payton
12-19-2007, 10:44 PM
is there a benefit to fighting HBP the natural way or should you just take the medication and be through with it. Is the only down side the side effects of the meds?
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dmer
12-20-2007, 05:40 PM
If you present yourself to a Dr. and your BP is very elevated, they may suggest you go to the hospital. That sort of advice is standard if it's very high and they can determine there are other factors which place you in immediate jeopardy. A hospital will immediately place you on medication and monitor you 24 hours per day.
If BP is only slightly elevated and the patient is overweight, the first step would be lifestyle changes, namely, diet and exercise. These would be the preferred way for BP to be reduced. I'm not sure what the cutoff is for Dr.'s to go straight to medication rather than evaluate lifestyle changes. The dilemna for them is that if someone is overweight, they need to undertake a series of blood tests then make a more complete evaluation. Again, if they judge you to be sufficiently high in the risk category, they will opt for meds immediately.
Meds aren't permanent, not are the doses unless your condition has reached the point where it's the only viable treatment option.
If BP is only slightly elevated and the patient is overweight, the first step would be lifestyle changes, namely, diet and exercise. These would be the preferred way for BP to be reduced. I'm not sure what the cutoff is for Dr.'s to go straight to medication rather than evaluate lifestyle changes. The dilemna for them is that if someone is overweight, they need to undertake a series of blood tests then make a more complete evaluation. Again, if they judge you to be sufficiently high in the risk category, they will opt for meds immediately.
Meds aren't permanent, not are the doses unless your condition has reached the point where it's the only viable treatment option.
payton
12-21-2007, 01:16 AM
thanks for the reply, i agree totally. lifestyle change should be the first option. i am currently in grad school and sleep and diet have gone out the window wo i really would rather try to reduce HTN on my own before resorting to a drug that...i'm sure has some nasty side effects. by the way my BP was 150/95 give or take 3 points either way for past 6 months. i am currently about 20 pounds to heavy as well so i think i should address that first. thanks again.
gib
12-21-2007, 12:57 PM
Don't take HBP so casually, sure lifestyle changes need to be done but how long do you think it will take you to lose 20lbs? You already know your BP has been consistantly high for 6 months. How old are you? How long do you really think it's been high before you started monitoring it? I think a doctor would want your BP down while you work on lifestyle changes. Primary concerns with HBP is damage to the very small blood vessels in your kidneys and eyes. 150/95 is a moderate elevation, not slight. The other thing to know is your family history, does any of your parents have HBP? I'm fit, workout 4 days a week, got a little flab on the gut but not much, and I still take two medications, both my parents take HBP meds, so mine's hereditary to some degree.
I don't know how active you are now, but if you plan to lose 20lbs just by cutting back your weekly trips to Burger King or something, I'll say that's not going to cut it. You should have a good cardio routine too. I'd say get to the gym 3-4 days a week and work towards an hour of cardio each session, but only after you've talked with your doctor. But you probably already know they're going to want you on medication. If you're going to start exercising without seeing a doctor, well, take it easy to start and monitor your BP closely around the times you exrcise.
Not trying to scare you, but BP should not be taken so lightly! Good luck!
I don't know how active you are now, but if you plan to lose 20lbs just by cutting back your weekly trips to Burger King or something, I'll say that's not going to cut it. You should have a good cardio routine too. I'd say get to the gym 3-4 days a week and work towards an hour of cardio each session, but only after you've talked with your doctor. But you probably already know they're going to want you on medication. If you're going to start exercising without seeing a doctor, well, take it easy to start and monitor your BP closely around the times you exrcise.
Not trying to scare you, but BP should not be taken so lightly! Good luck!
dmer
12-21-2007, 06:09 PM
All of what GIB says is correct. However, the Dr. will undertake a comprehensive examination and your blood work would focus on kidney functions, as well a lipid profile. A referral to an opthalmologist to look for things like retinal myopathy would also be in order.
I would think the inclination would be to start you on the lowest doses of whatever is prescribed and titrate that in short order - possibly as little as one week.
Concurrently, diet and exercise changes are highly reccommended.
I would think the inclination would be to start you on the lowest doses of whatever is prescribed and titrate that in short order - possibly as little as one week.
Concurrently, diet and exercise changes are highly reccommended.
payton
12-21-2007, 11:08 PM
-thanks for all of the input, i really appreciate yalls time. i do however have a couple of things that have come to my attention.
1) i have been active in the weight room since i was a kid. my brother competed in all natural bodybuilding and i naturally was attracted to that lifestyle - my point is that my arms are a little over 18 inches and to my knnowledge they have been using regular cuffs on me, this may explain why it has only been since this Dr's office since the readings were elevated. i did some research and it states that arms in excess of 16.5 inches would require an XL cuff or a thigh cuff. this could according to the research alter systolic as much as thirty points and diastolic as much as 10-15. you tell me
2) also i have been suffering from a very serious case of anterior scalene syndrome(TOS) for a while now and it has really gotten bad over the last 2 yrs. NOW - this is simply my thoughts(i did find a little literature supporting my theory)in regards to the vagus nerve and its entrapment in the chronic mm spasms - notably the ant/med scalene and the sternoclydomastoid. this could interupt normal activity of the vagus nerve(CN10) adn lead to disruption in all of the vagal innervated organs. also the sypathetic cervical chain ganglion is in the region on the anterior/inferior 1st rib which is also a neurovascular bundle that if overstimulated could lead to an alteration in blood pressure/GI function....etc. again this is just my thinking. yall tell me what you think
1) i have been active in the weight room since i was a kid. my brother competed in all natural bodybuilding and i naturally was attracted to that lifestyle - my point is that my arms are a little over 18 inches and to my knnowledge they have been using regular cuffs on me, this may explain why it has only been since this Dr's office since the readings were elevated. i did some research and it states that arms in excess of 16.5 inches would require an XL cuff or a thigh cuff. this could according to the research alter systolic as much as thirty points and diastolic as much as 10-15. you tell me
2) also i have been suffering from a very serious case of anterior scalene syndrome(TOS) for a while now and it has really gotten bad over the last 2 yrs. NOW - this is simply my thoughts(i did find a little literature supporting my theory)in regards to the vagus nerve and its entrapment in the chronic mm spasms - notably the ant/med scalene and the sternoclydomastoid. this could interupt normal activity of the vagus nerve(CN10) adn lead to disruption in all of the vagal innervated organs. also the sypathetic cervical chain ganglion is in the region on the anterior/inferior 1st rib which is also a neurovascular bundle that if overstimulated could lead to an alteration in blood pressure/GI function....etc. again this is just my thinking. yall tell me what you think