Hypertension anyone?

I'm starting to think I've got it. Over the last month or so I've gotten a couple of popup headaches a week. Fine one second, headache the next. Usually when they happen they hurt like hell for a couple of minutes and settle down to a dull ache that lasts most of the day. Just for the hell of it I stopped by a drug store and tested my blood pressure this morning. 168 over 101 with a pulse rate of 89. Any way you slice it, that's high and I'll be hitting the doctors office as soon as I find one.

Three hours after typing the above.

Well, scratch that.

I checked it again a couple of hours ago at the drug store again and it was 174 over 99. I bought a blood pressure machine and went to see the doctor tonight. On their machine it was 168 over 98. I guess the drug store machines are more accurate than I thought.

My unhealthy lifestyle has caught up with me and now I'm on blood pressure medicine. Time to stop smoking, lose 50-60 pounds and get off my lard ass and exercise more. It's either that or stroke out and be half the man I am now or just die young.

Any of you guys have it and live with it? Pointers, suggestions other than the obvious?

All of my dads family has high blood pressure--even the dietitian who swims 3 times a week and has maybe 5% body fat has blood pressure that is higher than it should be.

My dad was on medication for it for awhile--probably from 55 to 57 (pretty much everybody was surprised he made it to 55 w/o it), but mom got him back in check with diet. His exercise is mostly walking the dog, but he is far from inactive which helps.

Still got kids at home? I think that dads went down as kids left home. High stress job? For about two years he was in a miserably high stress job. Once he got that portfolio off his responsibilities, he was much happier. That had to have helped it as well.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q0d6YWG6e1g

If you're in a position to lose 50-60 lbs, I'm thinking that might not hurt. The rest may fall in place. It will take diet and exercise to get there.

Well, this morning it's 118 over 80. Not too bad.

My weight is sitting at 265-270. At 6'2" I should probably be in the 200-210 range, so yeah, I could afford to loose a few pounds.

The main thing is quitting the smokes. I'm been smoking 1-2 packs a day since I was 16. That's going to be the hard one and the one I'm going to concentrate on first.

Damn this is going to suck.

My BP wasn't as high as yours, I was only 30 lb overweight and I smoked half as much. I've always lead a very active lifestyle and I guess I was in denial about the risks.

About 2 months ago, my heart attacked me. I'm happy to report that I didn't die, but I easily could have.

Don't be like me.

I went for my racing license physical two years ago and got the wonderful news that I had early hypertension. I tried changing the diet; it did nothing. I tried natural supplements, which did nothing. I had a VERY stressful job that I finally was able to quit several months ago. This AM it's 136/96. I'm about 15 lbs over what I used to weigh and horribly inactive, which I've put off doing anything about. But, getting my racing license back (I bowed out for a year to work on this issue) ultimately will drive me to getting on the treadmill. I really, really do not like taking meds, so tried a lot of other stuff first, but it looks inevitable. Now, my readings aren't scary bad, but when I look at what it used to be only a few short years ago I don't like how quickly it has changed. My inactivity, coupled with the hateful job, got me here. The thing is, if I did not have to get a physical every two years, I'd never have known it. So, as I continue to struggle with it, take away this...make sure you check it, because it's not to be messed with, and it doesn't give you much in the way of symptoms before you're on a gurney.

Activity is the key. I once said to my doctor, "When I exercise, I feel good. When I don't exercise, I don't fell so good."

It's so simple that it's almost embarrassing to say out loud.

ddavidv wrote: I went for my racing license physical two years ago and got the wonderful news that I had early hypertension. I tried changing the diet; it did nothing. I tried natural supplements, which did nothing. I had a VERY stressful job that I finally was able to quit several months ago. This AM it's 136/96. I'm about 15 lbs over what I used to weigh and horribly inactive, which I've put off doing anything about. But, getting my racing license back (I bowed out for a year to work on this issue) ultimately will drive me to getting on the treadmill. I really, really do not like taking meds, so tried a lot of other stuff first, but it looks inevitable. Now, my readings aren't scary bad, but when I look at what it used to be only a few short years ago I don't like how quickly it has changed. My inactivity, coupled with the hateful job, got me here. The thing is, if I did not have to get a physical every two years, I'd never have known it. So, as I continue to struggle with it, take away this...make sure you check it, because it's not to be messed with, and it doesn't give you much in the way of symptoms before you're on a gurney.

136/96 should be enough to scare you ... (the 96 part) don't know if it's still true (I don't have any) but I remember yrs ago that diastolic over 90 was grounds for refusing you life ins.

don't be afraid of meds ... depending on the rest of your regime the meds can be a tremendous help ... (like keep you alive) where simple lifestyle changes either won't get the job done, or are too late to fix things that are already past the point of simple changes

take care of yourself ... your family probably would like that

walter who's already had one heart surgery and is a diabetic (both of which might have been prevented, but now HAVE to have medical help beyond lifestyle changes)

My wife has had it since she was about 10. She has to take meds for it. Some people have problems with certain pills, there is one that makes her very lethargic, and one makes her act like she's high. If you think you are having a reaction talk to your doctor. Make sure that you get checked regularly and take you pills. She started to gain weight after the docs changed some of her pills and instead of saying anything she stopped taking everything which led to her having a stroke.

yeah, what Wally said ... never just stop taking on your own, and ALWAYS discuss any adverse reactions with you doc

For the first time in many years, I had my BP show up in the normal range yesterday. Up till now, its always been in the "We'd better keep an eye on that" range, but never high enough to prescribe medication.

