CoQ10 Did Not Lower my Blood Pressure

[ERD50]

Lots of people, like me, have extremely variable BP. I've gotten readings from 107 to 158. As a result, I'm skeptical of many claims concerning what can affect it.

What I question is, can a doctor really treat a person based on a few readings in an office?

-ERD50

 

[TromboneAl]

What I question is, can a doctor really treat a person based on a few readings in an office?

-ERD50

I think that in some cases they'll send you home with a device that will periodically measure your bp.

Diastolic usually around 84.

Note that at a recent visit to current doc I gave him a list of my home readings which showed some as high as 158. He looked at it and said nothing.

But I have already chosen a new doc and will see her as soon as I'm accepted as a patient.

 

[braumeister]

FWIW, both of the docs I see for checkups have recognized that I have "white coat syndrome" where my BP goes up significantly in a medical setting.

At both locations, the tech takes the vital signs before the doc comes in, and it's always high. The docs know that, so they ignore those readings and take my BP again after quietly chatting with me for five minutes. The second reading is always normal, just like it is whenever I take it myself at home.

 

[rgarling]

...
Diastolic usually around 84.

Note that at a recent visit to current doc I gave him a list of my home readings which showed some as high as 158. He looked at it and said nothing.
...

You might want to buy a manual blood pressure cuff and take your own pressure readings. Once you learn how to do this properly, you can take your bp with good consistency. Then you can 'calibrate' your cuff by taking it to the doctor's office and comparing its readings against the doctor's mercury cuff.

diastolic around 84 isn't bad, but I understand your dismay at the higher readings you have received; however, a study showed that most (~70%) of the automatic machines in service were not very accurate. Another showed that the average reading from an automatic machine was about 8 - 10 higher than a carefully taken manual reading.

 

[TromboneAl]

FWIW, both of the docs I see for checkups have recognized that I have "white coat syndrome" where my BP goes up significantly in a medical setting.

At both locations, the tech takes the vital signs before the doc comes in, and it's always high. The docs know that, so they ignore those readings and take my BP again after quietly chatting with me for five minutes. The second reading is always normal, just like it is whenever I take it myself at home.

I've heard it said that this kind of "labile" blood pressure doesn't mean that you are out of the woods. IOW, the first reading counts for something too.

In general, individuals with white coat hypertension have lower morbidity than patients with sustained hypertension, but higher morbidity than the clinically normotensive.[
​

I've also always had the extreme "white coat syndome," but the funny thing is that this is true at home also. For example, the other day I got a 156/89, then measured again two minutes later and got a 126/82. A second reading is almost always lower. The manual says that you need to wait at least 2-3 minutes, because the blood vessels get pissed off from being squeezed. Something like that, anyway.

 

[haha]

I've heard it said that this kind of "labile" blood pressure doesn't mean that you are out of the woods. IOW, the first reading counts for something too.

In general, individuals with white coat hypertension have lower morbidity than patients with sustained hypertension, but higher morbidity than the clinically normotensive.[
​

I've also always had the extreme "white coat syndome," but the funny thing is that this is true at home also. For example, the other day I got a 156/89, then measured again two minutes later and got a 126/82. A second reading is almost always lower. The manual says that you need to wait at least 2-3 minutes, because the blood vessels get pissed off from being squeezed. Something like that, anyway.

Here is a study that disputes the relevance of wait time.
Blood Pressure Measurement: the Waiting Time Between Reading... : Journal of Hypertension


Ha

 

[W2R]

I've also always had the extreme "white coat syndome," but the funny thing is that this is true at home also. For example, the other day I got a 156/89, then measured again two minutes later and got a 126/82. A second reading is almost always lower. The manual says that you need to wait at least 2-3 minutes, because the blood vessels get pissed off from being squeezed. Something like that, anyway.

Oh this is good to know! Thank you. I just bought my first blood pressure measuring machine/device a couple of weeks ago, during a holiday sale on them with nicely discounted sales prices. I was surprised at how consistent the readings are, but now and then one is off like that too. This will help me to get more consistent readings.

