Blood pressure

Kate1949

Yhank you Primrose. Thats a dilemma isn't it? Your husband sounds like mine. He had prostate cancer, type 2 diabetes, low vit 12 and now macular degeneration. Never a peep of complaint from him. He just gets on with it. I am one of life's panickers.

I do not really panic or worry much but I do get mad when things don’t go right or if someone pulls out in front of me in a car whereas hubby will just say “he must be in a hurry”. I swear when I get mad …. He never does!

His latest blood tests now say he is borderline for prediabetes but they’ve said that before and something up with his electrolytes.

Yhank you Primrose. Thats a dilemma isn't it? Your husband sounds like mine. He had prostate cancer, type 2 diabetes, low vit 12 and now macular degeneration. Never a peep of complaint from him. He just gets on with it. I am one of life's panickers.

Kate1949

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?

It’s difficult to tell now because he has been on BP meds for decades. He had to see a nurse this morning and it was 189/90 which for him is very low! Of course she said it was very high. She hasn’t met him before.

He says he had no symptoms before he was told he had BP. He is not overweight, doesn’t smoke, barely drinks, eats a healthy diet, avoids salt and is the most laid back person you can imagine. I have a hissy fit if things go wrong but he just goes with the flow.

Kate1949

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'.

Had that GP read any of the scientific literature?

My GP is the opposite. He was very concerned yesterday, it was 167/90. I said that is actually quite good for me! I think consistent high readings are what causes concerns.
The fact that I am on all sorts of heart meds, may lessen the risk.

I first realised I had high BP, when my school had a health day. My colleagues and I were messing about with a BP monitor. My friend's was 200 and I advised her to get to a GP ASAP. We then did mine, it was 210. Given where we worked, it was no surprise.
That was over thirty years ago.

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'.

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.

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?

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

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,.

Kate1949

Primrose I posted above that mine was 208/110

Sorry Kate, I dip in and out!

Primrose I posted above that mine was 208/110

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.

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.

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.

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.

[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.

valchoc

Eat beetroot

I don't know whether to laugh or cry!

Eat beetroot

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.

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.

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!!!!

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.

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.

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