High blood pressure!

[lovingmygarden]

I just turned 48 and recently at a friend's house, took my blood pressure and discovered it was crazy high. Was rather horrified!

Booked in to see my GP the next day who took my readings and then put me on 2.5mgs of Ramapril.

Today I was chatting to a few different colleagues and turns out several of them are on BP meds too. I genuinely thought I was the only one.

So I thought I'd ask if others know what their BP is and if being on meds is a fairly routine thing? Something a lot of people are on after a certain age?

Personally I'd like to make some lifestyle changes and see if it's possible to come off the meds!

I was in my early 40s when I took my BP by chance at my Dad's, and it was 190/140! Saw GP about a week later and was put straight onto 2.5mg Ramipril. I've since had to combine with 5mg Amlodipine, and another 2.5mg Ramipril at night (now 52). Both of my parents have had sky high blood pressure so I wasn't surprised that mine was too. Have lost a significant amout of weight but hasn't changed much.

Have you had covid? I had no issues with BP until I had a bad bout of covid in 2021 and was left with persistent BP problems. Now on Ramipril but going onto decaff tea has also made a difference.

I went onto blood pressure tablets at 34.
That was when it was picked up.
However it was quite obvious it must have been high for years as that's why I had the migraines.
It was very high when it was picked up apparently

Mine was picked up in my 20s, and I take two different meds for it, twice a day. About 25% of the population is hypertensive.

https://world-heart-federation.org/what-we-do/hypertension/

I always high blood pressure, even in my 20s, but wasn’t put on meds until I was about your age.

My GP said it was almost certainly hereditary, as I have always been slim and quite fit. I have higher than normal cholesterol too.

It’s good that this has been spotted, and by all means look after yourself in terms of of diet and exercise, but I would abandon any idea of coming off the meds now. It’s all about getting older I’m afraid!

I went on BP medication at 41 ish which then increased largely as a result of the panic attacks I was having when I kept ringing the doctor saying I was having a heart attack. I'm on 10mg.
I find walking massively helps as does tai chi. I've lost about 2.5 stone and have just negotiated to step the dose down as my BP has been on the low side.

I've been on blood pressure tablets for years. It was so high on diagnosis that my GP sent me to the pharmacy with an urgent prescription and instructions to tall the pharmacist that I had to take one immediately as I was on the verge of having a stroke.

It took 5 years to get a cocktail of drugs that brought it down enough. It was a last chance or I'm referring you to a specialist that finally brought it down. I'm now heading for low BP

I started my bp meds when I was in my mid 20’s. I’m now in my 30’s and it’s the best thing for me. I didn’t know my bp was high, I was finding myself becoming more and more tired as the week went on, more so than the normal work tired. I was then irritable and emotional due to it. I had loads of headaches etc Once I started my tablets I felt a huge improvement in my health and then quality of life.

I’ve always had a good diet and remained fit. I walk loads and only really drink water. My consultant has stated that I’ll most likely be on medication for life now. I’ve tried different tablets and different doses to find what’s right for me.

Mid 40s here and currently monitoring my blood pressure twice a day and potentially going on medication if I can't reduce it through lifestyle changes in a couple of months.

Do has high top number. It’s always been high but they put it down to white coat. It’s only recently that the doc suggested he should measure at home and to his horror it’s high all the time! He’s mid 30s, extremely fit, eats healthy and rarely drinks so I’m not sure what they will suggest.

Mine fluctuates a lot throughout the day. You can get a 24 hour monitor and they take the average.

I had a heart attack in 2017 (stress) and am on 1.25mg Ramipril daily. Keeps my BP around 125/70, haven't a clue what it would be without.

I had pre-eclampsia so you wonder how much that has to do with having high blood pressure later on...

Mine wasn't picked up till 6 years after my blood pressure had gone down after I'd given birth.
But then no one took my blood pressure until i went to doctors about an ear infection and they took it as standard but only at that particular appointment, no other. It could have been picked up much quicker.

Currently on twice daily monitoring. I had a bp monitor at home as a while ago I was planning on taking a med that raised bp. As a joke someone said to me "I bet your bp is sky high" as I'm going through a stressful time. Checked it and then went down to the pharmacy for a double check. They got me an urgent gp appointment. Currently 160/115.

Of course no one at work, which is causing the high bp, is in anyway bothered by the above

I have hereditary high blood pressure, not caused by weight or lifestyle. I've been on meds since I was 50, so 9 years now, and am on three different meds to control it. GP referred me to a cardiac consultant who said my heart is fine and I'm healthy, but I will need to stay on meds for the rest of my life. I've made my peace with that.

@Rainbowshit can I ask what lifestyle changes you're making?

Mine was picked up after going to the GP got persistent headaches (I’m only 33!) most likely hereditary but it’s my diastolic that won’t budge below 100/99. Currently on 7.5mg of Ramipril and 5mg of propranolol. Doc said I’ll always be one at least one agent for the rest of my life

Reducing salt, no processed foods, more exercise, losing a bit of weight and reducing alcohol intake.

My BP is a bit weird. GP took it sitting down slightly high. Then he asked me to stand up and took it again. It dropped considerably. He asked if I ever felt a bit dizzy if I stood quickly? I said yes but I've always had this. When I was young my BP was crazy low which they also worried about when I was pregnant.because of dizziness

Mine is high due to hereditary reasons which is annoying as I'm normal weight, very active and eat well. There are no lifestyle changes I could make.

I did try herbal remedies before accepting a prescription but they also made no difference. It has taken a while to find one that works without unacceptable side effects. Ramipril has absolutely no effect at all on me. I utterly hate taking the tablets and even now haven't come to terms with it.

Mine was always low until I had severe pre eclampsia.

I'm on meds but only a quarter of what I was 6 months ago after losing 3 stone and getting fitter. Hoping I can reduce it further.

I have been on BP meds since my 40s. It has always been higher than normal and was picked up when I wanted to go on the contraceptive pill in my early 20s. They wouldn't prescribe it as my BP was higher than normal but not high enough for treatment so it was left.

I took BP medication during my pregnancies when I developed pre eclampsia. It returned to my norm afterwards but as I got older I eventually agreed to take the drugs to lower it.

I just take 5mg of amlodipine. Ramipril gave me a dry cough. It is hereditary and my brother and sister also have it. My husband was prescribed BP medication after open heart surgery at 60.

I always had high BP , they would not give more than one month prescription of the pill because of it.
I then spent 7 weeks in hospital from 32 weeks with my first pregnancy.
I'm now 60 and recently ended up in hospital with infections and diabetes.
Afterwards nurse said BP was sky high and I needed to go on tablets, started on amlodopine which gave me headache and swollen ankles so swapped to 5mg Felodopine
Still on higher side but they seem happier about it.

The Dash diet is recommended for high BP.

I was hospitalised with mine for 2 days as it was sky high 240/150 and they were sure I was going to have a stroke. I didn't (luckily) bit it did make me think about my diet and weight more!!

I'm on Amlodopine, Bisoprolol and Indapamide and the last few GP BP tests have been textbook 120/80 (because of the tablets)