I bought it to become more familiar with (and less afraid of) blood pressure measurement by machine. It is helping with that and eventually might help with "white coat syndrome." Getting my blood pressure measured by hand at my doctor's office is harder than moving mountains.

 

[braumeister]

I've heard it said that this kind of "labile" blood pressure doesn't mean that you are out of the woods. IOW, the first reading counts for something too.

Perhaps, but when I take it myself at home, my BP is always normal (typically around 126/80), first time every time. So I'll just continue to whistle in the dark ...

 

[JakeBrake]

Personally, I prefer an automatic BP monitor with a memory that measures pulse, irregular pulse, and BP. Currently, I am using a CVS store brand model that cost $29.95.

My problem with taking my own BP with a manual BP monitor (the kind with a stethoscope) is that I hear what I want to hear. I think my automatic BP monitor is more objective.

I am a frequent blood/platelet donor. My blood bank has my BP readings going back several years online.

 

[eytonxav]

IIRC, BP readings vary over the course of your day, depending on activities/stress and might also be affected if you just woke up or recently consumed a meal. Probably a good idea to check BP at 2-3 "specific times" every day to establish a baseline before moving to a more random checking frequency.

 

[RAE]

I think that in some cases they'll send you home with a device that will periodically measure your bp.

Diastolic usually around 84.

Note that at a recent visit to current doc I gave him a list of my home readings which showed some as high as 158. He looked at it and said nothing.

But I have already chosen a new doc and will see her as soon as I'm accepted as a patient.

Al - You generally follow a low-carb/paleo type diet, don't you? I do also, and since cutting out the bread, pizza, and pasta, my weight and BP both came down into the normal range. I remember you saying a while back that you do eat some of the Dreamfields (low-carb) pasta; I tried that, but my weight and BP both started creeping back up, so I had to stop eating that too. I know it is supposed to be low in net carbs, but it still affects me in a negative way, so I can't eat it (and after a year or more without pasta now, I no longer miss it anyway). You might want to give that a try and see if your BP comes down a little bit. Also, try eating cold water fish (salmon, sardines, etc) once a week, if you don't do that already......I think that may have helped lower my BP a bit also.

 

[TromboneAl]

I also no longer eat Dreamfields pasta.

The Dreamfields Pasta Fraud | Dietdoctor.com

Low carb hasn't seemed to affect my BP readings.

 

[oldtrig]

I turn 65 this year and have been off B/P medicine since 2005. I took B/P medicine for 10 years and then I started walking and eating better and the medicine was no longer needed, I reduced my weight by 30 pounds back then and my B/S actually got to low. I tested it one night in 2005 at night and it was 90/55 and I almost passed out so I threw the meds out the windows. .

Well 7 years have passed and I have added 15 pounds so I went to the Doctor for a checkup Monday and whoa, my B/P was 180/100. They started me on Lisinopril 20mg . I tested it today it was 110/70. I have heard for years that you would never know if your B/P was high unless you tested it. Well, I have felt like crap for some time now but since taking the new meds I know feel good again.

I knew it had been to high but was ignoring the problem thinking it would go back down. B/S is nothing to experiment with. If yours is high take the meds and don't take chances. Good news was my cholesterol was 170 and I take no medicine for it. They also checked other things in the blood test. My Blood Urea Nitrogen was 14. I do not have a clue what that means but I was told everything was good. My fasting blood sugar was 80, I know thats good. The PSA was 0.5 which I think is good also. Now if I can avoid being run over by a truck I might live a few more years. LOL Oldtrig

 

[TromboneAl]

The thing that gets me is that I'm already lean as a monkey and exercise plenty. I realize that there's a large genetic component to this, but I'll see if there's something else that's contributing to it.

 

[oldtrig]

TromboneAl, are you a diabetic?

