High blood pressure - help!

[ToiletGambles]

I have been to the doctors for a routine appointment and it's been picked up that my blood pressure is quite high, it is everytime I go so they just thought it was white coat syndrome but have now given me a monitor to record it daily for a week. My readings have been pretty high, everyone I put into the NHS calculator comes out as high and I'm starting to worry. I'm only 36!! Not overweight, dont smoke and I'm fairly active.

Has anyone else had high blood pressure and found it to be caused by an underlying condition? Did you have any symptoms with the high blood pressure? I suffer from anxiety but i don't constantly have it and its not terribly bad so i dont think that is making my reading high.

Thank you!

What sort of readings are you getting? People often have high blood pressure without any symptoms, or have it with symptoms they don't recognise (eg blurry vision, headaches etc). Many many people have high blood pressure that is easily managed with medication, and personally I'd rather find out at 36 and get it reduced than live with it for 20 years without knowing. Do regular readings and any white coat syndrome will reduce too.

How high?
how you take it can also affect readings.

sit with your back supported, put a cushion on your knee so the cuff is level with your heart (rather than dropped down by your side) sit for 5 mins then take a reading, leave a gap of a minute take a second reading, another minute then do a 3 rd reading -use the lowest reading.

a full bladder can affect the reading, as can a sleeve between the cuff and your skin. Don’t cross your legs or ankles as that affects the reading.

alcohol consumption and a high salt diet can affect BP too.

I have high BP but no other symptom, am reasonably fit, eat fairly healthily and take exercise.
sometimes it really is just one of those things.

Try a glass of beetroot juice every day (you can get cartons of it in the long-life juice aisle of the supermarket). There's quite a lot of evidence that it can reduce high blood pressure significantly, and it's good for you in other ways too! Check out Michael Mosley's podcast about it.

www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m0016ppn

I've had it since my late 20's with no underlying cause. I'm on 3 different types of medication for it now but it takes a while to get right.

Thank you everyone! Help/advice is all very welcome. I take all the advice the doctors gave me on taking my BP, all much similar to yours @Asimhereanyway. Highest reading I have had is 178/111 so not absolutely horrific but well over what it should be. @Twospaniels are you on any medication for it?

Hoping to get it down without medication, more worried they will stop me having my contraceptive pill!

Does it run in your family?

Not that I/any of us know of. My great Aunt did die from a stroke though so I wonder if that was due to high blood pressure? Many years ago now.

I've had high blood pressure since 2018 (I was 39) only found out because of a routine check. I started straight away on medication but it took approx 6 months to get the correct dose over 2 different tablets. I also had to come off the pill as was at risk of stroke as it was so high even on the medication. I'm still on the same medication and now stable where it should be.

178/111 sounds pretty horrific to me! What parameters did they give you for what’s acceptable and when are they reviewing you? AFAIC that BP needs treating fast

I take Candesartan.

i was on Ramipril, but a side effect of that is a dry cough so I was changed to Candesartan. However I now have a bit of a stuffy nose. But my BP seems to have come down to normal levels

That's the highest one of the lot, lowest is 117/93. Never gave me any of that information just told me to record it and hand it back after a week which takes me to Tuesday....

What made them put you on that in the first place? Did you do monitoring at home? Do you feel better on the medication or has it not really affected you? This isn't the first time they have noticed mine is high but chose not to do anything about it the last time as it was only just over. Sorry for all the questions!

Same thing happened to me this week. Mine was 154/88 just now. I did 3 readings, all so different!

I'm also interested to know anything I can dobto help. Happy to try beetroot juice!

A BP of 180/100 or higher requires a visit to A&E, so that’s very high!!! The bottom figure being over 100 is the biggest risk factor.

Mine is “high” at 130/82. I’m the same age.

DH takes candersarten (due to the ramipril cough!!) and it’s brought his down to normal.

Has your GP run bloods to check your kidney function?

Hi op my blood pressure was on the high side. I low carbed because of a pre diabetic blood sugar reading, I was a slim runner then. My blood pressure dropped massively. Might be worth a try, apparently it is a recognised thing.

I had a high blood pressure reading at a routine pain management visit to my practice nurse when I was 36. It was 220/180. No symptoms, just a period of louder than usual chronic pain (I have a spinal congenital defect that’s lots of fun).

Nurse left to get Dr, Dr thought the electronic bp meter was faulty, tried 2 others & old fashioned manual meter, still the same result.

Lots of visits before so not White Coat Syndrome. In fact, my regular bp was 110/70 so this was rather volcanic by comparison. Lots of exercise, had a very physical job, cycled & walked everywhere. Lots of investigation, no underlying cause (apart from pain caused by shonky spine).

Down to a lovely 130/85 now (pain even worse, but that was 14 years ago & I’m older & more decrepit). Blood tests every 6 months for liver & kidney function, I take lisinopril, amlodipine & indapamide. I do a week of home testing every year to get an overall average reading, testing twice a day.

Buy a good electronic bp monitor (I think my last one was on a lightning deal on Amazon for about £40 a couple of months ago, can’t remember the brand, but some GPs prefer some manufacturers over others, mine provide a recommended list). My practice advises you change monitors every 3-5 years. Also, make sure the cuff is large enough (big biceps here lol!).

@Happydays321 you think it was the low carb that helped? How low carb did you do - no bread/rice/pasta or Keto levels of low carb?

having a similar situation here and this thread has been helpful, thanks everyone :)

It can be due to a genetic disposition. I was part of a study identified by a test . A B vitamin is supposed to help. Can’t remember which b vitamin. I now take a b mutli vitamin in the hope it’s covered.

It could be inherited. I've had high BP since I was 18 as has my mother. I found out as wanted to go on pill (wasn't allowed). Been told it probably isn't lifestyle related and just is what it is. I was only put on meds when I started having kids and am now on candersarten.

Mine was very high and I was on monitoring for a month.

I know take 7.5 of Ramipril

Similar situation here, always been slightly high and was higher during pregnancy. Took it a few months ago at home and it was 199/117. Went to GP where three similar results came up. I'm on Amlodipine 5mg which has reduced it to an average of around 135/90. Im not overweight but at top end of healthy range, don't smoke, don't drink much alcohol, run several times each week and walk daily, healthy diet - feels like there's not a great deal more I can do! Trying to reduce my weight but it's a struggle

@ImFree2doasiwant definitely the low carb lowered my blood pressure, I want on medication but the gp did a 24 hour BP monitor annually and advised me to monitor at home. I then got a pre diabetic blood sugar reading and low carbed and it went down very quickly, I took it as I felt better.
I didn't do keto but was quite strict no obvious carbs, probably max 40 to 50 carbs a day.