Blood Pressure...arrrgh

[SarahW]

So this morning I nearly swooned at work and was carted off to the medical department. (Yes, I said the "w' word.) They checked me out and shipped me to my physician...I left clutching a prescription for blood pressure meds and instructions to lay off the salt and learn coping mechanisms for stress.

NO SALT?? So this is hell.

I'm whiney.

 

[73ss454]

Sarah, no biggie. If this is the worst thing you have to worry about in life you'll be all set. There are other seasonings after all.

 

[Khan]

After a while you won't miss the salt.

 

[W2R]

I don't add extra salt to my food - - never have. But once I tried living on a low salt diet, and it is very difficult to do! So many foods are naturally salty.

My sympathies.

Maybe once your BP is under control, you might be able to have something salty on rare occasions, at least.

 

[kaneohe]

After a while you won't miss the salt.

not only that.........many foods will start tasting too salty ......which will help you keep control.

 

[flpanhandle]

What was the blood pressure?

 

[FinanceDude]

So this morning I nearly swooned at work and was carted off to the medical department. (Yes, I said the "w' word.) They checked me out and shipped me to my physician...I left clutching a prescription for blood pressure meds and instructions to lay off the salt and learn coping mechanisms for stress.

NO SALT?? So this is hell.

I'm whiney.

Time to FIRE< remove the stress, and then eat all the pickles you want..........

 

[RustyShackleford]

There's a substantial population of people for whom eliminating salt
doesn't lower blood pressure. Do the experiment on yourself ... you
may not have any benefit from lowering salt. Not a physician, but
this is what I've read ...

Exercise, exercise, exercise ...

 

[harley]

In my case cutting back on salt didn't make a lick of difference. Exercise and weight loss have made a huge difference though. I've dropped from the 140s over 90s to the 1teens over 70ish in a year or so. However, I don't eat that much salt anyway. It's not intentional, it's a side effect of eating healthier in general. Salad just isn't that salty. I get most of my salt from the rim of the glass.

 

[martyb]

I went to see the doctor today myself, because I know my BP is higher than it oughta be. Also, my glucose is too high. He put me on Lisinopril 10mg for starters. Once my lab results are read, I'm pretty sure I'll be taking meds for that (sugar) as well. I haven't done a good job of taking care of myself, and now I'm hoping it's not too late.

 

[Amethyst]

An anecdote to share: A close relative in his early 70's developed seriously elevated BP. Stress was blamed, since relative had been going through a rough patch. Age, of course, was also blamed, as tends to happen.

Doctor put him on BP medicine, which brought down the pressure, but relative was unhappy. Saw himself chained to BP meds for the rest of his life. He has always been the sort who hates taking medicine of any kind.

Bottom line, he got busy and lost 20 pounds (hadn't exactly been "fat," but didn't miss the 20, either); and the BP plummeted. He was taking his BP regularly, but neglected to take his medicine sometimes, and still the pressure came down. Finally, he stopped taking the medicine entirely, and still got good readings. The doctor did say there could be a connection between the weight loss and the BP reduction.

May not apply to OP's case - OP may have no extra weight to lose - YMMV, etc. etc. - just thought it was worth mentioning.

 

[Bestwifeever]

Also, have your thyroid checked. DH's blood pressure dropped into normal range when he was diagnosed with hypothyroidism and put on thyroid meds. He's always been thin, always exercised, but always had high-ish BP. Restricting salt had no effect on it.

 

[harley]

May not apply to OP's case - OP may have no extra weight to lose - YMMV, etc. etc. - just thought it was worth mentioning.

I suspect exercise is more important than weight loss. I know plenty of people who are "normal" weight but have high BP. But AFAIK none of the "in shape" people I know have it. Additionally, I know a few heavier people who are active and have normal BP. Of course, as everyone else says, YMMV.

 

[SarahW]

I'm fairly active and not overweight...so I'll go with stress and maybe genetics. My mother hardly weighed 100 pounds her entire life but she had high BP and a Type A personality.

Wine. That's the ticket.

 

[Alan]

I'm fairly active and not overweight...so I'll go with stress and maybe genetics. My mother hardly weighed 100 pounds her entire life but she had high BP and a Type A personality.

Wine. That's the ticket.

Whine while you wine and dine on a salt free diet - that's the way we do it

Seriously, we never add salt to anything and actively seek low salt foods and quickly got used to it a good few years ago. Plenty of excellent salt-free spices out there.

 

[Khan]

From an evolutionary perspective: humans need (and crave) small amounts of fat and salt. They are rare in the diet of hunter-gatherers.

Now we can and do consume vast quantities.

 

[Zoocat]

I'm fairly active and not overweight...so I'll go with stress and maybe genetics. My mother hardly weighed 100 pounds her entire life but she had high BP and a Type A personality.

