HBP - meds vs. alternative options? - High & Low Blood Pressure Message Board

payton · 12-19-2007, 07:44 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?

dmer · 12-20-2007, 02:40 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.

payton · 12-20-2007, 10:16 PM

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, 09:57 AM

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!

dmer · 12-21-2007, 03:09 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.