klstoneking
09-17-2007, 11:24 PM
Never posted on this topic until now, i have been seeing my doc now off and no for 5 weeks to check on my BP, i monitored it at home, everyday three times a day, never after i work out, im a 26 female, not obese, i dont drink ever, it does run in the family..anyhow they put me on meds and said its way too high for my age. it usually stays at around 155/90, and they told me this is why i feel so horrible and sicky all the time, one doc said i had MS now they say its my BP. even on the meds, i still feel nasty and tired and theres not much change in the pressure, now about 148/90...so im concerned what i should do. i do walk, im not a big eater, sometimes skipping meals. whats a good way to lower it?? any advice??
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hopesprings2
09-18-2007, 12:18 AM
no salt or sodium
and have them check your kidney fuction
and have them check your kidney fuction
Guy1_USA
09-18-2007, 01:53 AM
I was 32 and my BP was 160/110.
Best to take the BP medications to get it lowered. If I were you, I would insist on an ACE inhibitor medication like Monopril (fasinopril) to reduce my BP, before trying any other BP meds... ACE meds have the least amount of side effects, and do not make you tired.
Be forward with your Doctor... tell them what BP meds you want to try first. You have 100% say over what BP meds you take... not the Doctor. Just remember that. :)
Folks with heart trouble in their family should be very careful. My friends Brother In-Law's male members had a history of heart failure and he died at the age of 28 walking across his college campus... just went down and that was that.
Anyway... take care of yourself... and take BP seriously... :)
Best to take the BP medications to get it lowered. If I were you, I would insist on an ACE inhibitor medication like Monopril (fasinopril) to reduce my BP, before trying any other BP meds... ACE meds have the least amount of side effects, and do not make you tired.
Be forward with your Doctor... tell them what BP meds you want to try first. You have 100% say over what BP meds you take... not the Doctor. Just remember that. :)
Folks with heart trouble in their family should be very careful. My friends Brother In-Law's male members had a history of heart failure and he died at the age of 28 walking across his college campus... just went down and that was that.
Anyway... take care of yourself... and take BP seriously... :)
bethsheba
09-18-2007, 10:05 AM
Find out what's causing your high blood pressure...at age 26, it is very likely that an identifiable condition is making your pressures go up. If that condition is found and treated, it's possible your blood pressure will go back to normal without meds.
Doctors (and families) often resort to the "it's hereditary" explanation, implying that because it's genetic, nothing can be done except to take meds. Nothing could be further from the truth!!! There are several secondary causes of hypertension that may be genetic/familial but there are treatments/cures for these conditions. Why risk the serious side effects of medications and risk organ damage when treatment of the condition could eleviate or eliminate high blood pressure?
What can you do? Do alot of reading about secondary hypertension, and question everything your doctor tells you. Given your age, your blood pressure, and your other health concerns, you might want to start looking for a doctor who is a specialist in hypertension.
Bethsheba
Doctors (and families) often resort to the "it's hereditary" explanation, implying that because it's genetic, nothing can be done except to take meds. Nothing could be further from the truth!!! There are several secondary causes of hypertension that may be genetic/familial but there are treatments/cures for these conditions. Why risk the serious side effects of medications and risk organ damage when treatment of the condition could eleviate or eliminate high blood pressure?
What can you do? Do alot of reading about secondary hypertension, and question everything your doctor tells you. Given your age, your blood pressure, and your other health concerns, you might want to start looking for a doctor who is a specialist in hypertension.
Bethsheba
klstoneking
09-18-2007, 04:13 PM
thanks for all the replies.....i never thought it was really that serious. my BP today is 149/95 and i donno why...i go back to the doc in three weeks to see if this med im taking is working, when i take it, about an hr later i feel just horrible, dizzy and tired, lord knows i cant afford to be tired, i have a disabled child who needs me 24-7, thus the reason for my stress i guess =) im taking altace once a day...ive researched it, but still clueness on all teh different meds. I have always had medical issues, most of which the docs say its all in my head!! so i think its time for a new opinion =) but thanks for all the advice, im gonna do alot of reading on this issue....its scary though, doc told me walking 2 miles a day like i do isnt good????? that i could fall out with a heart attack, i was under the impression that staying active was a good thing, always...i havent been eating salt either, ihavent ever salted my food, so im confused why teh BP is what it is, unless theres(like the lady that commented said)an underlying reason,another issue they are unaware. they did check my heart and it looks good.
