dietary advice etc for hbp

[rigel434]

"Since i've seen my mom suffer from this practice, i will never take a diuretic."

Suit yourself, but the ALLHAT study clearly showed that taking diuretics extends life of those with hbp. And the increase in blood glucose and lipids was very modest in most people in the study.

I take a diuretic and ACE inhibitor and except for frequent urination and somewhat reduced capacity for hard exercise, I wouldn't know I'm taking anything.

[pal7778]

These arguments show how little we really know. If you can take a diuretic and ACEI and have no side effects and considerably lower bp, do it! But that's not to say everyone will have that experience or that you can even explain exactly why that combo works so well for you. In the same way, CCBs may cause heart attacks, but nobody has made clear why and they certainly don't in many cases. And they really do lower bp for lots of people. So we're not very far beyond trial and error, even in trying to understand why we have hbp. I know I'm just guessing in my case, and my doctor won't even venture a guess.

[gretcheniam]

Hello All,

Just when I had gone and got all gigglely about my diuretic finally lowering my Bp from a high of 240/120 to 117/78 and lower (at least in the daytime) ya'll go and get all wafflely on me I also have high, high cholesterol, at times as high as 400 with messed up lipids and all other applicable #'s in the crazy zone. I value everyone's comments. I was one scared dizzy broad before I found this board. Ya'll have made this HBP monkey on my back bearable. Thanks so much to each and everyone of you. Hope the diuretics haven't done too much to increase my cholesterol #'s. I almost gave my doctor a stroke when he took my blood pressure and it was 240/120. Imagine what will happen to him if he sees a 500 cholesterol level. I finally got him trained not ask me about adding a statin to my meds so I would not have the pleasure of worrying about my liver failing, along with my kidneys, heart and what little brains I have left. Everyone keep up the good work and stay the sweethearts you all are.

Thanks Again
Gretcheniam

[lane413]

rigel, I said my mom stopped diuretics bcuz of cholesterol & glucose alleviation. She is diabetic, and never had high cholesterol or high glucose. She is now struggling with lowering her cholesterol and trying to lower her glucose.

as Pal, stated it is not for everyone. It's all trial and error, and she has tried todate; lisinopril, toprol xl, verapamil, prinivil, hctz, norvasc, clonidine, and some i don't remember. She's doing fine with verapamil and clonidine.

Different strokes for different folks!

[pal7778]

I'm somewhat clear on why CCBs might cause a heart attack here and there by lowering the pulse unnaturally. But why diuretics do raise glucose and cholesterol?