hence my name for this site.

Ugh!

Anywho. Im a rookie to this, never really paid much attention to this disease at all.

For the first 27 yrs of my life, my BP was fine. Perfect. 115 over 75, 120 over 80. Always right around there. Pulse was fine as well.

About a yr ago I got Mono, and when I went in for it, my BP was around 150 over 110. Very high. I was shocked. At the time, my doc didnt think too much of it, he was concerned, but not that it wassomething major as I was very sick, but for the past year, every time I go to the doctor, which has been frequent due to a neck condition, its been on the high side. 140 over 100, 130 over 90 is about the lowest its been.

Today I went to the doc for possibly Sleep Apnea, which is probably a main cause, along with my weight which isnt good, and that I smoke, yeah, lots of reasons to have high BP, I get that, and it was 153 over 98.

The doc I saw is a neurologist/sleep specialist. He said Im going on Atenolol, really didnt give me an option the way he was talking. I said my fam PA, not a doc, hasnt really pressed the medication stuff yet. He is more about me losing weight, quitting smoking etc. This doc though said thats all fine and dandy, but you need to get on soemthing now.

I guess my questions are... What Atenolol like for someone with JUST high BP? My anxiety is fine, Im not depressed and everything Ive read here about it seems that people with low BP, but high anxiety are taking it.

And? Does anyone think that my neurologist is jumping the gun just a bit, as my BP hasnt been horrid the past 6 mnths or so, 130 over 90. I think today it was just very high due to the fact I probably have Apnea and will need to do something about that as well.

Any help would be appreciated. As stated, Im 28 and have to deal with something I always thought would be an issue when Im 58.

Thanks.

hence my name for this site.

Ugh!

I guess my questions are... What Atenolol like for someone with JUST high BP? My anxiety is fine, Im not depressed and everything Ive read here about it seems that people with low BP, but high anxiety are taking it.

And? Does anyone think that my neurologist is jumping the gun just a bit, as my BP hasnt been horrid the past 6 mnths or so, 130 over 90. I think today it was just very high due to the fact I probably have Apnea and will need to do something about that as well.

Any help would be appreciated. As stated, Im 28 and have to deal with something I always thought would be an issue when Im 58.

Thanks.

I have been hypertensive since your age. Does it run in your family? I have neices and nephews that have it at 18. I took Atenolol for many years (probably prescribed in my 30's). I had some slow developing reactions to it including anxiety attacks. I suggest doing the full battery of tests. Have they run any kidney, heart, stress tests on you?

Fast forward until now. After several blood, heart, kidney tests...they still can't find the cause of my hypertension other than I inherited it. Wed. I turn 38 and dealing with a whole new set of issues with hormones and BP. This board is great! It helps ease some of the stress. I Love your username BTW!!

TGOS

I have been hypertensive since your age. Does it run in your family? I have neices and nephews that have it at 18. I took Atenolol for many years (probably prescribed in my 30's). I had some slow developing reactions to it including anxiety attacks. I suggest doing the full battery of tests. Have they run any kidney, heart, stress tests on you?

-------

Both of my grandfathers were on BP meds. My mother currently is. Spoke to her today, she takes something, not Atenolol, but says its helped a lot. No real side effects.

No other tests at all.

Like I said, my family PA has known aobut this for a while and has never pressued the meds issue, just on losing weight, drinking lots of water, etc. and then all of a sudden I see a new doc today, neuro/sleep guy and he was ultra quick to put me on it.

After reading the net now and all of the stories, IM really starting to wonder if I should start taking it, havent picked up the RX yet. Maybe I should go see my PA again, whom I trust more than the guy I saw today and see what he says.

Thanks for the reply though. Im sure we will talk again.

IAfter reading the net now and all of the stories, IM really starting to wonder if I should start taking it, havent picked up the RX yet. Maybe I should go see my PA again, whom I trust more than the guy I saw today and see what he says.

Thanks for the reply though. Im sure we will talk again.

It seems as if you do have family history. You can't rule out that you can be hypertensive too. The best thing is to take action. Yes, give your PA a call and get his opinion. I would suggest doing some preventative things too as your PA prescribed - like change in lifestyle changes, diet as I'm sure you've read numerous times in your web searches. You are still young and if I knew what I know today back then maybe I won't be in the condition I am in now.

Good luck sweetie! Let me know how it goes. BTW, I'm having 'bout of what they call spikes in BP. My BP is 155/105. Crazy!! Prevent it now!

Do you take your own BP at home so you know what your average BP is? If you only have it taken at the doctor's office, part of the elevation might just be "white coat syndrome." Although I think with your borderline HBP, doing the things your PA recommends could very well bring your HBP down over time, taking medication in the meantime might not be all that bad if your diastolic pressure really is 90 or higher. Unless you have undesirable side effects, of course. And not everyone has them. Just plan on weaning off the medication after you have brought it down by other means.

