Originally Posted by mgraylorn

The standard drill:
a) lose weight- I am 5' 11" 152
b) eat a balanced diet- I do that
c) exercise at least 30 minutes at least 5 times a week- I do that
d) reduce salt intake- Very low sodium in my diet
e) consider if the rise is from caffiene, birth control pills, pain killers, decongestants and eliminate those things if they are the cause- Caffeine raises blood pressure for a short period of time like nicotine. If I didn't have caffeine in the afternoons or morning on BP meds. I would fall asleep. It could be Atenolol at 100 MGS & Lotrel at 5/20. I am weaning off of Atenolol.
f) consider if sleep apnea is a problem- Good

I will add a little

g) alcohol consumption- Do not drink too much
h) get tested for secondary causes
i) Learn how to reduce anxiety- My high b/p readings at the doc. 2 1/2 years ago were from a combination of a panic attack from anxiety and too much alcohol consumption (a 6 pack night from 22-32 and a 4 day drinking binge when I had 12-14 beers a day and 4-5 shots a day). Now I drink a couple of glasses of wine on the weekend (Friday and Saturday)..... that is it. My B/P at the doc. 2 1/2 years ago at 32 was 190/80 now it averages 108/61 on the meds and 2 mgs of xanax (for the anxiety). I am going to wean off of the B/P meds. starting with the Atenolol.

These are all pretty generic. Can't make bettter reccomendations without additional information.