Blood pressure

I have 'white coat syndrome' and frighten all medical staff but my BP is excellent when taken at home.

I am just wondering if Chrysanth sits down for at least five minutes before taking her BP? Does she use a monitor with an arm cuff and a lead? Does she support her arm to the level of her heart and ensure that her palm is uppermost and that the lead is straight?

All of the above can interfere with an accurate reading!

Many wrist monitors can be very misleading with their results.

Hi , yes I use a bp monitor , omron I think the make is . I try to take a few consecutive readings at various times of day . I’ve been doing this for a couple of weeks now in response to a text from the drs .
Not sure where I heard about insomnia side effects but I definitely did .
Also weight gain . My brother who I almost never see has been on bp meds for some time and he has gained a lot of weight. My sister in law says he eats very little and has gained weight since the meds.
Thanks for advice re position of arm when taking a reading .
Also the various food options suggested.

If you use a BP monitor at home, it should be calibrated at the GP surgery, to ensure the readings are accurate.

I have done a bit of research and certain BP meds can cause insomnia of course, the well documented dry cough.

Walk and walk…Try and do your 10,000 steps daily….it works,
no more blood pressure medication.

Unfortunately, some posters are between a rock and a hard place. I would willingly do 10, 000 steps, but fifty yards and I have an angina attack and am in agony, due to my RA.

When I was working, I could easily do 15,000 steps a day, but was still on two BP medications. For some, there is no easy fix.

Some people find a low carb diet lowers their blood pressure. In a study reported by Diabetes UK, 154 people who followed a low carb diet for two years 'experienced significant and substantial reductions in blood pressure.' (They also lost weight and needed less medication.)
www.diabetes.co.uk/news/2020/may/low-carb-diet-shown-to-reduce-high-blood-pressure-in-uk-research.html

YouTube interview with the doctor who did the study: 'Are we blaming salt for what the sugar did?'
youtu.be/z9fBu-Lb--E

I agree with Hetty 58 about those automated monitors. My GP for many years, now retired alas, would never use them on his patients as he said they gave falsely high readings. And I hate the things as they're so painful. The last time, my arm was numb for 2 hours afterwards. Since I can't swallow tablets (I believe the BP ones are mostly controlled release?) I didn't know about the side effects but i'm not surprised.

I take medication to keep me around 138 / 90. I get no side effects that I am aware of and feel grateful that I can live a normal life.

queenofsaanich69

Try eating beetroot,kiwi and apricots & drink hibiscus tea,all work really well one side effect of BP pills is Gout.

Sadly it is this sort of mis-information that can be so very dangerous . By all means drink/eat these items if you like them BUT.......if you have high bood pressure then do ensure you are in touch with your doctor and having regular proper tests and - if necessary, using chemical medication to bring this down.

Yes exercise (if you are capable) is good, a healthy diet is good, but there is often the need for medical intervention.

The idea of treating High BP via diet and exercise regime only is so very dangerous and can result in strokes and even death. Why take that risk?

As for that last absurd comment about gout - where on earth did this come from? Probably the same type of mis-information that told us that having the covid jab was letting them micro-chip us all!!!!

Im just back from what I thought was going to be an asthma review and routine bloods, which quiçkly progressed into a heart review and not being allowed to leave the surgery until I saw my GP.
My BP was through the roof, despìte multiple BP and heart meds.The fimal straw was the swollen ankles, which revealed I had fluid around my heart, which failed further.
No -one should mess about with raised BP.

To be fair Franbern, I Googled this and diuretics (water pills) such as Bendroflumethiazide and Chlortalidone can increase uric acid levels and sometimes trigger gout.

However, diuretics aren't first line blood pressure medications and can be substituted, if they cause problems.

PS. Gout sufferers are advised to avoid yeast extract foods like Marmite and Bovril because they can increase uric acid levels.

Eat beetroot

valchoc

Eat beetroot

I don't know whether to laugh or cry!

[growstuff] I do, and would never advocate uncritical belief, but I have found there is information in his books that can help - you have to try things out and think carefully about your lifestyle and the roots of whatever problem. And of course not fall for any marketing.

sandelf

[growstuff] I do, and would never advocate uncritical belief, but I have found there is information in his books that can help - you have to try things out and think carefully about your lifestyle and the roots of whatever problem. And of course not fall for any marketing.

I'm very happy with my lifestyle and diet - and so is my doctor. I'm not making any changes to what I eat.

A funny story, my Mum when she was alive was always reading about alternative remedies and trying them.
She took many conventional medicines for serious heart problems and COPD.
Once she had terrible gout and went to see her GP, she told him she had read cherries was good for gout and was having at least 10 a day.
He was horrified and shouted no no no. Mum was a bit taken aback until she realised he thought she was having 10 sherries a day. He joked with her about it until she died. BTW she was convinced cherries or cherry juice was good for gout.

I take Amlopidine 5mg. At first my BP was 200/80. WhenI went to get it tested again it was 120/70, which is quite good. The one side effect I get from taking the medication, is a swollen left foot which is listed as the most frequent side effect.

Gossamerbeynon1945

I take Amlopidine 5mg. At first my BP was 200/80. WhenI went to get it tested again it was 120/70, which is quite good. The one side effect I get from taking the medication, is a swollen left foot which is listed as the most frequent side effect.

Wow that is great! YOU are the first person on here who has BP up in the 200s like my husband.

Primrose I posted above that mine was 208/110

Kate1949

Primrose I posted above that mine was 208/110

Sorry Kate, I dip in and out!

I take Losartin and Bendroflumethiazide. Have used this combination for many years. The only effect (side or otherwise), is to keep my BP at a good healthy level. Cannot (physically) exercise due to spinal problems. Try to keep diet pretty healthy, but do treat myself to a lovely cream cake, etc every so often. So very grateful for these meds. without which I would probanbly not still be alive,.

I take those two as well Franbern and echo your sentiments. Have been on them for many years with no side effects.

Primrose I think maybe the more people who tell us they have had excessively high readings can make the rest of us feel better! Mine is only very high when I am anxious, which unfortunately is most of the time. Does your husband's high BP present any symptoms if you don't mind me asking?

Mine is permanently very high, but I have no symptoms, never had any.
That is why it is called the silent killer.
A few months ago, while in hospital, while on bed rest my BP was 200/80, causing much concern among my clinicians.

Its strange Marydoll. When I was first diagnosed aged about 45, my BP was 208/110 as I said. GP didn't bat an eyelid. She said 'Yes it's high. Go home and relax and come back next week'. Relax?!!! I was terrified. I said 'Am I going to have a stroke?' She said 'You might. Anyone could, but it wont't be because of your BP'.