What do you take for high blood pressure?

[Vacation4us]

I take a combo of Valsartan 80 mg and Hydrochlorothiazde 12.5 mg works very well for me. First med was Atenolol which made my heart rate drop so low I passed out and was left with a black eye that lasted 3 months. I certainly don’t urinate every 15 minutes but peeing often would be preferable to your other symptoms in my book.

 

[sroby2020]

worked for me, too

If your blood pressure isn't too much above 140/90 maybe you can get by without meds by losing some weight and/or being more active. I wouldn't keep taking meds that caused side effects like mentioned above.

I was on Lisinopril 10mg for a few years, then I purposely started eating better (no dairy, no grains, more fruits & veggies). I lost about 40 pounds over 6 months, got off all of my meds. Been good for over 6 years now.

 

[bush24]

Doc started me on a "water pill" indapemide 2.5mg. Lowered my bp from 155 to 125, also lost 10 lbs in one month.

 

[Dtail]

Been lucky. No pills for me.

 

[Koolau]

Unfortunately, BP control is very much a trial and error proposition for many people. DW used Lisonpril but it made her cough all the time. I walk a fine line with Metoprolol (first the tartrate and now the succinate) between controlling SVT and having heart rate too slow or not controlling BP. I've had to add Losartan for better control - mostly.

I think the trick is to play the "try this and let me know right away" with your doc. It's a real pain, but realistically, there are a bunch of options for which we should all give thanks. Almost everyone eventually gets control - though you may have to eventually change things up. I've been fortunate to have few side effects (primarily heart beat below 50 sometimes.) Keep the faith and keep trying. Be sure to keep close track at home of BP and heart rate and write down symptoms. If one doc can't get you there, try another. When I was forced to change docs due to retirements, the new ones wanted to change everything around. I protested since I was more or less in control. You gotta look out for you and don't be afraid to change docs if need be. Good luck and YMMV.

 

[Teacher Terry]

Totally agree Koolau that finding the right HBP medication is trial and error.

 

[badatmath]

welp i just got out of hopsital for severe uncontrolled blood pressure. It was over 200 the other day and I felt completely weird and all kinds of tests found nothing else (that they told me anyway). It sucked. Angiogram/renal scan ok.

 

[Ronstar]

^^ Speaking of feeling completely weird, I had a feeling a couple of weeks ago where my hands were very cold even though I was inside. At the same time, I got a notice on my Apple Watch that my heart had been below 40 for 10 minutes. Should have checked my BP during all of this.

 

[badatmath]

^^ Speaking of feeling completely weird, I had a feeling a couple of weeks ago where my hands were very cold even though I was inside. At the same time, I got a notice on my Apple Watch that my heart had been below 40 for 10 minutes. Should have checked my BP during all of this.

Yes do check if it happens again doc was very concerned after all the ivs it dipped too low.

 

[kongmen]

Thanks for sharing, sadly I have no solution only my own quandary.

Disclosure: I have NOT lead a healthy lifestyle. I have phases where I'm good- but that's it - phases. I am 5.11. 47 yo. At my high I was 265 pounds some years back. I've been as slow as 227, and currently 247. My diet with 1 being terrible suicidal to 10 being Whole Foods poster child.........I am a 5. I do eat fast food - once a week. I eat a donut most mornings. Some days I'm great like today - egg whites, 3 fruits, a huge salmon salad with avocado and tomato. Other days - yep, it's Whopper Time.

I'm on Ramipril and Amlopidine. Yet I keep getting high readings.

DOC - is visibly frustrated with me , I dont blame him. Last week I brought up BP and he was masking exasperation and just said "nothing More I can do on drugs....it's about weight and belly fat....IF you decide to do it".

So yeah I get it, it's on me. BUT I'm also wondering - does this mean that all peoples who are fat - never ever have normal BP even with drugs?

Exercise: I do 25 min walks - 4 times a week. Yeah, the other 3 days I fall off wagon. Of course - all of a sudden this week my darn feet and legs are so stiff! It's an effort to walk around the house I don't know what this is.

I'm scared.

Dang I love food and I'm trying. But i'e been "trying" for years and I need to do better. It's just - well - if you gave me a choice between a night with Miss America AND Miss Universe.....with all activities to be at my discretion, OR -- - a nice quiet Burger King dinner - I'm sorry, but I swear on anything - - yeah I'm going for the Whopper meal. I read, watch movies monitor investments, try to occupy myself But in the end I'm still eating too much, and the wrong things.

I love burger King's whopper and Wendy's triple! Just go buy some keto bread and toss the bun and eat away! I do this once a week.


Use the burger King app to get the bogo for whoppers and make a double whopper!


Wendy's also has a bogo for the triple but I'm not going to talk about that

 

[pacergal]

MichaelKnight--I would find a new Dr.! One who will work with you to find the correct combo of meds to control your bp. Yes, weight loss helps and it sounds like you have already lost some.
There are so many different medications that will help control blood pressure, it takes some experimentation to find what works, and good communication with your doctor, who is willing to work with you.

 

[Koolau]

MichaelKnight--I would find a new Dr.! One who will work with you to find the correct combo of meds to control your bp. Yes, weight loss helps and it sounds like you have already lost some.
There are so many different medications that will help control blood pressure, it takes some experimentation to find what works, and good communication with your doctor, who is willing to work with you.

My docs are more or less the opposite on weight. They've never mentioned it though I really do need to lose weight. He/she (PCP and Cardiologist) just play the game of "try this" and "add that" to see what works. Throw in the fact that I tend to go into SVT (supraventricular tachycardia) and the docs occasionally have their hands full with me.