Wine. That's the ticket.

I learned from Rich on this forum that for some of us, wine will raise the blood pressure. The day after having a glass or two of wine, my BP is elevated. If I lay off for about 3-4 days my BP is normal. Rich is the only Dr that I've heard mention this factor. It's even hard to find through an Internet search. But alcohol is definitely a factor for me as well as caffeine.

 

[FIRE'd@51]

I learned from Rich on this forum that for some of us, wine will raise the blood pressure. The day after having a glass or two of wine, my BP is elevated. If I lay off for about 3-4 days my BP is normal. Rich is the only Dr that I've heard mention this factor.

This is interesting, since I have read and even heard from doctors, that a glass of wine per day (particularly red) is good for the heart.

 

[Nords]

They checked me out and shipped me to my physician...I left clutching a prescription for blood pressure meds and instructions to lay off the salt and learn coping mechanisms for stress.

This is reminiscent of Army medics slapping a gauze bandage on a flesh wound and wrapping the tape extra tight so that they can get you back into combat before the [-]next quarter's financial results are due[/-] troops are slaughtered.

When I was working, even at the Navy's "low stress" submarine training commands, I'd routinely run 145/85 and get threatened with the whole high-BP regime. Today, nearly seven years into ER, my BP is 115/70. There was only one clinically-significant change to contributing factors over that period, and it wasn't salt or medications...

Spouse was usually around 110/70 during her working days, and now she's as low as 95/55.

 

[Rich_by_the_Bay]

This is interesting, since I have read and even heard from doctors, that a glass of wine per day (particularly red) is good for the heart.

It would be uncommon for 1 drink per day to have a major effect on most people's blood pressure, but some are genetically more sensitive than others to the effects.

I'd suggest that you check your own BP in relationship to alcohol intake. I think most people won't notice much difference. Start getting up to 3 drinks a day or more and it's a different story. Over 10% of hypertensive men probably have it as a result of excess alcohol intake.

I do believe that 1-2 glasses of wine a day probably has more benefit than risk for people without other medical conditions such as liver or GI problems, alcoholism, etc.

 

[Khan]

This is reminiscent of Army medics slapping a gauze bandage on a flesh wound and wrapping the tape extra tight so that they can get you back into combat before the [-]next quarter's financial results are due[/-] troops are slaughtered.

When I was working, even at the Navy's "low stress" submarine training commands, I'd routinely run 145/85 and get threatened with the whole high-BP regime. Today, nearly seven years into ER, my BP is 115/70. There was only one clinically-significant change to contributing factors over that period, and it wasn't salt or medications...

Spouse was usually around 110/70 during her working days, and now she's as low as 95/55.

In my case: retirement led to a decrease in stress, led to less stress eating, led to decrease in weight, led to lower BP, led to some feedback loop of everything getting slowly better.

 

[RustyShackleford]

From an evolutionary perspective: humans need (and crave) small amounts of fat and salt. They are rare in the diet of hunter-gatherers.

Ever wonder why the Indians out west have sacred salt mines ?

 

[Zoocat]

It would be uncommon for 1 drink per day to have a major effect on most people's blood pressure, but some are genetically more sensitive than others to the effects.

.

Isn't it difficult to make this conclusion in isolation from other possible factors? For example, if a person is 30 lbs over weight, such as moi, and also somewhat sensitive to all substances (caffeine, alcohol, medications), then it would be more likely that the one glass of wine would have a greater effect than if said person were at normal weight? I know this is speculation but just trying to explain the reason for myself.

 

[Rich_by_the_Bay]

Isn't it difficult to make this conclusion in isolation from other possible factors? For example, if a person is 30 lbs over weight, such as moi, and also somewhat sensitive to all substances (caffeine, alcohol, medications), then it would be more likely that the one glass of wine would have a greater effect than if said person were at normal weight? I know this is speculation but just trying to explain the reason for myself.

Proper studies control for the known variables very rigorously. Of course there may be unknown variables that mess you up, but I think those data are pretty solid, and control for the things you mentioned.

But any individual doesn't necessarily have to fall into the usual pattern.

 

[SarahW]

Sarah, no biggie. If this is the worst thing you have to worry about in life you'll be all set. There are other seasonings after all.

That's true!

What was the blood pressure?

At work it was 168/98. At the doctor's office it was 146/88. Tonight it's 116/80... w00t!! Apparently the BP meds are working, though I have been dizzy, had slight tingling in my hands, awful muscle cramps and feeling generally unwell. Hopefully my body will adjust and these side-effects will lessen...and all will be smooth sailing in short order. I have increased my intake of high-potassium foods (lots of OJ, tomatoes, spinach, etc.) to help ease the muscle cramps.