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Original poster

DH has high blood pressure...

31 replies

BaconAndAvocado · 28/02/2023 14:43

....and has just been told he should start taking statins. Ultimately, he doesn’t want to be on any medication so wants to lose weigh to bring his BP down.
What sort of foods should he be concentrating on?

OP posts:
Elphame · 02/03/2023 17:13

Kafkascat · 28/02/2023 22:48

Why are people so spooked about taking meds for hypertension ?
Certainly increase your daily activity, improve your diet, stop smoking, lose weight but often they can't be avoided and they do their job with relatively few side effects. Hypertension is a silent killer, you don't actually feel ill most of the time (unless hypertensive crisis).
Statins are actually good in tat they also stabilise the inside of blood vessels and can stop bits of plaque breaking off.

Well I am taking them very reluctantly. I have no lifestyle risk factors so I assume it's genetic.

I'm now on my 3rd prescription.

The first gave me horrendous vivid nightmares, sometimes 2 or 3 a night. A known side effect although admittedly rare.

The second just didn't work at all.

The current one is giving me severe episodes of dizziness for an hour or so every day and ongoing debilitating fatigue.

I am now seriously thinking of stopping them as I've already been told I've tried the ones that are appropriate for me which are likely to be effective. The side effects of these drugs are not insignificant and my quality of life is currently much reduced by them.

RampantIvy · 02/03/2023 17:45

I am now seriously thinking of stopping them as I've already been told I've tried the ones that are appropriate for me which are likely to be effective. The side effects of these drugs are not insignificant and my quality of life is currently much reduced by them.

Please talk to your GP before stopping the meds. Your quality of life will be far more significantly reduced if you have a stroke. Doctors don't hand out preventative meds for shits and giggles.

Nandocushion · 02/03/2023 18:10

Elphame · 02/03/2023 17:13

Well I am taking them very reluctantly. I have no lifestyle risk factors so I assume it's genetic.

I'm now on my 3rd prescription.

The first gave me horrendous vivid nightmares, sometimes 2 or 3 a night. A known side effect although admittedly rare.

The second just didn't work at all.

The current one is giving me severe episodes of dizziness for an hour or so every day and ongoing debilitating fatigue.

I am now seriously thinking of stopping them as I've already been told I've tried the ones that are appropriate for me which are likely to be effective. The side effects of these drugs are not insignificant and my quality of life is currently much reduced by them.

Show quote history

This is interesting. I've been on BP meds for 20 years or so, at least 3 or 4 different kinds, and I've never had any side effects at all, save for needing to pee a lot with the diuretic! (I have heard that statins have more side effects.) Are the current ones that are making you dizzy working? Is the dizziness due to BP that is now too low? If not, I'd be pushing your GP to do a bit more digging as this sounds odd.

Elphame · 02/03/2023 18:30

RampantIvy · 02/03/2023 17:45

I am now seriously thinking of stopping them as I've already been told I've tried the ones that are appropriate for me which are likely to be effective. The side effects of these drugs are not insignificant and my quality of life is currently much reduced by them.

Please talk to your GP before stopping the meds. Your quality of life will be far more significantly reduced if you have a stroke. Doctors don't hand out preventative meds for shits and giggles.

That is my choice to make.

Elphame · 02/03/2023 18:41

Nandocushion · 02/03/2023 18:10

This is interesting. I've been on BP meds for 20 years or so, at least 3 or 4 different kinds, and I've never had any side effects at all, save for needing to pee a lot with the diuretic! (I have heard that statins have more side effects.) Are the current ones that are making you dizzy working? Is the dizziness due to BP that is now too low? If not, I'd be pushing your GP to do a bit more digging as this sounds odd.

Show quote history

I never react well to prescription drugs so I'm not entirely surprised. I was prescribed beta blockers in my 20s for migraine and that went incredibly badly and I don't think there is a class of antibiotics that doesn't have some sort of side effect.

Ironically I've suffered from postural hypotension all my life even when I had supposedly high blood pressure! I suspect it is dropping too low at times but the lowest reading I've had during an episode is 120/80 which shouldn't cause any problem. I do suffer from white coat syndrome which extends to home monitoring too so I suspect my blood pressure is normally rather lower than the dr thinks it is!

I'm on 10mg of Lercanidipine at the moment but I have been thinking of just taking half a tablet.

GettingStuffed · 02/03/2023 18:46

I have controlled high BP but it's taken years to get it under control. I have 3 tablets which work in combination. It's not a given that losing weight will cause his BP to drop.

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