I think it is extremely important to find a doctor that you feel completely comfortable with and one that you believe is willing to do what ever is necessary to meet your needs (medically, emotionally, physically and maybe even spiritually.) YMMV

 

[mountainsoft]

Any other underlying conditions you’re dealing with?

Not that I'm aware of. All my blood work comes back great, thyroid is great, kidneys and liver are great, stress test showed above average for my age, ultrasound showed above average ejection fraction, X-Rays showed a healthy heart.

My HDL is low (always has been) but other cholesterol readings are good. Blood sugar (A1C) is always good.

I'm a little overweight (lost about 25 pounds since January), and don't exercise as much as I should, but we try to eat well and don't over indulge in anything.

Other than the premature heart beats that started last year on the meds, and the higher BP readings, I like to think I'm fairly healthy.

 

[mountainsoft]

Have only taken medicine for a short time in my late 30s and never went back due to not liking the side effects.

My step dad tried a number of different meds to get his blood pressure under control. He finally got tired of all the side effects and just stopped taking them. A couple years later he had a stroke and died at age 58. Of course, he smoked and drank heavily, and had a BP over 200/100.

 

[soylentgreen]

Hawthorn berry, olive leaf extract, and 1 cap of (cheap sunsoil.com) cbd oil lowered me from 140/90 to 125/75 in a month. No side effects, no drugs for added strain on kidneys & liver, no crash weight loss (I drink plenty of red wine am 20 lbs over), no doctors—I’ve been through 4 expert docs all w only ‘lose 20 lbs and take X drug” advice. Nothing worked w/o side effects..

Also eating avocados, salmon, smoked sardines (Portuguese sourced, as Pacific sourced have traces of strontium), roasted beets, walnuts and lean meats have definitely helped. hot baths every weekend for a few hours and 20 minutes simple MBSR meditation in the AM for 3 or 4 days (on the free Insight Timer app) also have been significantly consequential.

I walk 15 min a day and still work 12 hr days at 56.

 

[F.I.R.E User]

No need for meds.

It’s all about diet, exercise and sleep.

 

[Koolau]

No need for meds.

It’s all about diet, exercise and sleep.

What is your clinical evidence for this? Human beings have built in mechanisms to regulate BP. Certainly "bad habits" can affect that system but so can heredity and unknown and not-always-well-understood breakdowns of said mechanism.

No doctor or group of medical experts have ever agreed on exactly what causes BP issues nor have they agreed upon the exact diet, weight, exercise, sleep, etc., etc. that will prevent BP issues. If you have great BP, you may be tempted to say "This is how it works." That same regimen is NOT guaranteed to w*rk of all.

MAYBE there is an ideal for all these factors, but we don't know what it is. There are always people who have health issues that simply can not be attributed to "bad habits." I'm happy for anyone who has found a life balance which happens to include great BP numbers. Oh, by the way, doctors don't even agree what is "good" BP but YMMV.

 

[RetiriusMinimus]

I was round 140/90 territory, borderline. On metoprolol and enalapril. At doc yesterday I was 118/84. Yeah I need to drop 15 lbs and essersize…

 

[Koolau]

I was round 140/90 territory, borderline. On metoprolol and enalapril. At doc yesterday I was 118/84. Yeah I need to drop 15 lbs and essersize…

Heh, heh, sounds like pills are easier.

 

[38Chevy454]

No need for meds.



It’s all about diet, exercise and sleep.

How do you explain an active skinny person that gets sufficient sleep yet has high BP? Plenty of those type people exist.

 

[F.I.R.E User]

What is your clinical evidence for this? Human beings have built in mechanisms to regulate BP. Certainly "bad habits" can affect that system but so can heredity and unknown and not-always-well-understood breakdowns of said mechanism.

No doctor or group of medical experts have ever agreed on exactly what causes BP issues nor have they agreed upon the exact diet, weight, exercise, sleep, etc., etc. that will prevent BP issues. If you have great BP, you may be tempted to say "This is how it works." That same regimen is NOT guaranteed to w*rk of all.

MAYBE there is an ideal for all these factors, but we don't know what it is. There are always people who have health issues that simply can not be attributed to "bad habits." I'm happy for anyone who has found a life balance which happens to include great BP numbers. Oh, by the way, doctors don't even agree what is "good" BP but YMMV.

Genetics play a role but we control most of it.

 

[Koolau]

Genetics play a role but we control most of it.

I would question that but am no expert. It's true that no matter our genes, we can all control what we eat and how we exercise, etc.

 

[Ronstar]

For me, amount of exercise makes little difference in my BP. The difference between running/weights 4 times a week with 10000 steps per day and doing nothing is 2 or 3 points. I haven't tried diet yet, but I suspect that eating healthier will make more of a BP difference than exercise.

 

[latexman]

Only a few weeks, but I regularly drink liquids all day and normally have to urinate every hour or two anyway. I've done that my whole life, and yes I've been checked for diabetes and the tests always come out great (first thing everyone always asks). So I'm still taking in as much liquid as HCTZ forced me to expel, no chance of wringing it all out. It just shortened the time between bathroom breaks.

Cool. I tried HCTZ at night when a study came out that the best time to take HBP meds is at bedtime, but it made me wake at night to go. So, I switched taking just HCTZ when I wake, and I usually sleep through the night now.

 

[badatmath]

Starting amlodipine to replace the carvedilol (keeping the losartan). What I noticed today particularly in the cardiologist waiting room was how thin most of the people were. I wasn't sure if I should take it as a reason not to lose weight or not as clearly it was not helping them!