Blood Pressure.

I have been on mess for a few years. I took my BP this morning, 117/66 which is great and better than it has been for apmg time. I have recently lost 2 stone in weight and intend to loose a few more. I suppose I should get BP checked at the surgery in caseeds. Need to e adjusted. I know loosing weight can help lower BP and I don't want to start fainting.

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Thanks for all the advice. I was warned about the ankles thing, although the surgery nurse did tell me that it was more common in women than men - we'll see.

Lefthanded - I have been on a BP treatment for 10 years or so called Lercanodipine hydrochloride which is a calcium - channel blocker for high BP. The only side effect is the real need to pee for a few hours in the morning.

As for tips to lower BP I was told to go into the surgery and when you sit down with the nurse to really flop into the chair and relax. Also don't talk at all whilst the reading is being taken.

A lot of people believe that drinking beetroot juice is a good natural way to reduce BP. Beetroot juice is usually mixed with apple juice so this may not be a good idea with your blood sugar levels.

I have been tried on several of the BP drugs and now have a cocktail which seems to be working - one of those I take us a low dose of a beta blocker - that causes me to take a very deep breath every once in a while - the cardiologist asked me if I had that. I think most of these drugs have some sort of side effect - it is finding the drugs which suit you best.
Recently I went for a routine ultrasound sort of thing of my heart - it showed I have thickening of the walls which is 'normal' after years of BP drugs. At the moment does not seem to be causing me any problems

Lefthanded- Re: Amlodipine, if you begin to have severe leg cramps, that BP medicine is the first culprit in my book. Both my husband and I took it for about 6 months. He developed gout and I had severe leg cramps. Dr prescribed another BP med for me and symptoms disappeared. My DH still has gout even though he quit taking it also.
I hope everything works out for you.

My feet were like water balloons. I went on felodipine and no more problems.

I was taken off Amlodipine as from the ankles down, even in the summer, my feet were frozen.

I am on Amlodopine and only suffer with swollen ankles when on a flight.

I had the 'swollen ankles' problem with Amlodipine , then developed the cough with Ramipril , now I take Losartan and Imdapamide for BP, its been pretty stable for a while thank goodness.. when I first went back with the swollen ankles my GP said oh that's ok its just a side affect I said there is no way I'm going to put up with these 'cankles' for the rest of my life give me something else.

If you are on Amlodopine watch your ankles
Oh, thanks for that tip Welshwife
DH has just been prescribed those tablets, and I must say that, for a man, he has a nifty pair of ankles, I will watch them carefully!

I have been actively trying to get my BP down so I don't have to increase my tabs. If I can get it just under 140/80 I am happy. However I have checked it this week
when it was 115/71 which is the lowest I have ever recorded. I suspect the BP machine in the Doc's surgery wasn't working properly, as when the cuff finished crushing my arm it wasn't as painful as usual. I better go back this week and try it again - drat !

I have had BP mess for 25 years and have taken my own pressure at home for most of that time too. I like to keep mine to less than 135 /100 I take most of the meds in the morning but also one at night - it is not prescribed in UK - or certainly under the same name - Rilmenidine. When you take your pressure in the morning it is to see if th meds are working correctly and still protecting you 24 hours - mine was a bit high in the morning so that is why I take the night one.
If you are on Amlodopine watch your ankles - one of the most common side effects in swollen ankles - if you still have them after a month it is unsuitableok for you. Ramipril can give you a funny cough at the back of the throat. I now no longer take either of those.
I keep a good eye on my blood pressure particularly since it spiked almost two years ago - 'only ' to 200 and it induced an epileptic fit (only one I have ever had) while I was out and I spent the weekend in hospital. I had all the scans and wires in my head etc and nothing was amiss and the neurologist gave me a medication to take - but it seems I only take half the normal dose.

I can't fathom blood pressure. The normal range marked on some hospital obs charts goes as low as 100, but when mine gets to 104/74 I'm on the verge of passing out.

I have been monitoring my own BP for about six months. Because my BP had come down so much (and I was getting dizzy spells) my doctor allowed me to halve the dosage and then come off the medication completely in January, since when my BP has remained steady around 110/70.
I take it at different times of the day, but I always get the monitor, then sit and relax for 5 minutes. I keep my feet on the floor, make sure the monitor is at the right height, set it off and then think about waves rippling on a sunny beach. It is lowest first thing in the morning, goes up a bit later in the day and is always a bit higher in my right arm than my left.

I measure my own at home and just take the readings into the surgery when I go. Usually, when I go to the doctor, it is because I am worried about something and trying to remember what to say, so my bp goes up.

I have recently celebrated my 70th birthday over several weeks consuming gallons of wine and champagne. I thought I had better take my bp and it was 116/69. I did it again next day and it was 120/71.

So now you know, ditch the pills and take champagne.

My blood pressure is usually OK ish but when I had a virus and had just been upset by my dil it soared to 190 over 90. The nurse took 3 reading and the middle one was 157 over 80 but the third one soared again.

I have to buy a bp monitor and I'm dreading it because they always make me nervous. Any tips for using them and not getting all panicky.

What advice were you given to lower your blood glucose levels lefthanded ?

Teetime It's a bit worrying at the time isn't it? Mine has been fine since thankfully.
I'm glad your is sorted.

Went back to the Dr's yesterday and they took my BP again. Best of three readings was 175/90 so they have prescribed Amlodipine. Frankly the Dr was more concerned with the result of one of the blood tests they took which showed me to be borderline diabetic.

So now I have to go back again in another two weeks for another blood test - I have until then to get my blood sugar level down!

katyK I'm with you I got to 220/ 180 at age 25 so on meds since then but not diagnosed with SLE (Lupus) until my late 40s and lo and behold that's what was causing it (and the miscarriages) - all controlled now on meds thank fully.

I remember one of my colleagues telling me she'd been to her doc and had high BP, and now had a bit of a headache. I duly took her BP (I was a nurse) and it was something like 240/150!!! Needless to say I had one of the docs look her over, she was admitted overnight and actually never worked again although she was generally ok!

About 15 years ago when I was slim, fit and active I had mine taken and it was 210/108 !! Needless to say I have been on medication every since and it is fine now.

I was told by the community pharmacist bp machines can be £10-£100 and that the simpler cheaper ones were fine. Small local pharmacy turned out to stock a single model, a £10 one, and had had no complaints. I bought it and find it completely satisfactory

ps I was incubating a virus when the BP reading was highest.