hopesprings2
09-18-2007, 07:29 PM
that is not great blood preasure but not stoke level either.and it might go up when you go in the doctors office.like doctors might make you excited.
acp44
09-18-2007, 07:38 PM
I agree with the last post. When I first got freaked out about BP 6 months ago, I would get numbers as high as 156/99 in the doctor's office. Lots of people said 'Go on meds NOW!!!'
Those numbers dropped, and now they run 130/80 with the doctor, and 120s/130s (occasionally 140s) over 60s/70s at home. I may end up on meds yet, but I am very glad I didn't 6 months ago. Try the diet-exercise-and supplements route first (and please read up on the many posts here about these, esp. supplements which are the trickiest).
Get yourself checked out and make sure you have no health problems CAUSING the high BP, and conversely, get checks on your blood vessels and organs, esp. eyes and kidneys to make sure there is no "end target organ damage." THAT will tell you if you need meds NOW or can wait. This was the first thing my doctor did with me before telling me to try lifestyle changes.
You should see progress within 2-3 weeks show up in your home monitor, IF these changes work. So don't be freaked out, but take home readings for 2-3 weeks consistently at the same time every day and see if the numbers stay high, or if they move around/drop. If the former, consider meds. If the latter, the lifestyle changes may be working.
And the hardest thing of all (and I know this all too well): do NOT obsess and freak out about this...it WILL make your numbers go up, and has for me simply because I cannot stop worrying about BP. Best of luck!
acp
Those numbers dropped, and now they run 130/80 with the doctor, and 120s/130s (occasionally 140s) over 60s/70s at home. I may end up on meds yet, but I am very glad I didn't 6 months ago. Try the diet-exercise-and supplements route first (and please read up on the many posts here about these, esp. supplements which are the trickiest).
Get yourself checked out and make sure you have no health problems CAUSING the high BP, and conversely, get checks on your blood vessels and organs, esp. eyes and kidneys to make sure there is no "end target organ damage." THAT will tell you if you need meds NOW or can wait. This was the first thing my doctor did with me before telling me to try lifestyle changes.
You should see progress within 2-3 weeks show up in your home monitor, IF these changes work. So don't be freaked out, but take home readings for 2-3 weeks consistently at the same time every day and see if the numbers stay high, or if they move around/drop. If the former, consider meds. If the latter, the lifestyle changes may be working.
And the hardest thing of all (and I know this all too well): do NOT obsess and freak out about this...it WILL make your numbers go up, and has for me simply because I cannot stop worrying about BP. Best of luck!
acp
bethsheba
09-18-2007, 09:33 PM
...i never thought it was really that serious. my BP today is 149/95 and i donno why
I don't want to scare you, but it is serious. The good thing is you are now aware of the problem and you have the power and the ability (and the support needed, us :angel: ) to do something about it! The fact that you've been monitoring your pressures at home and at the clinic suggests that you do indeed have a problem...but again, you can choose what you do about that problem.
...i go back to the doc in three weeks to see if this med im taking is working, when i take it, about an hr later i feel just horrible, dizzy and tired, lord knows i cant afford to be tired, i have a disabled child who needs me 24-7 You need to tell your doctor about these side effects and the impact it has on you and your child. I have found that being "tired" means little to doctors as they hear this all the time. I would advise you to rate your fatigue on a scale of 1-10, with "1" being able to do normal things and 10 being so tired you cant get out of bed or being so tired you have to go to bed...Also, it may help to tell your doctor "I am too tired to bath..." "I was so tired I didn't eat lunch or dinner" or "I was so tired I couldn't dress my child". Tell your doctor what the side effect is, when it happens, how long it happens, and anything else that may be relevent. I found that writing these things down helped because sometimes the medication made me confused or forgetful (a side effect no one can afford to have, much less someone with a dependent child).
