Hello, my name is Melissa and I'm 23 yrs old. In September I went to the doctor for a physical and my BP was 170/110. Both the doc and I thought it was just nerves, but she wanted me to monitor it for a few weeks at home. I did, and the average reading was 145/105. She gave me 4 weeks worth of Toprol xl 25mg. That did not decrease my bp at all- so after that Toprol was raised to 50 mg. I've been taking that now for 4 weeks also, and my BP has decreased a little bit- average is now 138/102. The top number doesn't seem to bad, but the bottom number just won't go below 100. I go back to the doc next week. Do I just need another increase? Or should I ask to try a different kind? It seems to me that if Toprol was going to work, it should have come down a little bit more by now.

Like I said, I'm 23 yrs old, and not sure whats causing my high bp. At my previous physical the year before, my bp was 130/80. Since than I have lost about 80lbs. I exercise 1 hr/day, 5 days a week. I never add extra salt to my food and I don't drink. Could there be something else causing my bp to be high?

Thanks,
Melissa :wave:

Hi Melissa-
Did your doctor run any blood tests or any special urinalysis on you before prescribing medication?

The majority of people with high blood pressure have "primary" hypertension which appears later in life in most cases. But when someone as young as you are presents with elevated BP, doctors usually look for what they call "secondary" causes.

Some of the major causes of secondary hypertension are:

Kidney disorder or adrenal gland tumors (benign)

Drugs, e.g. oral contraceptives, corticosteroids, liquorice and carbenoxolone, sympathomimetics, and non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, (like taking an excess of Advil for instance).

Endocrine disorders... such as Cushing syndrome, thyroid problems, primary hyperaldosteronism, pheochromocytoma and carcinoid..

Has your doctor ordered a renal(kidney) scan for you? Or done tests to rule out thyroid or adrenal gland problems?


If there is a secondary cause, most of the time it is totally REVERSIBLE. Your doctor should be definitely evaluating you further before pushing meds, especially since they aren't working well.

zuzu xx