Just diagnosed with Severe Hypertension

[Jacq217]

I'm finding it difficult to come to terms with my diagnosis as I've tried so hard to prevent it. I'm 42, ideal weight for my height (BMI 22). I exercise 5-6 times a week for around an hour. I eat a healthy balanced diet and I make almost everything exclusively from scratch without adding salt. Eating out or takeaways happen 3-4 times a year. I don't smoke or drink alcohol. In fact apart from 1 mug of coffee in the morning I only drink water. There is no family history either. Recent blood tests only showed slightly low sodium, folic acid and White blood cell count.

I'm going to the Doctor to discuss treatment options next week but I am petrified of the health risks associated with this. Also is there any truth to High BP medication causing weight gain as surely that would be counterproductive?

Any advice I'd me grateful.

I'm 40 and was diagnosed with this last year. I had really bad headaches which is how they found mine.
My BP was 205/120!

I'm on 10mg Ranitidine and 10mg Amlodopine a day

Similar to you I'm not.over weight, never smoked eat healthily and.exercise.

They've checked my kidneys and basically said its just down to bad luck and in my case hereditary..I've not noticed any weight gain and I would.say I feel like I have more energy than I did before.

At least they have found it and can treat you before it's too late and you end up having a stroke.

I'm on lisinopril for my high BP, I haven't noticed any weight gain. My high BP is associated with a genetic disorder Familialhypercholesterolemia which runs in my mum's side of the family. Have they run tests to investigate the cause if there is one?

Hi I get where you are coming from OP. I was in the same situation when my high BP was diagnosed. I was so angry as I had a really healthy lifestyle, wasn’t overweight, exercised daily etc etc. However, I understand that in some cases there is nothing you can do about it, and lifestyle changes won’t make any difference. Mine was most likely inherited and I will have to take medication for life.
I have come to terms with it now, but it was very hard for a long time.
Medication didn’t have any effect on my weight. It took a while to get the dosage and combination of drugs right, though, and I had some nasty side effects before getting it right.

If I were you, I would do everything possible to avoid taking medication. Perhaps an overhaul of your diet could be your answer. I'd be doing a lot of research and consulting with a nutritionist.

No, there is no truth to it.

If I were you, I would do everything possible to avoid taking medication.

Terrible advice. The consequences of untreated severe hypertension can be fatal. It sounds like OP's diet is reasonable and she has already carefully controlled all the modifiable risk factors.

OP, weight gain isn't commonly associated with anti-hypertensive medication, although it depends on which drug you're prescribed.

Absolutely take any medication the doctor prescribes for you but there are also ways of helping yourself through specific dietary changes as well. Primarily decrease the amount of sodium in your diet (if you are heading into peri-menopause sodium reactive increases in BP are more likely) and increase the amounts of potassium, magnesium and calcium. I found googling what foods were high in these and stocking up on them in my home so it's always easy to reach for something. Also +++ increase the fibre in your diet so that you get about 30g a day. The best thing I've found is using something like my fitness pal to start off with and tracking everything I eat. I probably sound a bit like a loon here but I was really struggling getting my diastolic number down but last reading was 130/80 which is awesome for me. I start every day with a glass of coconut water and a banana, small handful of almonds/cashews/pistachios and hit the potassium and fibre big time.

Also this book Eat Yourself Healthy which I've recommended to everyone I've spoken to in the last month!