High Blood pressure ... So worried

[Scarfaceclaw21]

Went to see my gp in June 2019 for a pill check up and was told my BP was extremely high (220/110). I was put on various meds and referred to a consultant. Lots of tests have shown no problems with my kidneys or adrenal glands.

I was put on 2 meds, 10 mg of ramipril and 5 mg amlodipine. Eventually my average bp reduced to 118/70 so my consultant took me off amlodipine. I am keeping a blood pressure diary and going back to see him in April. He said keeping my BP under 120/80 was the goal.

All week it has been over 130/90.

I am so scared of heart attacks, strokes etc ... I also feel pathetically weak for drinking too much and not doing much exercise. It's like I know what to do but something is stopping me.
I feel like I am failing myself and my kids by not fixing it. I read a post on another thread about someone who got off all their medication by dieting/exercise.

I have no idea what I even want to achieve by this thread. I just feel so down.

[purpleme12]

I know this thread hasn't been commented on for a while but I would like to say that after having take the blood pressure tablets for a while now I am sure that me being hot in bed (and to a certain extent hotter than I used to be overall) was down to high blood pressure. It must be as I've gone back to wearing cardis at work and winter pyjamas in bed.
And probably no one's interested but I couldn't find anywhere that this was a symptom and now I'm sure it was it can't be a coincidence. (Up thread it was discussed that it can't be a symptom and it might be peri menopause).
Just on the odd chance someone else had anything similar

[Scarfaceclaw21]

When I went down to below 120/80 I thought it was something I could control... But my stats say otherwise. It's incredibly frustrating and I am worried for my kids/husband who want me around for as long as possible.

My BMI is good, I have never smoked, so I am clinging to the positives! I have drastically cut back my alcohol intake and today I did some light cardio for the first time in months. I am going to stick with the exercise and salt reduction and hopefully see an improvement. Even if I don't, it will hopefully reduce my chances of getting worse or I'll in the future.

[RapunzelsRealMom]

@scarface GP and I agreed to let me try to manage it without meds. If it didn't (or doesn't) work, I'll take meds

[purpleme12]

I do get bad headaches/migraines I've had them over the last few years
I can't help wondering if it's got something to do with it.
From what I can remember my blood pressure hasn't been checked since I had my child (6 years ago) till the last few months. So no one would know anyway?

If I had pre-eclampsia would that have anything to do with it?

[Tanfastic]

Op have you been on a 24 hour bp machine?

I ask this because I was in this position quite a few years ago where my blood pressure fluctuated quite badly throughout the day so I was given a 24 hour thing to wear overnight and the results showed that when I was just pottering and resting it was normal but just fluctuated when I was racing round the house and at work (and the doctors 🙄) so they wouldn't Medicate. I wonder if this is the same for you?

[Scarfaceclaw21]

@RapunzelsRealMom have your lifestyle changes meant you have come off or reduced your medication? I have cut out caffeine and lost a stone. I have cut back on salt. Right now my BP is 136/97 it's so frightening.

I don't know if I should call my gp...

[RapunzelsRealMom]

I recently started a thread about my headache - at that point I'd had it for around 2 weeks and it ended up lasting 19 days. I thought I had a brain tumour!! So did my go, I think as he sent me straight to hospital.

To cut a long story short, it was my BP.
I'm a lite overweight but not too bad, however I wasn't exercising enough and was drinking more than I should.

Immediately I changed my lifestyle:

• I've cut out caffeine
• don't add salt to food
• reduced calories
• started exercising A LOT! Including yoga twice a week

I don't deal with stress well and am working on that.

I didn't realise how responsive my body would be. BP is now at the high end of normal but I'm keeping up with the changes .

Good luck OP

[Scarfaceclaw21]

@SirTobyBelch thank you for that, it's definitely worth knowing.

My consultant said weight loss, exercise and reducing my salt intake should be my main areas of concern.

[SirTobyBelch]

Chinese takeaways were pretty much the first thing I gave up when I was diagnosed with hypertension. But that's because I know I have no self-control when ordering takeaways and also because they had been making me feel ill for quite a while beforehand. If you can order in moderation and only have Chinese about once a month I'm sure it's not really a problem.

Regarding potassium, as BeyondMyWits said, it's not that you have to avoid potassium (e.g. you don't have to stop eating bananas) but rather that you have to avoid doing things like switching from ordinary salt to alternatives containing a lot of potassium if you're taking ramipril (or any other ACE inhibitor). //drugs.com, which is quite a useful site for drug-food interactions, says:

It is recommended that if you are taking ramipril you should be advised to avoid moderately high or high potassium dietary intake. This can cause high levels of potassium in your blood. Do not use salt substitutes or potassium supplements while taking ramipril, unless your doctor has told you to.

In any case you need to be careful with restricted-salt diets. They're not something to take up without talking to a dietician. Don't assume because too much of something is bad for you that too little of it will be good for you. Too much or too little of anything is bad.