 

[Nemo2]

The thing that gets me is that I'm already lean as a monkey and exercise plenty. I realize that there's a large genetic component to this, but I'll see if there's something else that's contributing to it.

Cortisol production? From past experience I have reason to believe that I generate more of it than the average person.

 

[Eder]

The thing that gets me is that I'm already lean as a monkey and exercise plenty. I realize that there's a large genetic component to this, but I'll see if there's something else that's contributing to it.

I got BP readings like yours....from 158/98 to 116/78. I eliminated stress from my life, I quit smoking, I eat broccoli and other green veggis every day, I exercise 90 minutes/day, I lost 36 lbs and am near optimum BMI now.....

I now get BP reading from 155/98 to 112/76....

I quit taking my BP....I'm healthy and don't care about stupid numbers any longer. I'm more worried about if I should have rewaxed my surfboard yesterday.

 

[TromboneAl]

TromboneAl, are you a diabetic?

No.

 

[Bestwifeever]

DH's BP (just borderline high, not high enough for meds) came down quickly when he was diagnosed with low thyroid (borderline low) and started taking meds for that--apparently low thyroid can cause high BP.

 

[eytonxav]

The thing that gets me is that I'm already lean as a monkey and exercise plenty. I realize that there's a large genetic component to this, but I'll see if there's something else that's contributing to it.

Al,

I'm not sure if this has already been mentioned in this thread, but too much salt in the diet is probably one of the leading culprits in causing high BPs.

 

[farmerEd]

They started me on Lisinopril 20mg . I tested it today it was 110/70. I have heard for years that you would never know if your B/P was high unless you tested it. Well, I have felt like crap for some time now but since taking the new meds I know feel good again.

Lisiniprol is amazing in that it literally would drop my blood pressue by 20pts within an hour of taking it, and I was only taking the 5mg tablet for my borderline BP. Unfortunately, I did not tolerate the medicine well as I got 'the cough' and felt like I was hacking up a lung every morning in the shower. Pay attention if you get the cough as I have read it can cause permanent lung damage.

Now trying 'Amlodipine' which I seem to tolerate well, but hasn't made a dent in my BP readings...

 

[oldtrig]

Thanks FarmerEd. I was on this same medicine for almost 7 years before I quit taking it and never had any problems. I sure hope I do not have problems with it now because it is working. Oldtrig

 

[JakeBrake]

The thing that gets me is that I'm already lean as a monkey and exercise plenty. I realize that there's a large genetic component to this, but I'll see if there's something else that's contributing to it.

I was first diagnosed with high BP at age 21 by a Navy doctor during my RELACDU (release from active duty) physical from the USMC. I was probably in the best physical condition I have ever been. the doctor made me report to sick bay twice a day for 3 weeks where a corpsman checked my BP. This was very convenient because sick bay was right there in the barracks. Enough of my BP readings were within the normal range that he signed off on my RELACDU.

 

[RAE]

IIRC, BP readings vary over the course of your day, depending on activities/stress and might also be affected if you just woke up or recently consumed a meal. Probably a good idea to check BP at 2-3 "specific times" every day to establish a baseline before moving to a more random checking frequency.

Yes, I agree. And at least in my case, I also need to sit still for at least 10-15 minutes before taking a BP reading. If I take it right after walking around, the systolic number is typically fairly high (130+). Once I sit for 10-15 minutes, it almost always comes down to around 120-125. My diastolic number seems to be more consistently normal, typically around 78-85.

 

[Lsbcal]

Some BP thoughts:

1) I've read the following about how to take your BP at home:

Sit in a chair with your back supported and both feet flat on the ground.
Your arm must be supported so that the upper arm is horizontal and at the level of your heart. You could use a pillow on the table in front of you.
You should not have eaten for 1/2 hour and should have been awake for at least 1 hour.
Do not speak or move while measurement is taken.

2) Prehypertension is systolic:120-139 and diastolic:80-89. The second one, diastolic is what my doc seems to focus on even though I'm regularly in the middle of that first systolic range.