Blood Pressure -- Experiments and Stategies

[W2R]

My doctor put me on a beta blocker a few years ago (as reported in post #90 on this thread), and it is still working wonderfully for me. It is a Metoprolol, a generic that only costs me $1.46/month (up from $0.93 as of last March). For me, it has no side effects at all.

I keep a record of weekly resting BP measurements to give to my doctor at each routine visit.

Metoprolol keeps my weekly resting BP around 112/75 on average (110/74 last Saturday, for example). These blood pressure readings are terrific, for me anyway.

 

[MRG]

WR2, do you record your heart rate? My experience on a different beta blocker(atenelol) was it lowered my heart rate to 55 for years, then it lowered it to 35 while in the ER. I spent a year wondering what was wrong, my doc didn't catch it, a prior hospital visit didn't. A nurse mentioned it to me on the first hospital visit, I guess they wrote it off to me sleeping.

 

[W2R]

WR2, do you record your heart rate? My experience on a different beta blocker(atenelol) was it lowered my heart rate to 55 for years, then it lowered it to 35 while in the ER. I spent a year wondering what was wrong, my doc didn't catch it, a prior hospital visit didn't. A nurse mentioned it to me on the first hospital visit, I guess they wrote it off to me sleeping.

Yes, I record my heart rate too. It has been 95+ all of my life (even when I was a thin and extremely active teenager on into my early twenties), due to a harmless physical anomaly according doctors back then. Since I started taking Metoprolol it has been in the 80's, actually 80 last Saturday. So as awful as that sounds, for me, that is good. Sounds like I am the ideal candidate for a beta blocker.

 

[eytonxav]

I would think, if it wasn't attributed to a beta-blocker, a real low heart rate could raise concerns. In such a case, not sure whether a medicine switch might be warranted. I take Lisinopril and my heart rate is usually low 60s.

 

[FIREmenow]

My resting heart rate is usually in the low-mid 50's. (I'm 56, weigh 155) I have seen it as low as 48. It got down there once I started exercising regularly 4 years ago. I go at it pretty hard for an hour straight 3-4 times per week.

BP is still in the 136/85 range, though. Dangit.

 

[audreyh1]

Are you tall? DH is very tall and routinely has heart rate high 40s to 50.

 

[FIREmenow]

Are you tall? DH is very tall and routinely has heart rate high 40s to 50.

Nope. I'm vertically-challenged - 5'7".

 

[audreyh1]

Nope. I'm vertically-challenged - 5'7".

Wow - that is unusual then.

 

[FIREmenow]

Wow - that is unusual then.

Yes, my DW uses that word to describe me often - very UNUSUAL.....

 

[eytonxav]

I would guess that there are many factors in addition to height that effect heart rate (eg weight, diet, metabolism, heart size, artery diameter, thyroid, lungs, electrical aspects of the heart, etc). Anyway, I seem to recall seeing some study that suggested short people may have less incidence of CVD vs taller people, but who knows.

 

[Ronstar]

I hate to bring this up, but eating lots of bacon may raise one's heart rate. After several months of running 4 days a week, my resting heart rate got down into the low 30's. A doctor recommended that I go on a paleo diet. After eating bacon daily for a few weeks, my resting heart rate started to rise. I then cut back on bacon and now it is going back down. Depressing, because I really liked having bacon every day.

 

[FIREmenow]

I would guess that there are many factors in addition to height that effect heart rate (eg weight, diet, metabolism, heart size, artery diameter, thyroid, lungs, electrical aspects of the heart, etc). Anyway, I seem to recall seeing some study that suggested short people may have less incidence of CVD vs taller people, but who knows.

I'm going with that.

 

[FIREmenow]

I hate to bring this up, but eating lots of bacon may raise one's heart rate. After several months of running 4 days a week, my resting heart rate got down into the low 30's. A doctor recommended that I go on a paleo diet. After eating bacon daily for a few weeks, my resting heart rate started to rise. I then cut back on bacon and now it is going back down. Depressing, because I really liked having bacon every day.

 

[MRG]

I hate to bring this up, but eating lots of bacon may raise one's heart rate. After several months of running 4 days a week, my resting heart rate got down into the low 30's. A doctor recommended that I go on a paleo diet. After eating bacon daily for a few weeks, my resting heart rate started to rise. I then cut back on bacon and now it is going back down. Depressing, because I really liked having bacon every day.

Are you eating enough potassium? There's a relationship between sodium, potassium and heart rate. I know some folks who do high fat low carb and eat large amounts of both sodium and potassium. IIRC they suggest a equal consumption of both. I'd be consulting a doc before I did so, you can create serious issues with large doses.

 

[ERD50]

I hate to bring this up, but eating lots of bacon may raise one's heart rate. After several months of running 4 days a week, my resting heart rate got down into the low 30's. A doctor recommended that I go on a paleo diet. After eating bacon daily for a few weeks, my resting heart rate started to rise. I then cut back on bacon and now it is going back down. Depressing, because I really liked having bacon every day.

If you are low 30's, is 'rising' so bad? How much did it rise? At what point is it a problem? More importantly, at what point is it a big enough problem to give up bacon??!!

-ERD50

 

[Ronstar]

If you are low 30's, is 'rising' so bad? How much did it rise? At what point is it a problem? More importantly, at what point is it a big enough problem to give up bacon??!!

-ERD50

It rose about 10 beats per minute, averaging 6 slices of bacon daily. Now I'm doing 6 slices every other day and it has decreased about 5-8 beats. This is all based on my Garmin watch - I don't know how accurate it is. Could be other factors involved also.

The doctor didn't think the rise was bad. I don't know at what point it would present a problem. I cut back on bacon to work oatmeal back into my diet. (even though oatmeal is a no-no on paleo.) No way I'm giving up bacon totally.

 

[Ronstar]

Are you eating enough potassium? There's a relationship between sodium, potassium and heart rate. I know some folks who do high fat low carb and eat large amounts of both sodium and potassium. IIRC they suggest a equal consumption of both. I'd be consulting a doc before I did so, you can create serious issues with large doses.

Thanks for the tip. I need to check on that. Doctor also told me to take vitamins, and specified some minerals to concentrate on. I can't find her note now.

 

[Teacher Terry]

Everyone in my Mom's side of the family got HBP at 31. It didn't matter about weight, exercise, etc. My 2 sibs and I got it in our 50's. Lifestyle also didn't matter. 1 sib who got it at 59 was fat, never exercised, etc. My brother and I got it at 50 despite exercising a lot, weight control, etc. However, along with mine I also had a very fast irregular heartbeat that was not AFib. I have been on a beta blocker for 12 years. But what happens is that about every 3-4 years the meds quit working and they switch me to a new one which happened to my Mom too. I also recently decided to give up my wine with dinner and my BP went down further. I think it is a complicated issue and different things work for different people.