwards and it worked like a charm
This happened to me. Since I created this post a few years ago, I did lapse and got lazy with my blood pressure. Almost a year ago, I felt like I was having heartburn, but it never seemed to go away. After a few days, I went to an urgent care clinic and discovered my BP got really high again. I was advised to go to the ER at a local hospital (which I did) and for a few hours, I was hooked up to an IV with some kind of drug to lower it. After the treatment was over, I was prescribed lisinpronil (or whatever way you spell it). It was effective, but I suddenly had coughing spells. I thought the coughing was attributed the other things like dust or sleeping under a ceiling fan. It was the medication I was taking, so I was switched to amlodipine and it worked.
Quote from: LM117 on June 03, 2019, 10:23:39 AMMy doctor is talking about giving me a low dose of losartan, as well as taking me off of propranolol since shortness of breath is apparently a side effect of propranolol and wants to see if I do better with a different beta blocker.
Well, I did not end up on losartan, but my cardiologist did switch me to metoprolol succinate ER 25mg last week based on a recommendation from my pulmonologist, since metoprolol is a cardiac-selective beta blocker while propranolol is non-selective.
BIG MISTAKE. My blood pressure went up, along with my heart rate. Switching meds did not improve shortness of breath and my heart was pounding so damn hard that it hurt with each beat, plus I was severely nauseated I ended up in the ER because of it. I tested negative for a heart attack and I called my cardiologist, who told me to stop taking metoprolol immediately and go back to taking propranolol 20mg three times a day as soon as it was safe to do so. The propranolol brought my heart rate and blood pressure back under control, though I still have occasional diastolic pressure spikes every now and then.