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!

Thanks I can certainly do low carb. I am losing weight but not hugely overweight - I look OK, but weigh more than I look so am very definitely "overweight" by the scales

Oh do give it a try, i hope it works for you.

But when you go for it do really go for it, the 40 to 50 carbs were in green veg and the odd carrot, onion, zero potatoes, pulses etc.

Mine spiked a bit 3 years ago. I only realised because of headaches. It was just 140/90 but my GO friend advised me to work on it and bring it down naturally rather than start meds. I was overweight so worked on that, exercised, ate better, stopped caffeine (which was a trigger for me). It's back to normal now.
OP - yours sounds quite similar but the variations sound huge. I hope lifestyle changes can help manage it before you make the leap to meds.

*GP

Sounds like a good discussion has been started! Definitely not going to be jumping to medication, hoping some lifestyle changes will help matters 🤞 I don't smoke or drink and only have 1 coffee max a day so not sure it's caffeine related. Low carb sounds like something I can start doing as well! My diet is probably quite carb heavy to be honest.

I was very fit, runner, decent diet, non smoker but family history of high bp. DM had it too and ended up with vascular dementia as a result. I'm on meds now and it's well controlled. I'm all for improving lifestyle etc but often that's just not enough. There seems to be a weird aversion on MN to taking anti hypertensives when they really can be lifesavers. Cutting out carbs leads to a very restricted diet which people generally can't stick to long term although excluding highly refined ones is a good thing admittedly.

I was 135/80 which was high enough to be prescribed blood pressure meds. I'm on candersartan and the bp's down to normal. 120/80. Some of these on here sound really, really high!

Thank you for the thread. I've just purchased a new monitor. I'd had my other one 5+ years.

I have a severe phobia of having my BP taken. Its not just white coat syndrome (I have always had higher readings in medical settings) but it's developed over the years into a proper phobia. Only way I can suffer it is if I do it myself.

I managed to get through 3 pregnancies without it being a massive issue.... I always had it taken at least twice (some HCP would only do it twice) and it was always lower second time around so they were always satisfied I have WCS. I also had one lovely MW with DC3 who would use the old fashioned type of apparatus, which I was better with. Only time I've never batted an eyelid about having my BP taken was immediately after birth. Ironically always had perfect BP then.

I am under a medical team now for an autoimmune condition and they know my phobia so are happy to let me take my own BP (BP was only ever required once in 4 years to be honest but I take it before every appointment - 6 monthly - just incase) and my GP is the same.

But I take it weekly at home. Just for shits and giggles.

@Dillydollydingdong

It seems a tad overzealous to medicate for 135/80

How was the decision made to medicate? (Were you monitored etc beforehand?)

@Dillydollydingdong I agree with @Crunchymum , medicated for 135/80 does not sound right

This is not in line with NICE clinical guidelines. 120/80 is in the normal range and not hypertensive. I would ask for another clinician to review.

Apologies! 135/80 still in normal range, and not hypertensive. I would expect your medication to have also reduced your diastolic even though this wasn’t necessary. The pressure on your kidneys from the medication means that the benefits aren’t outweighing. I would honestly go back and ask for a second opinion.

I had high BP for about 18 mths before they put me on medication. I was nervous because my mum had a stroke 😢 but feel happy that my GP monitors me regularly. I have blood tests every 6 mths and have the home BP monitor for a week every 6 mths too.
I can’t really say that I feel any different. I didn’t feel “ill” before starting the medication.
any medication with the name ending ‘pril’ may give you a cough. 1 in 10 I believe.

For those questioning @Dillydollydingdong ’s treatment, there are some combinations of features that might indeed make treatment for someone with a BP of 135/80 reasonable. There’s a little bit more to it than just looking at the BP.

I have high blood pressure and it started when I was about your age. I had every test they could think of but it's just unexplained hypertension. I wondered if it was my weight (13st and 5ft 6" but the consultant assured me that they aren't linked for me.

I'm on BP meds daily and it has pretty much no effect on my life. I take my pill and forget all about it.

I was diagnosed with hypertension at 21. I have been on various medications.

I also have a home BP monitor that I use once in a while to check we're all okay. I never had a single symptom but the nurse who discovered my raging BP when white and a bit panicky asking if I thought I would be able to walk to the waiting room okay while they got the doctor. I said, yep, no problem. I felt fine.

Ask to have your homocysteine levels checked as well.

You’re absolutely right and make a very good point here. There are factors such as diabetes, age and ethnic origin that need to be taken into account. Although the target NICE sets is a bp of 135/85 or under so to medicate for a bp of 135/80 would be against these guidelines even with risk factors taken into account and consideration. We don’t know enough about anyone’s case on this thread and nor should we. However, a second opinion would be a good idea. I don’t know any clinician in the NHS if not in the U.K. who doesn’t follow the guidelines and targets set by NICE.