Need to start looking into "high blood pressure" situation more

[biglips]

as atm mine is 145/110 in the last 3 blood pressure taking as its usually 95 - 100 on the bottom bit.

Ive had high blood pressure for 6 yrs now. I was taken off the pill (for life) which it brought the hbp down but not on any medication.

My nin (nan) had her first stroke at 42 (Ive just turned 36) and it was high blood pressure that caused her to have a stroke.

Im a stone overweight, active, just bought a new car 2 weeks ago, before that i was walking everywhere but i could do with more exercises, (need to get back into it now ive got a car to get to the dance classes), Ive been very stressed out for the past 3 yrs since Dp became self employed, money now is ok but still not a flow as constantly worried about getting the mortgage paid.

I do need a new mattress but cannot afford one which im not having a proper night sleep and dp is sleeping downstairs and had been for about a year now or over.

We do eat heathily as ive just had my blood test back for aneamia, iron, liver etc and all came back fine.

I may have to go on tablets for my hbp

any advices please?

Salt - you need to look very carefully at your diet. Cutting down salt can have a major impact.

some info here

Ready meals have a lot of salt - even if healthy in other ways. Soup as well. If you like soup - stop drinking it from tins or cartons and make your own - that way you control the salt level.

Some people are more prone to getting high bp than others

Sounds like you're doing a lot of things right, couple of other tips

1. Reduce caffeine

1. Try some form of relaxation therapy, yoga/pilates/10 minutes a day of sitting doing nothing and just concentrating on your breathing and relaxing every muscle. This reduces the amount of stress hormone released which leads on to raising your bp.

1. Reduce alcohol

1. Get your sleep sorted! Christmas present of a new mattress?

5.Hibiscus tea is meant to help

1. Dark chocolate is also meant to help!

Give it a go, good luck!

salt - we dont add any salt to our foods and the cooking it depends what ya cooking we add a tiny weeny bit of salt, as 4/5 foods are homemade and dont have ready meals. The processed foods we have will be summat like sausages or pre-made fish (Youngs).

1. Reduce caffeine - i do drink about average 7 mugs of tea per day! (i know its a lot)

1. Try some form of relaxation therapy, yoga/pilates/10 minutes a day of sitting doing nothing and just concentrating on your breathing and relaxing every muscle. This reduces the amount of stress hormone released which leads on to raising your bp - never tried the relaxing bit but i end up tidying up after my 2 yrs old when she have an hour nap in the afternoons.

1. Reduce alcohol - i drink once or twice a month

1. Get your sleep sorted! Christmas present of a new mattress? i wish we had money to spend on each other for xmas as too skint.

5.Hibiscus tea is meant to help - never tried it. Where to get them? health shops or supermarkets?

1. Dark chocolate is also meant to help! never tried it as im a lover for milk choc.

Also noticed that i ve suffered from water infections nearly all my life but it had been controlled and better since i turned about 20. But ive got a water infection now and my kidney was killing me last time was in so much pain and now im on antibiotics again as it didnt clear it up fully. Dp said that im having alot of water infections this year and it since ive been so knackered too

Sausages are very high in salt! What about bread? It's also v high - as are a lot of cereals.

we do have bread for dinner - when i have sandwiches and i cannot live without cereals as atm im having fruit n fibre and also have porridge. we dont always have sausages as it also can be ready made quiches..does that have alot of salt in it??

Hi Biglips - it's not the worst thing in the world if you have to start taking medication for your BP.

I resisted for a long time and tried every method possible to get my BP down. Unfortunately I just seem to be prone to it and it runs in the family. My nan, like yours, had her first stroke in her forties and two of my (very slim and fit) siblings also have raised BP.

I decided to go on the tablets after a couple of years of trying to reduce it naturally. I have had no problems with the tablets apart from some occasional headaches and swollen ankles which seem to be a small price to pay if it stops me having an early stroke.

Marrow - ive never had tried to do anything about it and docs even suggested for me to buy a BP monitor for home..err dont think so as ill be more stressed!!

gotta go back in 2 weeks and for me to have 95- 100 is normal for me....even when i was pg with both girls my bp went to 85!! so thats normal for everyone else....weird!!

biglips, it might just be genetic - in which case, all the other suggestions (especially losing a bit of weight/exercising more) might help, but ultimately you may need tablets. I've started them recently (Ramipril, a low dose) and have had no side effects whatsoever - my blood pressure is now never high, and I don't worry about it anymore.

In fact, the not worrying about it may mean I can try (with GP support) stopping the meds - as it went up with stress during a house move/application process. I wouldn't want to risk an early stroke - my family on both sides tends to be heart/stroke rather than cancer prone, though none have had strokes until elderly. I have two young dds, am an older Mum, and am playing safe!

I would imagine they'll want to treat your hypertension, that's rather high despite all your best efforts. Lifestyle changes tend to make a 10-15 mmHg difference at the most so that would still leave your BP higher than ideal.

Modern meds especially the ACE inhibitors like Ramipril are generally well tolerated.

Have you had your blood sugars tested recently? Repeated infections along with fatigue could be related to elevated blood sugars, so could be worth checking.

no ive not had my blood sugars test taken.

Ive had the tiredness - exhausted, drained and my legs feels heavy - since my dd2 was born 2 years ago but in the last 6 mths it really hitting me more the tiredness. I put it towards money stress and me not sleeping through the night properly. I have asked for sleeping tabs again to help me to stay asleep so i can imagine the mattress is not helping but it could be genetic....you just dont know do you?

I would ask your practice nurse to dip your wee for you (esp looking for glucose and protein) and/or do a fingerprick for your random glucose.

If you came to see me with your symptoms that's one of the things I would do!

can hbp makes you tired/fatigue?

im on antibiotics atm for water infection (as prone to them for years). He said that if this course of tabs doesnt clear it up, then i need to bring a wee sample

It can do, I think you have lots of factors contributing to your tiredness so it's hard to isolate them.

Hence why I would try and eliminate as many of those factors as possible, such as excluding raised glucose and treating your hypertension.

I'd take a wee sample anyway, and ask them to look for glucose as well as infection. Depending which dipsticks they use will depend what shows up. They may have already checked for it but it doesn't hurt to ask!

no it doesnt Sidge....ill ask for the glucose test.

i know that im not helping on my lifestyle as hardly been out since dd2 was born 2 yrs ago due to "im too tired" mode.

thanks everyone for your advices and i cant think of anymore to say as im ready for my ZZZZZZZZZZZzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzZZZZZZZZzzzzz