Tips for managing high blood pressure

[SupremeCommanderServalan]

I went on meds a few years ago, and have been working quite hard to lose weight and improve my diet (vegetarian, hardly use salt, one coffee a day, minimal alcohol etc) in a bid to bring it down naturally. I also run 5k three times a week.

I've been feeling unwell recently with palpitations and headaches, GP got me to do blood pressure readings twice a day and it was high enough for her to now increase my meds.

DM had the same issue, and had a series of strokes.

I'm almost 60 and have a fairly stressful life - has anyone managed to bring their blood pressure down by any means other than meds?

I found that drinking a pint of water (sometimes more) before I got out of bed in the morning helped.

It’s more than a lifestyle thing; genetics also play a part, like with Cholesterol. Sometimes you do everything you can and still need the meds.

My BP has always been very low so I was really shocked to find I have high BP. Just before Christmas it was 167/97 and I was put on medication. On Monday it was 169/93 and the medication was doubled.

I have no symptoms and had no idea it was high. Quite concerned to see what it is when I return to GP in a couple of weeks.

Edited to say - I am 67 and had a stressful 2023 when my Mum died in the UK and I had to clear and sell her house. I live in NZ and wondering if this is the reason for the increase???

The single biggest good impact on my BP was being moved to a different manager at work...

I have never found anything.

My supposedly high BP is probably genetic as I have no risk factors so no lifestyle changes help. My quality of life is worsened by the medication though and I'm now seriously considering coming off it.

No specialist has been able to quantify the risk to me if I do. There seems to be no research splitting out the risk of strokes etc from the genetic type against the risk of strokes from high BP due to lifestyle causes.

It’s the hypertension that’s dangerous, not what’s causing it.

Yes, but if you knew it was definitely caused by X rather than Y, you'd probably just avoid X.

I would assume it's difficult to find people with only a single risk factor to be able to split out effects like that, though.

I lost a lot of weight and my bp dropped from 153/94 (on two lots of medication) to 113/70 (one med). I had to stop taking one of the meds because it dropped too low when I stood up. I’m planning a trial without any medication to see if it is now low enough to do without. But the pharmacist was very surprised when she did my annual review - apparently, it’s vanishingly rare for people to stop needing pills for bp.

Get divorced.
Sell dc on Ebay.
Buy lots of dcats....

Beetroot juice

If you've had heart palpitations I'd ask for a referral to the cardiology clinic or at least have an ECG done by the practice nurse.

I'm the same age as you, OP. My high blood pressure is familial apparently, there are no other obvious causes. I'm on three different meds to reduce it, plus statins for high cholesterol (also familial) and my blood pressure on the meds is now perfect.

I'd prefer not to take medication, but as my BP won't come down any other way I've accepted I need to. At least I know I've reduced my risk of having a stroke by taking them.

How high is it OP?

Meditation is supposed to help.

I've managed it with exercise (pilates, walking) and keeping weight down. Meds didn't help at all. It's crept up again though, as I've not been doing those things for a while.

To a PP, I think a bereavement can affect BP - I had one a year ago and that's when it crept up

Finding the right medication is obviously crucial. DH has some sort of inherited high blood pressure which killed an uncle at age 50. DH had to try various things and go through a lot of hoops to find the right treatment for his - it's unusual and his treatment isn't standard. His weight and stress levels do make a huge difference too.

Please don’t “plan a trial without medication” if by this you mean it is something you are thinking about without discussing it with your gp, by all means discuss your medication with your gp, but to come off the medication for something with such serious and potentially life threatening outcomes with out medical supervision is really dangerous.

Oh, the trial without medication is wholly in consultation with my doctor. It would be stupid to do so without.

Glad to hear it!

The most important thing is to get a monitor and check regularly that it's within a good range, and tailor your meds accordingly.

It sounds as if you're doing all the obvious things, but keep at it with the gradual weight loss.

Also, you could try planks: I was listening to Michael Mosley extolling their benefits for BP control the other day and for five minutes a day it's surely worth a go.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-66303982

I am 39 and have been on bp meds for 4 years. My maternal grandma dropped dead at 43 ....stroke. my mum was put on bp meds at 40.
I am a skinny size 10, I exercise ( boogie bounce) regularly don't add salt to anything, drink enough water . I don't drink alcohol. My cholesterol level is perfect.
I have recently just changed doctors . They were very concerned that I had high bp at my age. And asked if I had ever had a kidney scan. Nope .
He seems to think I could be the kidneys either I was born with small kidneys . Or I had a kidney infection as a child resulting in scaring thus reducing surface area within the kidneys and increasing pressure.

I have been referred for a scan.
I have tried a few bp meds
Labetalol - weird dreams
Methyldopa- horrific tiredness
Lisinporil - lovely but can't take if wanting to get preggers
Calcium chanel blocker can't remember the name . Lovely.

Ps beetroot juice does dramatically lower my bp but the effect only lasts 20 mins.

Is it though?

Hypertension is "normal" in my family. No one has ever had a stroke as a result. My mother has been on multiple drugs and still has high BP. It's not making a great deal of difference to mine either from what I can see.

There seem to be no statistics on whether patients with hypertension from lifestyle factors are more at risk than patients with the genetic form.

Calcium channel blocker can't remember the name

Amlodopine? That's the usual one. It gave me horrifically swollen feet and ankles and nightmares every night along with unremitting fatigue.

When I first went on amlodipine the fatigue cleared after 2 to 3 months. I do get other side effects but have learned to bear with them.

I stopped Amliodipine as it gave me huge swollen ankles - no use when you're a runner.

Now on Lisinopril & doing fine.

Family history of heart disease so take cholesterol lowering medication too.

No side effects