Do you take your own BP at home so you know what your average BP is? If you only have it taken at the doctor's office, part of the elevation might just be "white coat syndrome." I'll second this advice. Buy a home BP monitor. I'd start taking a few home readings BEFORE you take any drugs to establish a baseline.

As far as atenolol is concerned, I believe this is a terrible drug to start off on.... unless you have other conditions (high heart rate, palpitations, etc.) that atenolol will also address.

FWIW, quitting smoking is far more important that addressing your BP.

Pal

You are not alone, I'm 23 and I have HBP since I was 17 or maybe 16. You are smoking? Oh my god, I remember when I was smoking my blood pressure was 160/110 (without medication) and after I give it up it started to decline until it reached 140/90 but I was slim. Anyway, the first thing you should do is stop smoking.

I will tell you what I think about High Blood Pressure and its Meds, first of all your blood pressure is not high (it's not 160/110) and you said that it reaches 130/90. HBP is dangrous we all know that but the Meds are AWFUL, a lot of side effects that people couldn't tolerate. I took Meds off few days ago and my reading range from 140/100 to 130/90. I eat only fruit and vegetables, I drink Hibiscus tea which reduces blood pressure too, take Omega 3 and Garlic supplements, Also Zinc, Magnesium, Potassium and Vitamin C. I think I will be able to reduce my BP to 130/85 or even 120/80 after a few months.

Stop smoking, lose weight (if you are overweight) and start a healthy diet (NOT SALT) and exercise too (ask your doctor first about exercise) before you think about Medication. Keep visiting the forums because you will find a lot of good information about HBP.
Thanks and good luck
Michael

wow, I'm glad I checked this area out. I thought my wife was just very unusual. She is only 26 and has high blood pressure. Started when she was pregnant and never got better. 2 years later she takes more blood pressure medication than my dad did and he had a heart transplant. The medication is finally keeping it down now, but took almost 2 years of switching drugs and doses to work. I had no idea many more people had this at young age like this. Dr. said she inherited it from her dad's side of the family. She takes Diovan, Cardazim, Torprol (to slow down heart rate and for palpatations), and topomax for migranes. Seems blood pressure much worse when having migranes. Has me scared to death of what its going to be like for her 20 yrs from now!!

Hi,
I am 31 years old now and i have been on meds since i was 28 years. 130/90 in my opinion is not really that bad, it is the high normal range which suggest a lifestyle change and not really meds. Besides you should be returning to the doc monthly for atleast six months before they even considering putting you on any form of medication. Once on meds it is very hard to come back off, it is a lifetime situation and doesn't really determine the underlining cause. You could suggest to your doc a 24hr BP monitor, this may help illiminate the possibility it is White Coat.

I went at least 8 months without being prescribed meds and i have been on various types for 2 years now and i am at best reading 130/85.

Hope this helps
Paul

I started around 33, BUMMER.

Glad I found this site!

My husband just got his Rx filled last night for HBP---170/110 OUCH...he is only 25. I'm worried about him, too because though he's been overweight for a long, long time, his blood pressure was always just fine because he had time to take care of himself , he exercised about 2 hrs almost daily (now he doesn't have the time to get 8 hrs a sleep at night much less exercise). he has also been very, stressed out lately, and I'm sure that's a factor as well. He gets frequent headaches too and i've wondered if that could be due to the blood pressure being so high. His dr wondered what was up because since he last saw him back in May (when he had pneumonia and he hardly EVER used to get sick but he's been sick this year a lot) he has gained 8 lbs since then. :(

This is frustrating!

Sorry to hear that about your hasband. Yes headache is associated with High Blood Pressure specially that his reading is high, you didn't tell us much about your hasband. Please tell us more about his eating style, BMI, Family History of High BP (VERY IMPORTANT) and any medications he's on. Lenin and Da-Uff will answer most of your questions like they always do :) .

170/110 is high so his dr put him on medication or not yet? I'm 23 and my blood pressure is 150/100 without medication (without diet too).
Hope that he will be fine soon
Michael

I've been on BP meds since 13yrs old and only just now at 21 maybe getting a diagnoses as to why. I was on 2 meds a day and still it would get as high as 190/110. So yes it does happen, people do get HBP really young....
I also have apnea. I don't think they're jumping the gun, if it's in the 153/90's range it's better to be on meds even for a little while, while they do investigations etc.
Goodluck
Sarah

Thanks, michaellabibat.

Husband's BMI is rather high, has to be at least a 33...I don't know about a family history of high BP, but I know a few of his relatives have had strokes in their not so older age (50s/60s). Right now his eating style isn't that healthy but when it was and when he could exercise regularly he was fine. He isn't on any medications regularly, aside from the BP meds. Already he's noticed a difference (in one single day of taking it!) in how he feels. It caused a lot of cramping the first night and he did drink fruit juice, but, he didn't have the headache like he usually did and his tension level was way down than it usually is....so it appears a lot of the symptoms you could get w/ HBP he had such as the headaches and the irritability and all...