Should I Go On Meds? - High & Low Blood Pressure Message Board

rollo · 06-11-2007, 11:07 AM

I'm a 44 year old male marathon runner. In shape and thin with a very good diet. My readings have been running bout 140/80 for many years. Other tests show everthing else is normal with my health (kidney, liver, heart, etc.)

My Dr. doesn't believe in "white coat syndrome" and is recommending I start on medication which I have resisted. At home my readings have been slightly lower (135/75) with occaisional readings @ 120/70 and 145/80.

Guy1_USA · 06-11-2007, 12:44 PM

Gosh... I'm about your age and my Doctor and staff does believe in white coat syndrom. He's happy if my BP is 135 or low, and 80 or lower. Of course he would be happier if I was 120 / 75.

I've been reading on these boards all the BP meds around that seem to have serious side effects... and I haven't read much about people taking ACE inhibitors, like Fosinopril. I've been taking this med for 15 or 16 years without a single side effect. Ask your Doctor about taking the lowest dosage of fonoipril (I believe 10 mg). Try it for a month... and if you don't like it, just stop taking it. I always stop taking meds if I don't like the side effects. I just tell my Doctor I don't like it. He's just happy that I'm will to give new meds a go before saying no.

The beta blockers and calcium channel blocker meds seem to have a whole bunch of nasty side effects reported. I'd take a pass on those. I took the calcium channel blocker for 10 weeks recently and hated the side effects... water gain in legs and feet, weight gain, and always tired. All stuff that would work against a marathon runner. I'm only taking Fosinopril and HCTZ at the moment.

Try the lowest dose of finosipril and see how it goes.

Good luck.

Lenin · 06-11-2007, 03:23 PM

rollo,

I would not medicate numbers like that. ESPECIALLY not if you are a marathon runner.

When your doctor gives you his next bill why not tell him "You don't BELIEVE in doctor's bills." (You might also ask him what his best marathon time is.

)

Your doctor is a fool and should be fired. White Coat hypertension is a reality whether or not some doctor "believes it" or not. Medicine is not a faith-based system.
In fact, white coat doesn't even enter into the equation if you get 140/80 in the office...even the newest tightest guidlines will call that "prehypertension" (give or take a point.

)

If you can run/walk/crawl 26.2 miles at age 44, you have no reason to worry about the condition of your heart. You have just [assed the ULTIMATE stress test with flying colors.

(Any antihypertensive will also crucify your best times!)

rollo · 06-11-2007, 04:52 PM

Lenin - Thx for your response. Youv'e made me feel a whole lot better. I'm against medications except when absolutely necessary.

dvdmon · 06-19-2007, 07:23 AM

Rollo, I would get yourself a new doctor. I'm with you about medications. Only for accute problems. It's a much better idea to try to find the root of the problem if there is one and attack that. Obviously for you it's not a weight issue. Perhaps it is an imbalance of electrolytes? Do you get lots of sodium but very little potassium? Hydration is also important, but I assume you are getting that if you are a runner!

The other thing you might want to do is test yourself. Get an automated cuff (CVS has a good one that I've been using for a while and it's fairly inexpensive), and take your BP right after you wake up - even before you get out of bed if possible. This will give you a true RESTING BP. After taking your BP, if your doc is concerned that it is too high, what he should be doing is having you lie down for 10 or 15 minutes at least, then coming back and taking it again. BP is normally taken right after one walks into the doctor's office, and the nurse or whoever is taking it often is talking to you while they take it. Talking increases BP, as does any physical activity. What you really want to get is a resting BP reading.

I've had BP that was slightly elevated for as long as I can remember (at least 10 years). Initially that was 130/80, but more recently it had climbed a bit higher to 140/90 or so. I'm managing it wonderfully without drugs. I'm basically trying to stay hydrated (something that's always been a challenge for me), I'm not adding any sodium to the food I make (although I can't control this when I go out to eat), but rather am adding a salt substitute that includes potassium. Cinnamon has been shown to lower BP a little, and so I try to add this to my coffee (only decaf now!). There is also a study which showed that using a hand grip (you know, the one that you squeeze to strengthen your grip), also had the effect of lowering BP, so I've been doing that on and off. Possibly most significantly I've been using the Resperate biofeedback device a few times a week. This has an immediate effect on BP (I take it before and after), but I'm hoping it is also responsible for what I've seen as a more constant lowering affect. Basically for the last few months I've not seen a rating over 125/85 and often it is under 120/80. I think my lowest reading so far (after doing a session with it) is 108/68. Sure you have to spend 15 minutes a few times a week, but isn't that worth all the potential side effects with a medication?