... I have always had medical issues, most of which the docs say its all in my head!! so i think its time for a new opinion =)..
Yes, if your doctor has said your previous health issues were all in your head it's best to change doctors. I think I can say many of us were happy with our doctors UNTIL being diagnosed and treated for high blood pressure. Then we began to see our doctors eyes roll when we started describing side effects...and then they began to tell us it was all in our heads. But funny thing is, most of these side effects disappear hours/days/weeks after discoing the medication.
... doc told me walking 2 miles a day like i do isnt good????? that i could fall out with a heart attack, i was under the impression that staying active was a good thing, always...i havent been eating salt either, ihavent ever salted my food, so im confused why teh BP is what it is, unless theres(like the lady that commented said)an underlying reason,another issue they are unaware. they did check my heart and it looks good.
Being active is very important for controlling blood pressure. For health reasons, some people shouldn't overdo activity...but if your heart was checked and it looks good, and you don't have any other medical reasons for limiting your activity, I know of no reason why you shouldn't walk as it may be all that you need to do to drop your pressures without medication.
If you're serious about doing your reading, the first place to start is with the Seventh Report fo the Joint National Committe on Prevention, Detection, Evaluation, and Greatment of High Blood Pressure (JNC7)....these are the guidelines that our government recommends our health care professionals follow regarding blood pressure. You can find the link on my thread titled "Lifestyle Modifications Can Lower Systolic BP by..."
Beware, take care, and do stay in touch!
Bethsheba
I don't want to scare you, but it is serious. The good thing is you are now aware of the problem and you have the power and the ability (and the support needed, us :angel: ) to do something about it! The fact that you've been monitoring your pressures at home and at the clinic suggests that you do indeed have a problem...but again, you can choose what you do about that problem.
...i go back to the doc in three weeks to see if this med im taking is working, when i take it, about an hr later i feel just horrible, dizzy and tired, lord knows i cant afford to be tired, i have a disabled child who needs me 24-7 You need to tell your doctor about these side effects and the impact it has on you and your child. I have found that being "tired" means little to doctors as they hear this all the time. I would advise you to rate your fatigue on a scale of 1-10, with "1" being able to do normal things and 10 being so tired you cant get out of bed or being so tired you have to go to bed...Also, it may help to tell your doctor "I am too tired to bath..." "I was so tired I didn't eat lunch or dinner" or "I was so tired I couldn't dress my child". Tell your doctor what the side effect is, when it happens, how long it happens, and anything else that may be relevent. I found that writing these things down helped because sometimes the medication made me confused or forgetful (a side effect no one can afford to have, much less someone with a dependent child).
... I have always had medical issues, most of which the docs say its all in my head!! so i think its time for a new opinion =)..
Yes, if your doctor has said your previous health issues were all in your head it's best to change doctors. I think I can say many of us were happy with our doctors UNTIL being diagnosed and treated for high blood pressure. Then we began to see our doctors eyes roll when we started describing side effects...and then they began to tell us it was all in our heads. But funny thing is, most of these side effects disappear hours/days/weeks after discoing the medication.
... doc told me walking 2 miles a day like i do isnt good????? that i could fall out with a heart attack, i was under the impression that staying active was a good thing, always...i havent been eating salt either, ihavent ever salted my food, so im confused why teh BP is what it is, unless theres(like the lady that commented said)an underlying reason,another issue they are unaware. they did check my heart and it looks good.
Being active is very important for controlling blood pressure. For health reasons, some people shouldn't overdo activity...but if your heart was checked and it looks good, and you don't have any other medical reasons for limiting your activity, I know of no reason why you shouldn't walk as it may be all that you need to do to drop your pressures without medication.
If you're serious about doing your reading, the first place to start is with the Seventh Report fo the Joint National Committe on Prevention, Detection, Evaluation, and Greatment of High Blood Pressure (JNC7)....these are the guidelines that our government recommends our health care professionals follow regarding blood pressure. You can find the link on my thread titled "Lifestyle Modifications Can Lower Systolic BP by..."
Beware, take care, and do stay in touch!
Bethsheba