The nurse also hunted around until she found a cuff for the machine that actually fit my arm properly this time, too.

The Doc said diet, exercise and stopping the smokes should be enough to knock it out. The meds are to keep it under control until I get some weight off.

There won't be any playing around or taking chances with this. My FIL had a stroke when he was 44 because of not taking his BP meds. He's been paralyzed on his right side for the last 20 years because of it. I might be stupid, but only to a point.

Did they take any blood? Check your A1C? There's a good chance you might be diabetic as well unfortunately.

Hypertension, smoking, obesity, sedentary lifestyle, and family history? You're headed for heart attack and or stroke, no two ways about it. Make changes now while you can.

I would also get a second opinion, maybe see a cardiologist, given your family history.

Toyman01 wrote: The main thing is quitting the smokes. I'm been smoking 1-2 packs a day since I was 16. That's going to be the hard one and the one I'm going to concentrate on first.

That will have benefits in your life that you can't even imagine yet. Definitely the place to start. I don't recommend worrying excessively about weight until you have the smoking out of your life. I can't recommend it enough. Good luck!

In reply to bastomatic:

They took plenty of blood. They are doing a full work up and I will be meeting with a Dr. in the next day or so.

Stress, a life long preference for salty over sweet, and a knee injury that kept me off my bicycle, though I could still row (and the 30# that followed) all conspired to push me to borderline high, then high.

I'm taking 50mg of Losartan daily which is helps, moved to an infinitely less stressful job, and we remodeled the kitchen, so we have a place to actually prepare ingredients into more healthy meals.

I've been testing closer to normal lately.

The time requirements of race season + a rainy summer haven't helped me get out on the bike or in the rowing shell as much as I'd like, but the car is dialed in and there's only 2 events left, so I'm going to try to get out regularly through fall and will move to cycling rollers and a rowing ergometer through the winter.

It's going to really suck, but I ~need~ to lose the weight to be a happy cyclist for the balance of my days. I got my dream bike a couple months ago and I'm going to be able to go uphill next season.

So, some of the blood work came back.

Cholesterol is a little high. HDL, a little low. LDL, a little high. Triglycerides, normal.

Those numbers might be artificially high, I had eaten a snack and a Sprite a couple of hours before the tests. I'll probably have them run again after I get hooked up with a regular doctor.

no more soda pop!

AngryCorvair wrote: no more soda pop!

Yeah, and I would love a Coke right now.

Toyman01 wrote:

AngryCorvair wrote: no more soda pop!

Yeah, and I would love a Coke right now.

Yeah dude, stay off those things. It's hard to imagine anything worse for your health.

People wonder why I only drink coffee in moderation (3 cups a day, caffeine is a factor) water and beer... salt is a big factor as well, and I love salty stuff. I try to avoid sugar, salt and excessive caffeine.

Curmudgeon wrote:

Toyman01 wrote:

AngryCorvair wrote: no more soda pop!

Yeah, and I would love a Coke right now.

Yeah dude, stay off those things. It's hard to imagine anything worse for your health. People wonder why I only drink coffee in moderation (3 cups a day, caffeine is a factor) water and beer... salt is a big factor as well, and I love salty stuff. I try to avoid sugar, salt and excessive caffeine.

I just got done walking the dog a couple of miles and I'm drinking a water. I'm being a good boy. I'll probably still drink a soda once in a while but I'll be cutting way back on them.

Give it 6 months and the dog won't have any legs left.

Good luck. At 29 I'm pre-hypertensive stage 1.

Been taking meds for hypertension a couple years now. Last year Doc said I was borderline diabetic and put me on a diabetic diet. Got insulin levels where they are supposed to be with the diet and lost 25 pounds in the process. 5 more and I'll be at my army weight. A bunch more sit-ups and I may look like I did when I was in the army. Doc wasn't happy with the BP readings with the meds, 130/80 so she sent me in for more diagnostics. Ultra-sound of my internals found one of the causes of the hypertension and why it won't go down to normal. Other factors is hereditary. Seems my renal arteries (feeds blood to the kidneys) is shrinking, not blocked just getting narrower. My mom, a retired nurse told me that will raise blood pressure. Not sure how or when it will be fixed. My sister that's also a nurse said that it is usually fixed with a stent. Oh boy, surgery. I have never spent a night in a hospital or had surgery. Haven't talked with my daughter-in-law (a physician assistant) about it yet. I do have some go to people to answer my medical questions.

can they do it like a heart catheterization ? i.e. less invasive

In reply to wbjones:

Don't know, have to find out. I hope so.