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Original poster

High BP.....advise please

17 replies

nutcracker · 16/05/2006 13:34

Not mine, my dads.

He went to his doc this morning because of general aches and pains but also tingling in his hands and feet.

The g.p took his BP and it was over 220. He has been put straight on medication and has to go back on thursday i think.

He was laughing when telling me just, i wanted to clonk him round the head.

His diet is crap and het gets stressed far too easily.

Whats the best thing he can do to help it come down and stay down ?

OP posts:
foxinsocks · 16/05/2006 13:37

chaps and co will prob give you better medical advice

dh has high bp and he was asked to do more exercise and cut out bad fats (and eat more fruit and veg). He plays footie now once a week and does more walking and it seems to have had a positive effect on his bp.

I would think once your bp is that high (220), taking the medication is prob very key.

fob · 16/05/2006 13:39

my hubby was hospitalised last week with high bp - and had a mini stroke as a result.

get the doctor to check what medication he's on - atenelol ended up making my dh worse and has been taking the new stuff for a week and feels better. i've also noticed he doesn't get stressed so easily!

as far as diet goes - less salt is key, but really i think stress can be a major factor - does he have a stressful job?

this is a bit rambly - sorry - but i know how you feel!

Marina · 16/05/2006 13:41

When you say he has a bad diet, does he eat a lot of processed foods, which usually have "hidden" high levels of sodium in them nutty? Does he add salt to meals as well?
High salt intake definitely affects your bp.
Sorry to hear this, not what you need :(

Original poster
nutcracker · 16/05/2006 13:42

Thanks foxinsocks, can just see the look on his face when i tell him that.

At the mo he doesn't really exercise at all apart from walking the dog once a day. He is overweight and eats lots of fried food and no fruit and veg.

Am going to be so tempted to ring him every day now and ask him for a run down of what he has eaten and if he's had his tablet etc etc.

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Original poster
nutcracker · 16/05/2006 13:43

He doesn't add salt to my knowledge no, but he eats alot of fried egg and sausage sarnies, baked beans etc etc. He doesn't cook anything from scratch.

Oh he smokes a pipe too.

Amazingly his colesterol is fine.

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Original poster
nutcracker · 16/05/2006 13:45

He is retired but does building jobs for friends and family and gets quite stressed about those at times and can blow his top over the most minor things.

Apparently the g.p said to him that he didn't know how he hadn't already collapsed.

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foxinsocks · 16/05/2006 13:46

more often than not, it runs in families

think regular exercise is very key - I think that alone helped dh's bp go down slightly

Original poster
nutcracker · 16/05/2006 13:48

He already has a thing about being the first male in his family to reach 60 (in 2 weeks time), so I know he will be fretting over it even if he is laughing about it at the mo.

Can't see him getting more exercise tbh.

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Marina · 16/05/2006 13:48

Sausages and beans both contain astonishing amounts of salt nutty. Sounds like keeping really active all his life has enabled him to get away with this diet, and now he is doing less it is catching up with him. Hope you can persuade him to trade fried eggs for some yummy quinoa with roasted veg :(

Original poster
nutcracker · 16/05/2006 13:50

Marina, I hate to say it but I have more chance of winning the lotto and marrying Robbie Williams.

He is lazy as far as food goes.

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foxinsocks · 16/05/2006 13:50

oh dear nutty Sad

I'm glad the GP picked it up. If he knows what fate awaits him, hopefully he'll do what he's told.

Re the exercise - even if it's something simple like walking the kids to school to start with, I'm sure every little bit counts.

Original poster
nutcracker · 16/05/2006 13:52

Hmm well his kids are 32, 27 and 25 but ikwym.

Will wait to see what the doc says to him on thursday and if he is still not taking it seriously he'll be getting a good talking to.

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foxinsocks · 16/05/2006 13:55

oh yes sorry (forgot it was your dad for a mo!)

it's hard to get people to change a lifetime's worth of habits but maybe he will listen to the GP

Original poster
nutcracker · 16/05/2006 13:59

I hope so, he can be such a stuborn sod though.

Will update on thurs when I know more.

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bundle · 16/05/2006 14:04

nutty, get him and his grandchildren pedometers and see who can reach the highest number of steps a day Smile
with regards to food - often people find it hard to give up processed foods because of their strong flavours - do you think you/the rest of the family could tempt him with other stronger flavours like thai or indian? (veggie curries and spicy noodle soups are a big favourite in our house)
220 is incredibly high, anything over 140/90 counts as "high" (ie worthy of treatment) these days. please stress to him that he's not just at risk of a heart attack, but also of stroke which leaves many people very disabled Sad

Original poster
nutcracker · 16/05/2006 14:07

Bundle that is a fantastic idea about the pedometers, will definatly do that. Will get the kids to ring and give him that peice of news Grin

Not sure if he has ever eaten a curry tbh, will ask him. If i lived nearer i'd cook him a portion of whatever i was cooking that day but I can't get there.

He can cook if he puts his mind to it. When my mum left he did toad in the hold and sausage casserole regularly and I know he could do other stuff if he thought about it.

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Original poster
nutcracker · 26/05/2006 20:44

Just thought I'd update.

My dad has been back to the g.p and his BP is now around 180 so it has come down but is obviously still very high. They have given him bloodt tests and said there is nothing to show why it is high really. His cholesterol is 4.6 which is okish.

I am really proud of him though because he has really changed his diet and I never ever thought he would. He went a brought a steamer and now has steamed meat or fish with steamed veg every day, which is so totally different to what he was eating.

Hopefully this combined with the tablets will really help.

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