[OrangeBuddha]

@Scarfaceclaw21 - I think a good way ahead would be eat sensibly most of the time. On occasion give in to the (lovely) bad stuff & sweat it out by doing good cardio before & after the event. Fingers crossed!

[Scarfaceclaw21]

@OrangeBuddha but what if life if we deny ourselves everything we like?! I definitely drink too much, but I bloody love a glass of wine. And my favourite food ever is salt and pepper beef from the Chinese.

I am not drinking for now, but I have a meal out with a friend planned in Feb and I will have a glass (or three) then. As for the salt and pepper beef I think that's a no go!

Whilst I really, really want to be on as little medication as possible I don't know if I can be 100% good with my diet.

[OrangeBuddha]

@Scarfaceclaw21 my typical diet is plain cereal (shredded wheat) with fruit & milk, toast, eggs (lot!), brown rice, loads of veggies, lentils, salads, avocado, soups, sandwiches etc. I am vegetarian so makes my choices really limited. The one thing I can't deny myself is salted butter on my toast - which is not helping at all

[Scarfaceclaw21]

Ooh interesting. Should I try and avoid it?

I have been feeling extremely tired this week, falling asleep at 9pm and v.v.v begrudgingly waking with my alarm at 6. Nine hours sleep is loads but I am still knackered!

[BeyondMyWits]

No - potassium is ok for BP - just in conjunction with ACE inhibitors like Ramipril it can make blood potassium levels too high - causing:

tiredness or weakness.
a feeling of numbness or tingling.
nausea or vomiting.
trouble breathing.
chest pain.
palpitations or irregular heartbeats
with low blood pressure.

[Scarfaceclaw21]

Is potassium bad for BP?

[BeyondMyWits]

Eating garlic is fine - but just to note, you shouldn't really take garlic supplements on Ramipril, or swap salt for lo-salt (as it contains a lot of Potassium and can react with ACE inhibitors)

[Scarfaceclaw21]

I love garlic so that should be easy for me. Sat on the floor taking my BP is 138/91.

Eaten well all day, no alcohol, power walked to school and back. I could cry.

[Scarfaceclaw21]

@OrangeBuddha what is your typical food like each day? I am trying hard to cut it out but it is in everything! Bread is the hardest thing for me.

[iknowimcoming]

No advice I'm afraid but I've just found I'm in the same boat, recently diagnosed ADHD dr went to prescribe meds but checked my bp and said was too high (probably because of ADHD assessment etc) to get back to them when it was normal. We have a bp machine at home and all week it's been wildly fluctuating 134/86 on Monday then just now 150/100 I'm not particularly stressed about anything, been on progesterone only pill for a while but regular pill since my teens, two adult kids, definitely peri-menopausal and need to lose 2 stone ish but that's not new, now suddenly bam! Gp appt tomorrow morning - I'm really worried which I guess ironically is raising my bp!

[OrangeBuddha]

I was shocked to find my BP at 150/105 after a few days of headache. Historically I've been having low BP!

Immediately I cut salt to nearly zero. Within a couple of days my numbers are 125/85.

If I exercise/cardio it goes to 120/80 or even a bit below. But I can't do it everyday. :(

I don't want to start meds. I think I need to de-stress more but I also need a bit more salt else I might stop eating!!

My one downfall is tea. I need 2-3 cups a day (quit coffee years ago after having been an absolute addict). I need to reduce/eliminate tea but can't find the will!

I have added lot of garlic & lemon water/ apple-cider-vinegar to my diet which are great for BP control. Do try these & the salt reduction if you can.

[Scarfaceclaw21]

@BeyondMyWits. Thank you so much for posting. It is a timely kick up the bum to stop my pity party and get on with things. I am very grateful it was caught and I am able to act on it. I have had an ECG which thankfully showed my heart is ok.

@purpleme12 the only symptom o had was a headache, but even then I don't know for sure if it was related to my BP. But, my consultant and gp have both stressed the most important thing I can do is keep taking my meds as prescribed.

I think stress is a big factor for me, if the shit hits the fan it feels like my heart is going to leap out of my chest. It always has done. Yoga would be a good idea, I have done it once or twice and enjoyed it.

Does anyone know how long you can have high BP for? And are heart problems a certainty?

[Scarfaceclaw21]

Thank you so much for all the posts, Mumsnet can be amazing.

My consultant stopped my amlodipine because my average bp was under 120/80 and I was having moments of feeling light headed which suggested my BP was getting quite low.

I have cut out caffeine bar one or two cans of coke a week which is a treat!

[Herocomplex]

@purpleme12 symptoms vary person to person, I feel too hot with the duvet on, no heating in the bedroom, not sweats or flashes. It’s definitely the menopause for me though, I have other signs. Just a thought.

[purpleme12]

Well I guess I am old enough but it normally happens when you're older it says so again hoping it's not that!

[purpleme12]

Well it's the only sign and I'm not old enough really not for the age it says on the internet so I'm really hoping people are wrong on here when they suggest that lol (and also it's not actual flushes or sweating which is what's mentioned when you look it up it's just being hot)

Anyway let's hope it continues like it has done over the last couple of days....